Mark 12
1 And he began to speak unto them in parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country.
Jesus began to speak to them in parables, “A man once planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine-press, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad.
2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard.
At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants, to receive from them a share of the produce of the grape harvest;
3 And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
but they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
4 And again he sent unto them another servant; and him they wounded in the head, and handled shamefully.
A second time the owner sent a servant to them; this man, too, the tenants struck on the head, and insulted.
5 And he sent another; and him they killed: and many others; beating some, and killing some.
He sent another, but him they killed; and so with many others – some they beat and some they killed.
6 He had yet one, a beloved son: he sent him last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
He had still one son, who was very dear to him; and him he sent to them last of all. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
But those tenants said to one another ‘Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and his inheritance will be ours.’
8 And they took him, and killed him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard.
So they seized him, and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard.
9 What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and put the tenants to death, and he will let the vineyard to others.
10 Have ye not read even this scripture: The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner;
“Have you never read this passage of scripture? – ‘The stone which the builders despised has now itself become the cornerstone;
11 This was from the Lord, And it is marvellous in our eyes?
this cornerstone has come from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes.’”
12 And they sought to lay hold on him; and they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spake the parable against them: and they left him, and went away.
After this his enemies were eager to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed the parable. So they left him alone, and went away.
13 And they send unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they might catch him in talk.
Afterward they sent to Jesus some of the Pharisees and Herodians, to set a trap for him in the course of conversation.
14 And when they were come, they say unto him, Teacher, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any one; for thou regardest not the person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Cæsar, or not?
These men came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are an honest man, and are not afraid of anyone, for you pay no regard to a person’s position, but teach the way of God honestly; are we right in paying taxes to the Emperor, or not?
15 Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why make ye trial of me? bring me a denarius, that I may see it.
Should we pay, or should we not pay?” Knowing their hypocrisy, Jesus said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a coin to look at.”
16 And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Cæsar’s.
And, when they had brought it, he asked, “Whose head and title are these?” “The Emperor’s,” they said;
17 And Jesus said unto them, Render unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled greatly at him.
and Jesus replied, “Pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God.” And they were amazed at him.
18 And there come unto him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
Next came some Sadducees – the men who maintain that there is no resurrection. Their question was this –
19 Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
“Teacher, in our scriptures Moses decreed that, should a man’s brother die, leaving a widow but no child, the man should take the widow as his wife, and raise up a family for his brother.
20 There were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed;
There were once seven brothers. The eldest married, but died and left no family;
21 and the second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and the third likewise:
and the second married his widow, and died without family; and so did the third.
22 and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died.
All the seven died and left no family. The woman herself died last of all.
23 In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
At the resurrection whose wife will she be, all seven brothers having had her as their wife?”
24 Jesus said unto them, Is it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know not the scriptures, nor the power of God?
“Is not the reason of your mistake,” answered Jesus, “your ignorance of the scriptures and of the power of God?
25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels in heaven.
When people rise from the dead, there is no marrying or being married; but they are as angels in heaven.
26 But as touching the dead, that they are raised; have ye not read in the book of Moses, in [the place concerning] the Bush, how God spake unto him, saying, I [am] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
“As to the dead, and the fact that they rise, have you never 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 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: ye do greatly err.
He is not God of dead people, but of living. You are greatly mistaken.”
28 And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, What commandment is the first of all?
Then came up one of the teachers of the Law who had heard their discussions. Knowing that Jesus had answered them wisely, he asked him this question, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
29 Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one:
“The most important,” answered Jesus, “is – ‘Hear, Israel; the Lord our God is the one Lord;
30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.
and you must 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 this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
The second is this – ‘You must love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 And the scribe said unto him, Of a truth, Teacher, thou hast well said that he is one; and there is none other but he:
“Wisely answered, teacher!” exclaimed the teacher of the Law. “It is true, as you say, that there is one God, and that there is no other besides him;
33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all whole burnt-offerings and sacrifices.
and to love him with all one’s heart, and with all one’s understanding, and with all one’s strength, and to love one’s neighbor as one loves oneself is far beyond all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
Seeing that he had answered with discernment, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that no one ventured to question him further.
35 And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that the Christ is the son of David?
While Jesus was teaching in the Temple Courts, he asked, “How is it that the teachers of the Law say that the Christ is to be David’s son?
36 David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.
David said himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit – ‘The Lord said to my lord: Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies beneath your feet.’
37 David himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
David himself calls him ‘lord,’ how comes it, then, that he is to be his son?” The mass of the people listened to Jesus with delight.
38 And in his teaching he said, Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and [to have] salutations in the marketplaces,
In the course of his teaching, Jesus said, “See that you are on your guard against the teachers of the Law, who delight to walk about in long robes, and to be greeted in the streets with respect,
39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts:
and to have the best seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at dinner.
40 they that devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers; these shall receive greater condemnation.
They are the men who rob widows of their homes, and make a pretense of saying long prayers. Their sentence will be all the heavier.”
41 And he sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
Then Jesus sat down opposite the chests for the Temple offerings, and watched how the people put money into them. Many rich people were putting in large sums;
42 And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing.
but one poor widow came and put in two small coins, worth very little.
43 And he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they that are casting into the treasury:
Then, calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others who were putting money into the chests;
44 for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, [even] all her living.
for everyone else put in something from what he had to spare, while she, in her need, put in all she had – everything that she had to live on.”
