1Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: ‘A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall round it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.2At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.3But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.4Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.5He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.6‘He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, “They will respect my son.”7‘But the tenants said to one another, “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.”8So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.9‘What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.10Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture: ‘ “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;11the Lord has done this, and it is marvellous in our eyes”?’ (Ps 118:22; Ps 118:23)12Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
Paying the poll-tax to Caesar
13Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.14They came to him and said, ‘Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the poll-tax[1] to Caesar or not?15Should we pay or shouldn’t we?’ But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. ‘Why are you trying to trap me?’ he asked. ‘Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.’16They brought the coin, and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied.17Then Jesus said to them, ‘Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.’ And they were amazed at him.
Marriage at the resurrection
18Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.19‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.20Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.21The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.22In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.23At the resurrection[2] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?’24Jesus replied, ‘Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?25When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.26Now about the dead rising – have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob”? (Ex 3:6)27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!’
The greatest commandment
28One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, ‘Of all the commandments, which is the most important?’29‘The most important one,’ answered Jesus, ‘is this: “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one.[3]30Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (De 6:4; De 6:5)31The second is this: “Love your neighbour as yourself.” There is no commandment greater than these.’ (Le 19:18)32‘Well said, teacher,’ the man replied. ‘You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.33To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.’34When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’ And from then on no-one dared ask him any more questions.
Whose son is the Messiah?
35While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, ‘Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?36David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared: ‘ “The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’ ” (Ps 110:1)37David himself calls him “Lord”. How then can he be his son?’ The large crowd listened to him with delight.
Warning against the teachers of the law
38As he taught, Jesus said, ‘Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the market-places,39and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets.40They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.’
The widow’s offering
41Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts.42But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few pence.43Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, ‘Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.44They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on.’
Mark 12
English Standard Version
The Parable of the Tenants
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. (Ps 80:8; So 8:11; Isa 5:1; Isa 5:2; Mt 21:28; Mt 21:33; Mt 25:14; Mr 13:34; Lu 20:9)2When the season came, he sent a servant[1] to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.3And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. (2Ch 24:19; 2Ch 36:15; Ne 9:26; Jer 37:15; Jer 38:6; Mt 5:12; Mt 22:6; Mt 23:34; Mt 23:37; Ac 7:52; 2Co 11:24; 1Th 2:15; Heb 11:36)4Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. (Mt 22:4; Mr 12:3; Ac 5:41; Ac 14:19)5And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. (Mr 12:3)6He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ (Mt 3:17; Heb 1:1)7But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ (1Ki 21:19; Joh 1:11; Ro 8:17; Heb 1:2)8And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. (Heb 13:12)9What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. (Mt 8:11; Mt 21:43; Mt 24:50; Mt 25:19; Lu 19:27; Ac 13:46; Ac 18:6; Ac 28:28)10Have you not read this Scripture: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;[2] (Ps 118:22; Mt 21:16; Lu 4:21; Ac 4:11; Ac 8:35; 1Pe 2:7)11this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”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. (Mt 22:22; Mt 26:4; Mr 11:18; Mr 11:32; Lu 19:47; Joh 7:25; Joh 7:30; Joh 7:44)
Paying Taxes to Caesar
13And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. (Mt 22:15; Mr 3:6; Mr 8:15; Lu 11:54; Lu 20:20)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,[3] 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?” (Mt 17:25; Lu 2:1; Lu 3:1; Joh 3:2; Ac 10:34; Ac 13:10; Ac 18:25)15But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius[4] and let me look at it.” (Mt 18:28; Mt 23:28; Lu 12:1; Joh 8:6)16And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”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. (Ro 13:7)
The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
18And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, (Mt 3:7; Mt 16:1; Mt 22:34; Ac 4:1; Ac 4:2; Ac 5:17; Ac 23:6; Ac 23:8)19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man[5] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. (De 25:5)20There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring.21And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise.22And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died.23In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”24Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? (Joh 20:9; 1Co 6:14)25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. (Mt 24:38; Lu 17:27)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’? (Ex 3:1; Ex 3:6; Ex 3:17; Mt 21:16; Lu 3:4; Lu 20:42; Ac 1:20; Ac 7:32; Ac 7:42)27He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
The Great Commandment
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?” (Mt 22:34; Mt 22:46; Lu 10:25)29Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. (De 6:4; Mt 19:17; Mt 23:9; Lu 10:27; Ro 3:30; 1Co 8:4; 1Co 8:6; Ga 3:20; Eph 4:6; 1Ti 1:17; 1Ti 2:5; Jas 2:19; Jas 4:12; Jud 1:25)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.’31The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Le 19:18; Mt 19:19; Mt 23:23; 1Jo 4:21)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. (De 4:35; Mr 12:29)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.” (De 4:6; 1Sa 15:22; Ps 40:6; Ho 6:6; Mic 6:6; Mt 9:13; Mt 12:7; Lu 2:47; Col 1:9; Col 2:2; Heb 10:6; Heb 10:8)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. (Lu 20:40)
Whose Son Is the Christ?
35And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? (Mt 1:1; Mt 1:17; Mt 22:41; Mt 26:55; Lu 20:41)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.”’ (Ps 110:1; Lu 10:21; Ac 2:34; Ac 7:49; 1Co 12:3; 1Co 15:25; Heb 1:13; Heb 10:13)37David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly. (Mr 6:20; Ro 1:3)
Beware of the Scribes
38And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces (Mt 23:1; Mt 23:5; Lu 11:43; Lu 20:45)39and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, (Lu 14:7)40who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” (Mt 6:5; Mt 6:7; Lu 11:39; Lu 16:14)
The Widow’s Offering
41And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. (2Ki 12:9; Mt 27:6; Lu 21:1; Joh 8:20)42And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.[6] (Lu 12:59)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. (2Co 8:2; 2Co 8:12)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.” (Lu 8:43; Php 4:11)