Luke 20
1 One day [during that week, Jesus] was teaching the people in the Temple [courtyard] and telling them [God’s] good message. As he was doing that, the chief priests, the men who taught the [Jewish] laws, and [other Jewish] elders came to him.
And on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching, the chief priests and Scribes, with the Elders, came upon him,
2 They asked him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things [like you did here yesterday]?”
and said to him: Tell us, by what authority thou doest these things? And who is it, that gave thee this authority?
3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me,
Jesus answered, and said to them: I also will ask you a word, and tell ye me.
4 where did John [the Baptizer] get [his authority to] baptize [those who came to him]? [Did he get it] from God [MTY/EUP] or from people?”
The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?
5 They discussed this among themselves. They said, “[If we(inc) say], ‘[It was] from God [MTY/EUP],’ he will say to us, ‘[Then] (you should have believed John’s [message]!/why did you not believe what John preached?) [RHQ]’
And they reasoned with themselves, and said: If we say, From heaven; he will say to us, And why did ye not believe him?
6 But if we say, ‘It was [from] people,’ the people [here] will [kill us by] throwing stones at us, because they [all] believe that John was a prophet [from God].”
But if we say, From men; all the people will stone us; for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.
7 So they replied, “We [(exc)] do not know where [John got his authority].”
And they said to him: We do not know, whence it was.
8 Then Jesus said to them, “[Because you did not answer my question], I will not tell you who authorized me to do those things [here yesterday].”
Jesus said to them: Neither do I tell you, by what authority I do these things.
9 Then Jesus told the people this parable [to illustrate what God would do to the Jews who rejected the former prophets and himself]: “A [certain] man planted a vineyard. He rented the vineyard to some men [to care for it and to give him some of the grapes in return]. Then he went to another country and stayed there several years.
And he began to utter this similitude to the people: A certain man planted a vineyard, and leased it to cultivators, and went abroad for a long time.
10 When [the vines started producing] grapes, he sent a servant to the men who were taking care of the vineyard. He expected that they would give him some of the grapes that the vineyard had produced. But [after the servant arrived], they beat him and they did not give him any grapes. They [just] sent him away.
And in time, he sent his servant to the cultivators, that they might give him of the fruits of the vineyard. But the cultivators beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 [Later], [the owner] sent another servant. But they beat him and mistreated him [also]. They sent him away without giving him any grapes.
And again he sent another servant; and him also they beat, and treated with rudeness, and sent empty away.
12 [Still later, the owner] sent another servant. That one they wounded and threw him out [of the vineyard].
And again he sent the third. And they wounded him, and cast him out.
13 So the owner of the vineyard thought to himself, ‘(I do not know what to do!/What shall I do?) [RHQ]’ [Then he had an idea. He thought to himself], ‘I will send my son, [whom I] love [very much]. Perhaps they will respect him [and give him my share of the grapes].’
The lord of the vineyard said: What shall I do? I will send my dear son. Perhaps they will look upon him, and be ashamed.
14 [So he sent his son], but when the men who were caring for the vineyard saw him [coming], they said to each other, ‘Here [comes] the man who will [some day] inherit [the vineyard]. Let’s kill him so that this vineyard will be ours!’
But when the cultivators saw him, they reasoned with themselves, and said: This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.
15 So they dragged him outside the vineyard and they killed him. So (I will tell you what the owner of the vineyard will do to them!/do you know what the owner of the vineyard will do to them?) [RHQ]
And they cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and kill those men who were taking care of the vineyard. Then he will arrange for other people to take care of it.” When the people listening to Jesus heard that, they said, “[We would] not do anything like those wicked men did!”
He will come, and destroy those cultivators, and will lease the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said: This shall not be.
17 But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “You can say that, [but think about] the meaning of these words that are written {which [a prophet] wrote} [RHQ] [in the Scriptures], The men who were building a house rejected a certain stone. But others put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone in the building [MET].
And he looked upon them, and said: What is that which is written, The stone, which the builders rejected, is become the chief corner stone?
18 [That stone represents me, the Messiah], and those who reject me are [like people who fall on this stone]. Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces {This stone will break to pieces everyone who falls on it}, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
And whoever shall fall upon this stone, will be broken; and on whomsoever it shall fall, it will crush him in pieces.
19 The chief priests and the men who taught the [Jewish] laws realized that he was accusing them when he told the parable [about what those wicked men did]. So they immediately tried to find a way to seize [MTY] him, but [they did not seize him, because] they were afraid of [what] the people [there would do if they did that].
And the chief priests and Scribes sought to lay hands on him, at that time; but they were afraid of the people; for they knew, that he spoke this similitude against them.
20 So they watched him carefully. They also hired (spies/secret agents) who pretended to be sincere. [But] they really wanted to get him to say something for [which they could accuse] him. They wanted to be able to turn him over to the authority of the governor [of the province. But they also knew that the Jews were disgusted with having to pay taxes to the government].
And they sent to him spies, who feigned themselves righteous men, that they might insnare him in discourse, and deliver him up to a court, and to the authority of the president.
21 [So] one of them asked Jesus, “Teacher, we [(exc)] know that you [(sg)] speak and teach what is right. You tell the truth even if important people do not like it. You teach truthfully what God wants us to do.
And they questioned him, and said to him: Teacher, we know that thou speakest and teachest correctly, and hast no respect of persons, but teachest the way of God in truth.
22 [So tell us what you think about this matter]: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY], or not?”
Is it lawful for us to pay head-money to Caesar, or not?
23 But Jesus knew that they were trying to trick him [to get him into trouble, either with the Jews, who hated to pay those taxes, or with the Roman government]. So he said to them,
But he perceived their craftiness, and said: Why tempt ye me?
24 “Show me a [Roman] coin. [Then tell me] whose picture is on it. And [tell me whose] name is on it.” They [showed him a coin and] said, “It has the picture and name of Caesar, [the head of the Roman government].”
Show me a denarius. Whose is this image and superscription upon it? They said to him, Caesar's.
25 He said to them, “In that case, give to the government [MTY] what they [require], and give to God what he [requires].”
Jesus said to them: Then, give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.
26 While the people were there, the [spies] were unable to find fault with him for what he said. And they were amazed at his answer. So they said nothing.
And they could not catch from him a word of accusation before the people: and they were surprised at his answers, and were silent.
27 Some Sadducees came to [Jesus]. They are a Jewish sect who do not believe that people will become alive again after they die.
And some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came and questioned him,
28 They [wanted to] ask [Jesus] a question [in order to discredit the idea that dead people will live again]. One of them said [to Jesus], “Teacher, Moses wrote for us [Jews] about situations where a man who has a wife but no children. If the man dies, his brother should marry the [dead man’s] widow so that she can have a child by him. People [will consider] that the child is the descendant of the man [who died], [and in that way the dead man will have descendants].
and said to him: Teacher, Moses wrote to us, that if a man's brother die, who had a wife without children, his surviving brother shall take his wife, and raise up seed to his deceased brother.
29 Well, there were seven brothers in one family. The oldest one married, but he and his wife did not bear any children. Later he died.
Now, there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 The second [brother followed this law and married the widow, but the same thing happened to him].
And the second took her to wife; and he died without children.
31 Then the third [brother] married her, [but the same thing happened again]. All seven [brothers, one by one, married that woman], [but] they had no children, and [one by one] they died.
And again, the third took her, and in like manner also all the seven; and they died, and left no children.
32 Afterwards, the woman died, too.
At last, the woman likewise died.
33 Therefore, [if it is true that there will be a time] when dead people will become alive again, whose wife [do you think that woman] will be [then]? ([Keep in mind that she was married to all seven brothers!/It will be impossible to decide because] she was married to all seven brothers!) [RHQ]”
In the resurrection, therefore, of which of them will she be the wife, for the seven took her?
34 Jesus replied to them, “Men who live here in this world take wives, or are given wives [by their parents] {their [parents] choose wives [for them]}. (aiōn g165)
Jesus said to them: The children of this world take wives, and wives are given to husbands. (aiōn g165)
35 But the men whom God considers worthy of [being in heaven after] they become alive again will not be married. (aiōn g165)
But they who are worthy of that world, and of the resurrection from the dead, do not take wives, nor are wives given to husbands. (aiōn g165)
36 [You need to know also that] they cannot die any more, because they will be [immortal] [SIM] like angels. [The fact that God has caused] them to be alive again [will show] that they are God’s children.
Neither can they die any more; for they are as the angels, and are the children of God, because they are children of the resurrection.
37 But [as for people] becoming alive again after they die, Moses wrote something about that. In the place where [he wrote about] the [burning] bush, he mentions the Lord as being the God whom Abraham [worships] and the God whom Isaac [worships] and the God whom Jacob [worships].
But that the dead will arise, even Moses showed; for, at the bush, he maketh mention, while he saith: The Lord, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38 It is not dead people who worship God. It is living people who worship him. [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died long before Moses lived, but God said that they were still worshipping him, so we(inc) know their spirits were still alive]! All [people] whose [spirits] are alive [again after they die continue to live to honor God]!”
Now God is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for they all live to him.
39 Some of the men who taught the [Jewish] laws replied, “Teacher, you [(sg)] have answered very well!”
And some of the Scribes answered, and said to him: Teacher, thou hast spoken well.
40 After that, they no longer dared to ask him any more questions [like that to try to trap him].
And they did not again venture to question him, on any matter.
41 Then Jesus said to them, “I will show you (OR, prove to you) that people [are wrong who] say that the Messiah is [merely] a descendant of [King] David! [RHQ]
And he said also to them: How do the Scribes say of Messiah, that he is the son of David?
42 Because David himself wrote [about the Messiah] in the book of Psalms, God said to my Lord, Sit [here beside me] on my right, [where I will highly honor you(sg)] [MTY].
And David himself said, in the book of Psalms: The Lord said to my Lord, seat thyself at my right hand,
43 [Sit here] while I completely defeat your enemies.
until I shall place thy foes under thy feet.
44 King David calls [the Messiah] ‘[my] Lord’! So ([the Messiah] cannot be [just someone] descended from [King] David!/how can the Messiah be [just] someone descended from [King] David?) [RHQ] [What I just said proves that he is much greater than David, isn’t that right]?”
If David, therefore, called him, My Lord; how is he his son?
45 While all the [other] people were listening, [Jesus] said to his disciples,
And while all the people heard, he said to his disciples:
46 “Beware that [you do not act like] the men who teach our [Jewish] laws. They like to put on long robes and walk around [to make people think that they are very important]. [They] also like [people to] greet them [respectfully] in the marketplaces. They like [to sit in] the most important places in the Jewish meeting places. At dinner parties [they like to sit in] the seats where the most honored people sit.
Beware of the Scribes, who choose to walk in long robes, and love a salutation in the streets, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the chief couches at suppers:
47 They swindle [MET] the houses [and property] of widows. [Then] they pretend they are good, as they pray [long] prayers [publicly. God] will [certainly] punish them very severely.”
who eat up the houses of widows, under pretence that they prolong their prayers. They will receive a greater condemnation.
