“I absolutely despise ¹  your festivals! I get no pleasure ²  from your religious assemblies!

And one of them, an expert in religious law, ¹  asked him a question to test ²  him:

You are observing religious ¹  days and months and seasons and years.

One of the experts in religious law ¹  answered him, “Teacher, when you say these things you insult ²  us too.”

I will put an end to all her celebration: her annual religious festivals, monthly new moon celebrations, and weekly Sabbath festivities – all her appointed festivals.

Therefore they will now be the first to go into exile, ¹  and the religious banquets ²  where they sprawl on couches ³  will end.

However, the Pharisees ¹  and the experts in religious law ²  rejected God’s purpose ³  for themselves, because they had not been baptized ⁴  by John. ⁵ ) ⁶ 

Now ¹  an expert in religious law ²  stood up to test Jesus, ³  saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ⁴ 

The expert in religious law ¹  said, “The one who showed mercy ²  to him.” So ³  Jesus said to him, “Go and do ⁴  the same.”

So ¹  Jesus asked ²  the experts in religious law ³  and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath ⁴  or not?”

Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees ¹ ), ²  and they were filled with jealousy. ³ 

So Paul stood ¹  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ²  in all respects. ³ 

If someone thinks he is religious yet does not bridle his tongue, and so deceives his heart, his religion is futile.

Look at Zion, the city where we hold religious festivals! You ¹  will see Jerusalem, ²  a peaceful settlement, a tent that stays put; ³  its stakes will never be pulled up; none of its ropes will snap in two.

The Lord says, “Do not start following pagan religious practices. ¹  Do not be in awe of signs that occur ²  in the sky even though the nations hold them in awe.

I will take away their abominable religious practices; ¹  then those who survive will become a community of believers in our God, ²  like a clan in Judah, and Ekron will be like the Jebusites.

But Jesus ¹  replied, ²  “Woe to you experts in religious law as well! ³  You load people ⁴  down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch ⁵  the burdens with even one of your fingers!

Woe to you experts in religious law! You have taken away ¹  the key to knowledge! You did not go in yourselves, and you hindered ²  those who were going in.”

Now the Jewish religious leaders ¹  refused to believe ²  that he had really been blind and had gained his sight until at last they summoned ³  the parents of the man who had become able to see. ⁴ 

(His parents said these things because they were afraid of the Jewish religious leaders. ¹  For the Jewish leaders had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus ²  to be the Christ ³  would be put out ⁴  of the synagogue. ⁵