New Living Translation

English Standard Version

1Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.

1And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and went into another country.

2 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop.

2When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.

3 But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.

3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

4 The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head.

4Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.

5 The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed,

5And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed.

6 until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

6He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’

7But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

8 So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

8And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” Jesus asked. “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.

9What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.

10 Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.

10Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;

11 This is the LORD ’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’ ”

11this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away. Taxes for Caesar

12And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

13Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.

13And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.

14“Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

14And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?”

15Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?” Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.”

15But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”

16When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.

16And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”

17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply completely amazed them. Discussion about Resurrection

17Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.

18Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question:

18And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,

19“Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.

19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.

20Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.

20There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring.

21So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her.

21And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise.

22This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died.

22And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died.

23So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

23In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”

24Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.

24Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?

25 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

26 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

26And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

27 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.” The Most Important Commandment

27He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

28One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

28And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”

29Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD .

29Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.

30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’

30And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

31The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other.

32And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.

33And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

33And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions. Whose Son Is the Messiah?

34And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

35Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, “Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David?

35And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

36 For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

36David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’

37 Since David himself called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with great delight.

37David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

38Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces.

38And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces

39 And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.

39and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,

40 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 more severely punished.” The Widow’s Offering

40who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

41Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts.

41And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.

42Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

42And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.

43Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions.

43And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.

44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

44For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”

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.

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.