Matthew 22:15-22

Paying Taxes to Caesar

15 ¹Then the Pharisees went and plotted how ²to entangle him in his words.

16 And they sent ³their disciples to him, along with ⁴the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, ⁵we know that you are true and teach ⁶the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for ⁷you are not swayed by appearances. ^[a]

17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay ⁸taxes to ⁹Caesar, or not? ”

18 But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why ¹⁰put me to the test, you hypocrites?

19 Show me the coin for the tax. ”And they brought him a denarius. ^[b]

20 And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this? ”

21 They said, “Caesar’s. ” Then he said to them, ¹¹“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. ”

22 When they heard it, they marveled. And they ¹²left him and went away.