Is It Right to Pay Taxes to Caesar?
15 The Pharisees went out. They made plans to trap Jesus with his own words.
16
They sent their followers to him. They sent the Herodians with them. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of honor. You teach the way of God truthfully. You don't let others tell you what to do or say. You don't care how important they are.
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Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
18
But Jesus knew their evil plans. He said, "You pretenders! Why are you trying to trap me?
19
Show me the coin people use for paying the tax." They brought him a silver coin.
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He asked them, "Whose picture is this? And whose words?"
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"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God."
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When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.