< Mark 12 >

1 Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.
And he began to speak to them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and dug a place for the winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to vinedressers, and went into a far country.
2 At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
And at the season he sent to the vinedressers a servant, that he might receive from the vinedressers of the fruit of the vineyard.
3 But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
4 Then he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the head and treated him shamefully.
And again he sent to them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
5 He sent still another, and this one they killed. He sent many others; some they beat and others they killed.
And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
6 Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.
Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last to them, saying, They will reverence my son.
7 But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
But those vinedressers said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
8 So they seized the son, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants, and will give the vineyard to others.
What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the vinedressers, and will give the vineyard to others.
10 Have you never read this Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
And have ye not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
11 This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
12 At this, the leaders sought to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.
And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went away.
13 Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words.
And they sent to him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”
And when they had come, they say to him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
15 But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to inspect.”
Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
16 So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they answered.
And they brought it. And he saith to them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said to him, Caesar’s.
17 Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” And they marveled at Him.
And Jesus answering said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.
18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus and questioned Him:
Then come to him the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man is to marry his brother’s widow and raise up offspring for him.
Master, Moses wrote to us, If a man’s brother shall die, and leave his wife, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.
20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died, leaving no children.
Now there were seven brothers: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
21 Then the second one married the widow, but he also died and left no children. And the third did likewise.
And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
22 In this way, none of the seven left any children. And last of all, the woman died.
And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
23 In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her for a wife.
24 Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?
And Jesus answering said to them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven.
For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels who are in heaven.
26 But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
And concerning the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush 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. You are badly mistaken!”
He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
28 Now one of the scribes had come up and heard their debate. Noticing how well Jesus had answered them, he asked Him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 Jesus replied, “This is the most important: ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One.
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
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.’
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: this is the first commandment.
31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these.
32 “Right, Teacher,” the scribe replied. “You have stated correctly that God is One and there is no other but Him,
And the scribe said to him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is no other but he:
33 and to love Him with all your heart and with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, which is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbour as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 When Jesus saw that the man had answered wisely, He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question Him any further.
And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said to him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that dared ask him any question.
35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, He asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?
And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?
36 Speaking by the Holy Spirit, David himself declared: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’
For David himself said by the Holy Spirit, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thy enemies thy footstool.
37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ So how can He be David’s son?” And the large crowd listened to Him with delight.
David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and how is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
38 In His teaching Jesus also said, “Watch out for the scribes. They like to walk around in long robes, to receive greetings in the marketplaces,
And he said to them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, who love to go in long clothing, and love greetings in the marketplaces,
39 and to have the chief seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
And the best seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost places at feasts:
40 They defraud widows of their houses, and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will receive greater condemnation.”
Who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayers: these shall receive greater condemnation.
41 As Jesus was sitting opposite the treasury, He watched the crowd putting money into it. And many rich people put in large amounts.
And Jesus sat opposite the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
42 Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.
And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more than all the others into the treasury.
And he called his disciples, and saith to them, Verily I say to you, That this poor widow hath cast in more than all they who have cast into the treasury:
44 For they all contributed out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in all she had to live on.”
For all they cast in of their abundance; but she of her want cast in all that she had, even all her living.

< Mark 12 >