aOn one of the days
while bHe was teaching
the people
in the temple
and cpreaching
the gospel
, the chief
priests
and the scribes
with the elders
dconfronted
Him,
and 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
?"
Jesus answered and said
to them, "I will also
ask
you a 1question
, and you tell
Me:
"Was the baptism of John
from heaven
or
from men
?"
They reasoned among
themselves
, saying
, "If
we say
, `From heaven
,' He will say
, `Why
did you not believe
him?'
"But if we say
, `From men
,' all
the people
will stone
us to death
, for they are convinced
that John
was a aprophet
."
So they answered
that they did not know
where
it came from.
And Jesus said
to them, "Nor
1will I tell
you by what
authority
I do
these
things
."
aAnd He began to tell
the people
this
parable
: "A man
planted
a vineyard
and rented
it out to 1vine-growers
, and went
on a journey
for a long
time
.
"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
.
"And he proceeded to send
another
slave
; and they beat
him also
and treated
him shamefully
and sent
him away
empty-handed
.
"And he proceeded to send
a third
; and this
one
also
they wounded
and cast
out.
"The 1owner of the vineyard
said
, `What
shall I do
? I will send
my beloved
son
; perhaps
they will arespect
him.'
"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
.'
"So they threw
him out of the vineyard
and killed
him. What
, then
, will the 1owner
of the vineyard
do
to them?
"He will come and adestroy
these
vine-growers
and will give
the vineyard
to others
." When
they heard
it, they said
, " bMay it never
be!"
But 1Jesus looked at them and said
, "What
then
is this
that is written
: ` aTHE STONE
WHICH
THE BUILDERS
REJECTED
, THIS
BECAME
bTHE CHIEF
CORNER
stone'?
" aEveryone who falls
on that stone
will be broken
to pieces
; but on whomever
it falls
, it will scatter
him like
dust
."
The scribes and the chief
priests
atried
to lay
hands
on Him that very
hour
, and they feared
the people
; for they understood
that He spoke
this
parable
against
them.
aSo they watched
Him, and sent
spies
who 1pretended
to be righteous
, in order
bthat they might 2catch
Him in some statement
, so
that they could deliver
Him to the rule
and the authority
of cthe governor
.
They questioned Him, saying
, "Teacher
, we know
that You speak
and teach
correctly
, and You 1are not partial
to any, but teach
the way
of God
in truth
.
"Is it 1lawful for us ato pay
taxes
to Caesar
, or
not?"
But He detected their trickery
and said
to them,
"Show Me a 1denarius
. Whose
2likeness
and inscription
does it have
?" They said
, "Caesar's
."
And He said to them, "Then
arender
to Caesar
the things that are Caesar's
, and to God
the things that are God's
."
And they were unable to 1 acatch
Him in a saying
in the presence
of the people
; and being
amazed
at His answer
, they became
silent
.
aNow there came
to Him some
of the bSadducees
(who say
that there is no
resurrection
),
and they questioned Him, saying
, "Teacher
, Moses
wrote
for us that aIF
A MAN'S
BROTHER
DIES
, having
a wife
, AND HE IS CHILDLESS
, HIS BROTHER
SHOULD 1MARRY
THE WIFE
AND RAISE
UP CHILDREN
TO HIS BROTHER
.
"Now there were seven
brothers
; and the first
took
a wife
and died
childless
;
and the third 1married
her; and in the same
way
2all
seven
3died
, leaving
no
children
.
"In the resurrection therefore
, which
one's
wife
will she be? For 1all
seven
2had
married her."
Jesus said
to them, "The sons
of athis
age
marry
and are given
in marriage
,
but those who are considered
worthy
to attain
to athat age
and the resurrection
from the dead
, neither
marry
nor
are given
in marriage
;
for they cannot even
die
anymore
, because
they are like
angels
, and are asons
of God
, being
sons
of the resurrection
.
"But that the dead are raised
, even
Moses
showed
, in athe passage about the burning bush
, where
he calls
the Lord
bTHE GOD
OF ABRAHAM
, AND THE GOD
OF ISAAC
, AND THE GOD
OF JACOB
.
" aNow He is not the God
of the dead
but of the living
; for ball
live
to Him."
Some of the scribes
answered
and said
, "Teacher
, You have spoken
well
."
For athey did not have courage
to question
Him any
longer
about anything
.
aThen He said
to them, "How
is it that they say
1the Christ
is bDavid's
son
?
"For David himself
says
in the book
of Psalms
, ` aTHE LORD
SAID
TO MY LORD
, "SIT
AT MY RIGHT
HAND
,
aUNTIL I MAKE
YOUR ENEMIES
A FOOTSTOOL
FOR YOUR FEET
."'
"Therefore David
calls
Him `Lord
,' and how
is He his son
?"
aAnd while all the people
were listening
, He said
to the disciples
,
"Beware of the scribes
, awho 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
,
who devour
widows'
houses
, and for appearance's
sake
offer
long
prayers
. These
will receive
greater
condemnation
."