12:1 He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.
12:2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
12:3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
12:4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.
12:5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
12:6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
12:7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
12:8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
12:9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
12:10 Haven’t you read this scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
12:11 the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12:12 Then they 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.
12:13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.
12:14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, 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 taxes to Caesar or not?
12:15 Should 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.”
12:16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
12:17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.
12:18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.
12:19 “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 have children for his brother.
12:20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.
12:21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.
12:22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.
12:23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
12:24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
12:25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
12:26 Now about the dead rising–have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
12:28 One 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?”
12:29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
12:30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
12:31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
12:32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.
12:33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
12:34 When 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.
12:35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, “How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ is the son of David?
12:36 David 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.” ‘
12:37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with delight.
12:38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces,
12:39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
12:40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”
12:41 Jesus 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.
12:42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny.
12:43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.
12:44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything–all she had to live on.”
12:1 And He began to speak to them in parables: A man planted a vineyard and put a hedge around it and dug a vat for a winepress and built a tower; and he leased it out to vinedressers and went abroad.
12:2 And he sent a slave to the vinedressers at the proper time so that from the vinedressers he might take of the fruit of the vineyard.
12:3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
12:4 And again he sent to them another slave; and that one they struck on the head and dishonored.
12:5 And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others.
12:6 He had yet one, a beloved son; he sent him to them last, saying, They will respect my son.
12:7 But those vinedressers said to one another, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!
12:8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.
12:9 What then will the master of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers and will give the vineyard to others.
12:10 Have you not even read this Scripture, “The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the head of the corner.
12:11 This was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes”?
12:12 And they sought to seize Him, yet they feared the crowd, for they perceived that it was with them in view that He spoke the parable. And leaving Him, they went away.
12:13 And they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and Herodians that they might catch Him in His speech.
12:14 And they came and said to Him, Teacher, we know that You are true and do not fear anyone, for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not? Should we give, or should we not give?
12:15 But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why do you tempt Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may look at it.
12:16 And they brought one. And He said to them, Whose is this image and inscription? And they said to Him, Caesar’s.
12:17 And Jesus said to them, The things that are Caesar’s render to Caesar, and the things that are God’s to God. And they marveled greatly at Him.
12:18 And some Sadducees came to Him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they questioned Him, saying,
12:19 Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if anyone’s brother dies and leaves a wife behind and leaves no child, his brother should take the wife and raise up seed to his brother.
12:20 There were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and when he died, he left no seed;
12:21 And the second took her and died, leaving behind no seed; and the third similarly;
12:22 And the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died.
12:23 In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.
12:24 Jesus said to them, Is it not because of this that you err, that you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?
12:25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in the heavens.
12:26 But concerning the dead, that they are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the section concerning the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, “I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob”?
12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You err greatly.
12:28 And one of the scribes approached and heard them disputing; and perceiving that He answered them well, he questioned Him, Which is the first commandment of all?
12:29 Jesus answered, The first is: “Hear, Israel: the Lord our God is one Lord;
12:30 And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart and from your whole soul and from your whole mind and from your whole strength.”
12:31 The second is this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” There is no other commandment greater than these.
12:32 And the scribe said to Him, Well said, Teacher; in truth You have said that He is one and there is not another besides Him;
12:33 And to love Him from the whole heart and from the whole understanding and from the whole strength and to love one’s neighbor as himself is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.
12:34 And Jesus, seeing that he answered intelligently, said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no one dared to question Him anymore.
12:35 And Jesus, while He was teaching in the temple, answered and said, How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?
12:36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit, “The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies underneath Your feet.”
12:37 David himself calls Him Lord, and how is He his son? And the great crowd heard Him gladly.
12:38 And in His teaching He said, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and like greetings in the marketplaces
12:39 And chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at the dinners,
12:40 Who devour the widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These shall receive greater judgment.
12:41 And He sat down opposite the treasury and watched how the crowd cast money into the treasury. And many rich people cast in much.
12:42 And one poor widow came and cast in two lepta, which is a quadrans.
12:43 And He called His disciples to Him and said to them, Truly I say to you that this poor widow has cast in more than all those who were casting into the treasury,
12:44 For they all cast in out of their surplus, but she, out of her lack, has cast in all that she had, her whole living.