English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up

1One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him.

2and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”

2They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

3He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,

3 “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied.

4was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”

4 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

5And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’

5They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John.

6But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”

6But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.”

7So they answered that they did not know where it came from.

7So they finally replied that they didn’t know.

8And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

8And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.” Parable of the Evil Farmers

9And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while.

9Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years.

10When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

10 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.

11And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

11 So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed.

12And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out.

12 A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away.

13Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’

13 “‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’

14But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’

14 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’

15And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

15 So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him. “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked.

16He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!”

16 “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.” “How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,” his listeners protested.

17But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?

17Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’

18Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

18 Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

19The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

19The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction. Taxes for Caesar

20So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.

20Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus.

21So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.

21“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully.

22Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

22Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

23But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,

23He saw through their trickery and said,

24“Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.”

24 “Show me a Roman coin. Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.

25He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

25 “Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

26And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

26So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent. Discussion about Resurrection

27There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,

27Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead.

28and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.

28They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.

29Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.

29Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.

30And the second

30So the second brother married the widow, but he also died.

31and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.

31Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children.

32Afterward the woman also died.

32Finally, the woman also died.

33In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

33So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”

34And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,

34Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth.

35but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,

35 But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.

36for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

36 And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.

37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

37 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

38Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”

38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”

39Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.”

39“Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there.

40For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

40And then no one dared to ask him any more questions. Whose Son Is the Messiah?

41But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?

41Then Jesus presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that the Messiah is said to be the son of David?

42For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand,

42 For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms: ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

43until I make your enemies your footstool.”’

43 until I humble your enemies, making them a footstool under your feet.’

44David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”

44 Since David called the Messiah ‘Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

45And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples,

45Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said,

46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,

46 “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.

47who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

47 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.