Matthew 22
1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,
Again Jesus spoke to them in figurative language.
2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who prepared a marriage feast for his son.
"The Kingdom of the Heavens," He said, "may be compared to a king who celebrated the marriage of his son,
3 He sent out his servants to call those who had been invited to come to the marriage feast, but they would not come.
and sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding, but they were unwilling to come.
4 Again the king sent other servants, saying, 'Tell them who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner. My oxen and fattened calves have been killed, and all things are ready. Come to the marriage feast.”'
"Again he sent other servants with a message to those who were invited. "'My breakfast is now ready," he said, 'my bullocks and fat cattle are killed, and every preparation is made: come to the wedding.'
5 But they paid no attention and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.
"They however gave no heed, but went, one to his home in the country, another to his business;
6 The others seized the king's servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.
and the rest seized the king's servants, maltreated them, and murdered them.
7 The king was angry, and he sent his soldiers and they killed those murderers and burned their city.
So the king's anger was stirred, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burnt their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
Then he said to his servants, "'The wedding banquet is ready, but those who were invited were unworthy of it.
9 Therefore go to the highway crossings and invite as many people to the marriage feast as you can find.'
Go out therefore to the crossroads, and everybody you meet invite to the wedding.'
10 The servants went out to the highways and gathered together all the people they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.
"So they went out into the roads and gathered together all they could find, both bad and good, and the banqueting hall was filled with guests.
11 But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
"Now the king came in to see the guests; and among them he discovered one who was not wearing a wedding-robe.
12 The king said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without wedding clothes?' But the man was speechless.
"'My friend,' he said, 'how is it that you came in here without a wedding robe?'
13 Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind this man hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and the grinding of teeth.'
"The man stood speechless. Then the king said to the servants, "'Bind him hand and foot and fling him into the darkness outside: there will be the weeping aloud and the gnashing of teeth.'
14 For many people are called, but few are chosen.”
"For there are many called, but few chosen."
15 Then the Pharisees went and planned how they might entrap Jesus in his own talk.
Then the Pharisees went and consulted together how they might entrap Him in His conversation.
16 Then they sent to him their disciples, together with the Herodians. They said to Jesus, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and that you teach God's way in truth. You care for no one's opinion, and you do not show partiality between people.
So they sent to Him their disciples together with the Herodians; who said, "Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you faithfully teach God's truth; and that no fear of man misleads you, for you are not biased by men's wealth or rank.
17 So tell us, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
Give us your judgement therefore: is it allowable for us to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?"
18 But Jesus understood their wickedness and said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
Perceiving their wickedness, Jesus replied, "Why are you hypocrites trying to ensnare me?
19 Show me the coin for the tax.” Then they brought a denarius to him.
Show me the tribute coin." And they brought Him a shilling.
20 Jesus said to them, “Whose image and name are these?”
"Whose likeness and inscription," He asked, "is this?"
21 They said to him, “Caesar's.” Then Jesus said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”
"Caesar's," they replied. "Pay therefore," He rejoined, "what is Caesar's to Caesar; and what is God's to God."
22 When they heard it, they marveled. Then they left him and went away.
They heard this, and were astonished; then left Him, and went their way.
23 On that day some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him,
On the same day a party of Sadducees came to Him, contending that there is no resurrection. And they put this case to Him.
24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies, having no children, his brother must marry his wife and have children for his brother.'
"Teacher," they said, "Moses enjoined, 'If a man die childless, his brother shall marry his widow, and raise up a family for him.'
25 There were seven brothers. The first married and then died. Having left no children, he left his wife to his brother.
Now we had among us seven brothers. The eldest of them married, but died childless, leaving his wife to his brother.
26 Then the second brother did the same thing, then the third, all the way to the seventh brother.
So also did the second and the third, down to the seventh,
27 After them all, the woman died.
till the woman also died, after surviving them all.
28 Now in the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven brothers? For they all had married her.”
At the Resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? for they all married her."
29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.
The reply of Jesus was, "You are in error, through ignorance of the Scriptures and of the power of God.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage. Instead, they are like angels in heaven.
For in the Resurrection, men neither marry nor are women given in marriage, but they are like angels in Heaven.
31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,
But as to the Resurrection of the dead, have you never read what God says to you,
32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of dead, but of living men."
33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
All the crowd heard this, and were filled with amazement at His teaching.
34 But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered themselves together.
Now the Pharisees came up when they heard that He had silenced the Sadducees,
35 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him—
and one of them, an expounder of the Law, asked Him as a test question,
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”
"Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment in the Law?"
37 Jesus said to him, “'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
"'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God,'" He answered, "'with thy whole heart, thy whole soul, thy whole mind.'
38 This is the great and first commandment.
This is the greatest and foremost Commandment.
39 And a second commandment is like it—'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
And the second is similar to it: 'Thou shalt love thy fellow man as much as thyself.'
40 On these two commandments depend the whole law and the prophets.”
The whole of the Law and the Prophets is summed up in these two Commandments."
41 Now while the Pharisees were still gathered together, Jesus asked them a question.
While the Pharisees were still assembled there, Jesus put a question to them.
42 He said, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”
"What think you about the Christ," He said, "whose son is He?" "David's," they replied.
43 Jesus said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call him Lord, saying,
"How then," He asked, "does David, taught by the Spirit, call Him Lord, when he says,
44 'The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool”'?
"'The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand until I have put thy foes beneath thy feet'?
45 If David then calls the Christ 'Lord,' how is he David's son?”
"If therefore David calls Him Lord, how can He be his son?"
46 No one was able to answer him a word, and no man dared ask him any more questions from that day on.
No one could say a word in reply, nor from that day did any one venture again to put a question to Him.
