< Luke 20 >

1 On one of these days, when Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple Courts and telling the Good News, the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law, joined by the Councillors, confronted him,
It happened on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, that the chief priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
2 and addressing him, said: “Tell us what authority you have to do these things. Who is it that has given you this authority?”
They asked him, "Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?"
3 “I, too,” said Jesus in reply, “will ask you one question. Give me an answer to it.
He answered them, "I also will ask you one question. Tell me:
4 It is about John’s baptism — was it of divine or of human origin?”
the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from man?"
5 But they began arguing together: “If we say ‘divine,’ he will say ‘Why did not you believe him?’
They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'
6 But, if we say ‘human,’ the people will all stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a Prophet.”
But if we say, 'From man,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."
7 So they answered that they did not know its origin.
They answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 “Then I,” said Jesus, “refuse to tell you what authority I have to do these things.”
Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
9 But Jesus began to tell the people this parable — “A man once planted a vineyard, and then let it out to tenants, and went abroad for a long while.
He began to tell the people this parable. "A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went on a journey for a long time.
10 At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants, that they should give him a share of the produce of the vineyard. The tenants, however, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 The owner afterwards sent another servant; but the tenants beat and insulted this man too, and sent him away empty-handed.
He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12 He sent a third; but they wounded this man also, and threw him outside.
He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out.
13 ‘What shall I do?’ said the owner of the vineyard. ‘I will send my son, who is very dear to me. Perhaps they will respect him.’
The lord of the vineyard said, 'What am I to do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that they will respect him.'
14 But, on seeing him, the tenants consulted with one another. ‘Here is the heir!’ they said. ‘Let us kill him, and then the inheritance will become ours.’
"But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'
15 So they threw him outside the vineyard and killed him. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and put those tenants to death, and will let the vineyard to others.” “Heaven forbid!” they exclaimed when they heard it.
He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, "May it never be."
17 But Jesus looked at them and said: “What then is the meaning of this passage? — ‘The very stone which the builders despised has now itself become the corner-stone.’
But he looked at them, and said, "Then what is this that is written, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?'
18 Every one who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls — it will scatter him as dust.”
Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will crush him."
19 After this the Teachers of the Law and the Chief Priest were eager to lay hands on Jesus then and there, but they were afraid of the people; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed this parable.
The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.
20 Having watched their opportunity, they afterwards sent some spies, who pretended to be good men, to catch Jesus in the course of conversation, and so enable them to give him up to the Governor’s jurisdiction and authority.
They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.
21 These men asked Jesus a question. They said: “Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and that you do not take any account of a man’s position, but teach the Way of God honestly;
They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and are not partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God.
22 are we right in paying tribute to the Emperor or not?”
Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
23 Seeing through their deceitfulness, Jesus said to them:
But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,
24 “Show me a florin. Whose head and title are on it?”
"Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" They answered, "Caesar's."
25 “The Emperor’s,” they said; and Jesus replied: “Well then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and to God what belongs to God.”
He said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
26 They could not lay hold of this answer before the people; and, in their wonder at his reply, they held their tongues.
They weren't able to trap him in his words before the people. And amazed at his answer, they fell silent.
27 Presently there came up some Sadducees, who maintain that there is no resurrection. Their question was this —
Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.
28 “Teacher, Moses laid down for us in his writings that — ‘Should a man’s married brother die, and should he be childless, the man should take the widow as his wife, and raise up a family for his brother.’
They asked him, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up children for his brother.
29 Well, there were once seven brothers; of whom the eldest, after taking a wife, died childless.
There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.
30 The second and third brothers both took her as their wife;
The second and
31 and so, too, did all seven — dying without children.
the third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.
32 The woman herself was the last to die.
Afterward the woman also died.
33 About the woman, then — at the resurrection, whose wife is she to be, all seven brothers having had her as their wife?”
Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife."
34 “The men and women of this world,” said Jesus, “marry and are given in marriage; (aiōn g165)
Jesus said to them, "The people of this age marry and are given to someone to marry. (aiōn g165)
35 but, for those who are thought worthy to attain to that other world and the resurrection from the dead, there is no marrying or being married, (aiōn g165)
But those who are regarded as worthy of a place in that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given to someone to marry. (aiōn g165)
36 nor indeed can they die again, for they are like angels and, having shared in the resurrection, they are God’s Sons.
For they cannot die any more, for they are like the angels, and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.
37 As to the fact that the dead rise, even Moses indicated that, in the passage about the Bush, when he calls the Lord — ‘The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord 'The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'
38 Now he is not God of dead men, but of living. For in his sight all are alive.”
Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him."
39 “Well said, Teacher!” exclaimed some of the Teachers of the Law,
Some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you speak well."
40 for they did not venture to question him any further.
They did not dare to ask him any more questions.
41 But Jesus said to them: “How is it that people say that the Christ is to be David’s son?
He said to them, "Why do they say that the Christ is David's son?
42 For David, in the Book of Psalms, says himself — ‘The Lord said to my lord: “Sit at my right hand,
David himself says in the scroll of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,
43 until I put thy enemies as a stool for thy feet.”’
until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'
44 David, then, calls him ‘lord,’ so how is he David’s son?”
"David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?"
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to the disciples:
In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples,
46 “Be on your guard against the Teachers of the Law, who delight to walk about in long robes, and like to be greeted in the streets with respect, and to have the best seats in the Synagogues, and places of honour at dinner.
"Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
47 These are the men who rob widows of their houses, and make a pretence of saying long prayers. Their sentence will be all the heavier.”
who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation."

< Luke 20 >