Luke 20
1 On one of those days while He was teaching the people in the Temple and proclaiming the Good News, the High Priests came upon Him, and the Scribes,
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.
2 together with the Elders, and they asked Him, "Tell us, By what authority are you doing these things? And who is it that gave you this authority?"
They asked him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things [like you did here yesterday]?”
3 "I also will put a question to you, "He said;
He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me,
4 "was John's baptism of Heavenly or of human origin?"
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?”
5 So they debated the matter with one another. "If we say 'Heavenly,'" they argued, "he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'
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]’
6 And if we say, 'human,' the people will all stone us; for they are thoroughly convinced that John was a Prophet."
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].”
7 And they answered that they did not know the origin of it.
So they replied, “We [(exc)] do not know where [John got his authority].”
8 "Nor will I tell you," said Jesus, "by what authority I do these things."
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].”
9 Then He proceeded to speak a parable to the people. "There was a man," He said, "who planted a vineyard, let it out to vine-dressers, and went abroad for a considerable time.
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.
10 At vintage-time he sent a servant to the vine-dressers, for them to give him a share of the crop; but the vine-dressers beat him cruelly and sent him away empty-handed.
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.
11 Then he sent a second servant; and him too they beat and ill treated and sent away empty-handed.
[Later], [the owner] sent another servant. But they beat him and mistreated him [also]. They sent him away without giving him any grapes.
12 Then again he sent a third; and this one also they wounded and drove away.
[Still later, the owner] sent another servant. That one they wounded and threw him out [of the vineyard].
13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, "'What am I to do? I will send my son--my dearly-loved son: they will probably respect him.'
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].’
14 "But when the vine-dressers saw him, they discussed the matter with one another, and said, "'This is the heir: let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'
[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!’
15 "So they turned him out of the vineyard and murdered him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
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]
16 He will come and put these vine-dressers to death, and give the vineyard to others." "God forbid!" exclaimed the hearers.
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!”
17 He looked at them and said, "What then does that mean which is written, "'The Stone which the builders rejected has been made the cornerstone'?
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].
18 Every one who falls on that stone will be severely hurt, but on whomsoever it falls, he will be utterly crushed."
[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.”
19 At this the Scribes and the High Priests wanted to lay hands on Him, then and there; only they were afraid of the people. For they saw that in this parable He had referred to them.
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].
20 So, after impatiently watching their opportunity, they sent spies who were to act the part of good and honest men, that they might fasten on some expression of His, so as to hand Him over to the ruling power and the Governor's authority.
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].
21 So they put a question to Him. "Rabbi," they said, "we know that you say and teach what is right and that you make no distinctions between one man and another, but teach God's way truly.
[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.
22 Is it allowable to pay a tax to Caesar, or not?"
[So tell us what you think about this matter]: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY], or not?”
23 But He saw through their knavery and replied,
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,
24 "Show me a shilling; whose likeness and inscription does it bear?" "Caesar's," they said.
“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].”
25 "Pay therefore," He replied, "what is Caesar's to Caesar--and what is God's to God."
He said to them, “In that case, give to the government [MTY] what they [require], and give to God what he [requires].”
26 There was nothing here that they could lay hold of before the people, and marvelling at His answer they said no more.
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.
27 Next some of the Sadducees came forward (who deny that there is a Resurrection), and they asked Him,
Some Sadducees came to [Jesus]. They are a Jewish sect who do not believe that people will become alive again after they die.
28 "Rabbi, Moses made it a law for us that if a man's brother should die, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother.
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].
29 Now there were seven brothers. The first of them took a wife and died childless.
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.
30 The second and the third also took her;
The second [brother followed this law and married the widow, but the same thing happened to him].
31 and all seven, having done the same, left no children when they died.
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.
32 Finally the woman also died.
Afterwards, the woman died, too.
33 The woman, then--at the Resurrection--whose wife shall she be? for they all seven married her."
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]”
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)
35 But as for those who shall have been deemed worthy to find a place in that other age and in the Resurrection from among the dead, the men do not marry and the women are not given in marriage. (aiōn g165)
But the men whom God considers worthy of [being in heaven after] they become alive again will not be married. (aiōn g165)
36 For indeed they cannot die again; they are like angels, and are sons of God through being sons of the Resurrection.
[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.
37 But that the dead rise to life even Moses clearly implies in the passage about the Bush, where he calls the Lord 'The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'
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].
38 He is not a God of dead, but of living men, for to Him are all living."
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]!”
39 Then some of the Scribes replied, "Rabbi, you have spoken well."
Some of the men who taught the [Jewish] laws replied, “Teacher, you [(sg)] have answered very well!”
40 From that time, however, no one ventured to challenge Him with a single question.
After that, they no longer dared to ask him any more questions [like that to try to trap him].
41 But He asked them, "How is it they say that the Christ is a son of David?
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]
42 Why, David himself says in the Book of Psalms, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand
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].
43 Until I have made thy foes a footstool under they feet.'
[Sit here] while I completely defeat your enemies.
44 "David himself therefore calls Him Lord, and how can He be his son?"
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]?”
45 Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to the disciples,
While all the [other] people were listening, [Jesus] said to his disciples,
46 "Beware of the Scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and love to be bowed to in places of public resort and to occupy the best seats in the synagogues or at a dinner party;
“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.
47 who swallow up the property of widows and mask their wickedness by making long prayers. They will be punished far more severely than others."
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.”
