New Living Translation

New American Standard Bible 1995

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.

1On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him,

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

2and they spoke, saying to Him, "Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?"

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

3Jesus answered and said to them, "I will also ask you a question, and you tell Me:

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

4"Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"

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

5They reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

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

6"But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet."

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

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

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

8And Jesus said to them, "Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

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.

9And He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time.

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.

10"At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him 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.

11"And he proceeded to send another slave; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed.

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

12"And he proceeded to send a third; and this one also they wounded and cast out.

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

13"The owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.'

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!’

14"But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another, saying, 'This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.'

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.

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

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.

16"He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, "May it never be!"

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

17But Jesus looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone'?

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

18"Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust."

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

19The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and they feared the people; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.

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.

20So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor.

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.

21They questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth.

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

22"Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

23He saw through their trickery and said,

23But He detected their trickery and said to them,

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

24"Show Me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's."

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

25And He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

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

26And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people; and being amazed at His answer, they became silent.

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

27Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection),

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.

28and they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES, having a wife, AND HE IS CHILDLESS, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER.

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

29"Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless;

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

30and the second

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

31and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children.

32Finally, the woman also died.

32"Finally the woman died also.

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

33"In the resurrection therefore, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her."

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

34Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and 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.

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

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.

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

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.’

37"But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB.

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

38"Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him."

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

39Some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."

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

40For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.

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

41Then He said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is David's son?

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

42"For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND,

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

43UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET."'

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

44"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord,' and how is He his son?"

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

45And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples,

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.

46"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets,

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.”

47who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."

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.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org