Matthew 22
1 Then Jesus told [the Jewish leaders] other parables [in order to illustrate what will happen to the people who do not accept him as the King God promised to send]. [This is one of those parables: ]
And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,
2 “[God] [MTY/EUP] [is like] a king [SIM] who [told his servants that they should] make a wedding feast for his son.
The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,
3 [When] the feast [was ready], the king sent his servants to tell the people who had been {whom he had} invited that it was time for them to come to the wedding feast. [The servants did that]. But the people who had been invited did not want to come.
And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.
4 So he sent other servants [to] again [tell the people whom he had invited that they should come to the feast]. He said [to those servants], ‘Say to the people whom I invited [to come to the feast], “The king says that he has prepared the food. The oxen and the fattened calves have been butchered [and cooked]. Everything is ready. It is time [now for you to] come to the wedding feast!’”’
Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.
5 [But when the servants told them that, they] disregarded [what the servants said]. Some of them went to their own fields. Others went to their places of business.
But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:
6 The rest of them seized the king’s servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.
7 [When the king heard what had happened], he became furious. He commanded his soldiers to go and kill those murderers and burn their cities.
But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 [After his soldiers had done that], the king said to his other servants, ‘I have prepared the [wedding] feast, but the people who were {whom I} invited do not deserve to [come to it because they did not consider it an honor to have been invited].
Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.
9 So, go to the intersections of the main streets. Tell whomever you find that they should come to the [wedding] feast.’
Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.
10 So the servants went there, and they gathered everyone they saw [who wanted to come to the feast]. They gathered [both people that were considered] to be evil and [those that were considered to be] good. They brought them into the hall where the wedding [feast took place]. The hall was filled with people.
So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.
11 But when the king went [into the hall] to see the guests who were there, he saw someone who was not wearing clothes [that had been provided for the guests to wear] at a wedding [feast].
And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 The king said to him, ‘Friend, (you should never have entered this hall, because you are not wearing the clothes [that guests wear] at wedding [feasts]!/how did you enter this hall, because you are not wearing the clothes [that are appropriate for guests to wear] at a wedding [feast]?) [RHQ]’ The man did not say anything, [because he did not know what to say].
And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie this person’s feet and hands and throw him outside where there is total darkness. People who are there cry out [because they are suffering] and they gnash their teeth [because of their severe pain].’”
Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 [Then Jesus said, “The point of this story is that God] has invited many [to come to him], but only a few people are the ones whom he has chosen [to be there].”
For many are called, but few are chosen.
15 After Jesus said that, the Pharisees met together in order to plan how they could cause him to say something that would enable them to accuse him.
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
16 They sent to him some of their disciples, [who thought that the Israelites should pay only the tax that the Jewish authorities required them to pay]. They also sent some members of the party that supported Herod. [The members of that party thought that the Israelites should pay only the tax that the Roman government required them to pay]. [Those who were sent came and] said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you teach the truth about what God wants [us to do]. We also know that you do not change what you teach because of what someone says about you, even if it is an important person who does not like what you [IDM] teach.
And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
17 So tell us what you think [RHQ] [about this matter]: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY], or not?”
Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
18 But Jesus knew that what they really wanted to do was evil. [They were wanting him to say something that would get him in trouble with either the Jewish authorities or the Roman authorities. So he said to them], “You are (hypocrites/pretending to ask a legitimate question), but you are just wanting [RHQ] me to say something for which you can accuse me.
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
19 Show me [one of] the coins with [which people pay] the [Roman] tax.” So they showed him [a coin called] a denarius.
Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.
20 He said to them, “Whose picture is [on] this [coin]? And [whose] name [is on it]?”
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
21 They answered, “[It has the picture and name of] Caesar, [the head of the Roman government].” Then he said to them, “Okay, give to the government what they [require], and give to God what he [requires].”
They say unto him, Cæsar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Cæsar the things which are Cæsar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
22 When those men heard Jesus say that, they marveled [that his answer did not enable anyone to accuse him]. Then they left Jesus.
When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.
23 During that same day, some Sadducees came to Jesus. [They are a Jewish sect who do not] believe that people will become alive again after they die. They [wanted to] ask [Jesus] a question.
The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,
24 [In order to discredit the idea that dead people will live again], they said [to him], “Teacher, Moses wrote [in the Scriptures], ‘If a man dies who did not have any children, his brother must marry the [dead man’s] widow in order that she can have a child by him. The child [will be considered] the descendant of the man [who died], [and in that way the dead man will have descendants].’
Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
25 Well, there were seven boys in a family [living] near us. The oldest one married someone. He [and his wife] did not have any children, and he died. So the second brother married the widow. [But he also died without having a child].
Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:
26 The same thing [happened to] the third [brother], and also to the other four [brothers, who one by one married this same woman].
Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.
27 Last of all, the widow also died.
And last of all the woman died also.
28 So, at the time when people are raised from the dead, which of the seven [brothers do you think] will be her husband? Keep in mind that they had all been married to her.”
Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.
29 Jesus replied to them, “You are certainly wrong [in what you are thinking]. You do not know [what is written in] the Scriptures. [You] also do not know [that] God has [the] power [to make people alive again].
Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.
30 The fact is that [the woman will not be the wife of any of them, because] after [God causes all dead] people [to] live again, no one will be married. Instead, [people] will be like the angels in heaven. [They do not marry].
For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.
31 But as for dead people becoming alive again, God said something about that. (I’m sure you have read it./Have you not read it?) [RHQ] [Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses],
But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,
32 ‘I am the God whom Abraham [worships] and the God whom Isaac [worships] and the God whom Jacob worships.’ 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 know their spirits were still alive]!”
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 crowds of people heard [Jesus teach] that, they were amazed.
And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.
34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had answered the Sadducees in such a way that the Sadducees could not [think of anything that they might say to] respond to him, the Pharisees gathered together to [plan what they would say to him]. [Then they approached him].
But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.
35 One of them was a man who had studied well the laws [that God gave Moses]. He wanted to see if Jesus [could answer] his question well [or if he would say something wrong]. He asked him,
Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,
36 “Teacher, which commandment in the laws [that God gave Moses] is the most important?”
Master, which is the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus [quoted the Scriptures as he replied], “‘You must love the Lord your God with all [IDM] your (inner being/heart). [Show that you love him] in all that you desire, in all that you feel, and in all that you think.’
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.
38 That is the most important commandment [in the laws that God gave Moses].
This is the first and great commandment.
39 The next most important commandment [that everyone must surely obey] is: ‘You must love the people you come in contact with as much as [you love] yourself.’
And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
40 These two commandments are the basis of every law [that Moses wrote in the Scriptures] and also of all that the prophets [wrote].”
On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
41 While the Pharisees were still gathered together [near] Jesus, he asked them,
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose descendant is he?” They said to him, “[He is] the descendant of [King] David.”
Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David.
43 Jesus said to them, “[If the Messiah is King David’s descendant], then (David should not have called him ‘Lord’ when David was saying [what] the [Holy] Spirit [prompted him to] say./Why did David call the Messiah ‘Lord’ when David was speaking [what] the [Holy] Spirit [prompted him to] say?) [RHQ]
He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,
44 [David wrote this in the Scriptures about the Messiah]: ‘God said to my Lord, “Sit [here beside me] on my right, [the place of greatest honor you] [MTY]. [Sit here] while I completely defeat your enemies [MTY].”’
The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
45 So, since [King] David called [the Messiah] ‘my Lord’, ([the Messiah] cannot be [just someone] descended from David!/how can he be [only] the descendant of [King] David?) [RHQ] [He must be much greater than David]!”
If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?
46 No one [who heard what Jesus said] was able to think of even one word to say to him [in response]. And after that, no one else ever dared to ask him another question [to try to trap him].
And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.
