< Matthew 22 >

1 Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables, saying,
And Jesus, talking to them again in stories, said:
2 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made a wedding feast for his son,
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a feast when his son was married,
3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.
And sent out his servants to get in the guests to the feast: and they would not come.
4 Again he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner. My cattle and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’
Again he sent out other servants, with orders to say to the guests, See, I have made ready my feast: my oxen and my fat beasts have been put to death, and all things are ready: come to the feast.
5 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise;
But they gave no attention, and went about their business, one to his farm, another to his trade:
6 and the rest grabbed his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
And the rest put violent hands on his servants, and did evil to them, and put them to death.
7 When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
But the king was angry; and he sent his armies, and those who had put his servants to death he gave to destruction, burning down their town with fire.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
Then he said to his servants, The feast is ready but the guests were not good enough.
9 Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many as you may find, invite to the wedding feast.’
Go then to the cross-roads, and get all those whom you see to come to the bride-feast.
10 Those servants went out into the highways and gathered together as many as they found, both bad and good. The wedding was filled with guests.
And those servants went out into the streets, and got together all those whom they came across, bad and good: and the feast was full of guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who did not have on wedding clothing,
But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a guest's robe;
12 and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here not wearing wedding clothing?’ He was speechless.
And he says to him, Friend, how came you in here not having a guest's robe? And he had nothing to say.
13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness. That is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.’
Then the king said to the servants, Put cords round his hands and feet and put him out into the dark; there will be weeping and cries of sorrow.
14 For many are called, but few chosen.”
For out of all to whom the good news has come, only a small number will get salvation.
15 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap him in his talk.
Then the Pharisees went and had a meeting to see how they might make use of his words to take him.
16 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach the way of God in truth, no matter whom you teach; for you are not partial to anyone.
And they sent to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we see that you are true, and that you are teaching the true way of God, and have no fear of anyone, because you have no respect for a man's position.
17 Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
Give us, then, your opinion of this: Is it right to give tax to Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test me, you hypocrites?
But Jesus saw their trick and said, Oh false ones, why are you attempting to put me in the wrong?
19 Show me the tax money.” They brought to him a denarius.
Let me see the tax money. And they gave him a penny.
20 He asked them, “Whose is this image and inscription?”
And he said to them, Whose is this image and name on it?
21 They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
They say to him, Caesar's. Then he said to them, Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's.
22 When they heard it, they marveled, and left him and went away.
And hearing it, they were full of wonder, and went away from him.
23 On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection) came to him. They asked him,
On the same day there came to him the Sadducees, who say that there is no coming back from the dead: and they put a question to him, saying,
24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’
Master, Moses said, If a man, at the time of his death, has no children, let his brother take his wife, and get a family for his brother;
25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother.
Now there were among us seven brothers; and the first was married and at his death, having no seed, gave his wife to his brother;
26 In the same way, the second also, and the third, to the seventh.
In the same way the second and the third, up to the seventh.
27 After them all, the woman died.
And last of all the woman came to her end.
28 In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her.”
When they come back from the dead, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? because they all had her.
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
But Jesus said to them in answer, You are in error, not having knowledge of the Writings, or of the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like God’s angels in heaven.
For when they come back from the dead there are no husbands and wives, but they are as the angels in heaven.
31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have not you read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,
But about the dead coming back to life, have you no knowledge of what was said to you by God in the Writings:
32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead but of the living.
33 When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
And the people hearing it were surprised at his teaching.
34 But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, gathered themselves together.
But the Pharisees, hearing how the mouths of the Sadducees had been stopped, came together;
35 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
And one of them, a teacher of the law, put a question to him, testing him, and saying,
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
Master, which is the chief rule in the law?
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
And he said to him, Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the first and great commandment.
This is the first and greatest rule.
39 A second likewise is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’
And a second like it is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.
40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
On these two rules all the law and the prophets are based.
41 Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,
Now while the Pharisees were together, Jesus put a question to them, saying,
42 saying, “What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “Of David.”
What is your opinion of the Christ? whose son is he? They say to him, The Son of David.
43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
He says to them, How then does David in the Spirit give him the name of Lord, saying,
44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit on my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet’?
The Lord said to my Lord, Be seated at my right hand, till I put under your feet all those who are against you?
45 “If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”
If David then gives him the name of Lord, how is he his son?
46 No one was able to answer him a word, neither did any man dare ask him any more questions from that day forward.
And no one was able to give him an answer, and so great was their fear of him, that from that day no one put any more questions to him.

< Matthew 22 >