Mark 12
1 And he began to speak to them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and dig a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to farmers, and went into a far 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 farmers a servant, that he might receive from the farmers of the fruit 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 caught 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 to them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
A second time the owner sent a servant to them; this man, too, the tenants struck on the head, and insulted.
5 And again 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 Having yet therefore one son, his well beloved, he sent him also last to 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 farmers 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 out of the vineyard.
So they seized him, and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard.
9 What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to 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 And have you not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become 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 the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous 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, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.
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 to him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
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 to him, Master, we know that you are true, and care for no man: for you regard not the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, 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 to them, Why tempt you me? bring me a penny, 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 says to them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said to him, Caesar’s.
And, when they had brought it, he asked, “Whose head and title are these?” “The Emperor’s,” they said;
17 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 marveled 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 Then come to him the Sadducees, which say 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 Master, Moses wrote to us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed to 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 Now there were seven brothers: 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, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
and the second married his widow, and died without family; and so did the third.
22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
All the seven died and left no family. The woman herself died last of all.
23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, 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 And Jesus answering said to them, Do you not therefore err, because you know not the scriptures, neither 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 the angels which are in heaven.
When people rise from the dead, there is no marrying or being married; but they are as angels in heaven.
26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have you 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?
“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 the God of the living: you therefore 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 having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment 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 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
“The most important,” answered Jesus, “is – ‘Hear, Israel; the Lord our God is the one Lord;
30 And 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: this is the first commandment.
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 And the second is like, namely this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 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 to him, Well, Master, you have said the truth: for there is one God; 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 soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is 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 to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that dared 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, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that 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 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit you on my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.
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 therefore himself calls him Lord; and from where is he then 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 he said to them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love 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 the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
and to have the best seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at dinner.
40 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
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 Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people 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 certain poor widow, and she threw 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 to him his disciples, and says to them, Truly I say to you, That this poor widow has cast more in, than all they which have cast 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 all they did cast in of their abundance; 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.”
