English Standard Version ESV
The Message Bible MSG
1 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up
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One day he was teaching the people in the Temple, proclaiming the Message. The high priests, religion scholars, and leaders confronted
2 and said to him, "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority."
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him and demanded, "Show us your credentials. Who authorized you to speak and act like this?"
3 He answered them, "I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,
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Jesus answered, "First, let me ask you a question:
4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?"
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About the baptism of John - who authorized it, heaven or humans?"
5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'
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They were on the spot, and knew it. They pulled back into a huddle and whispered, "If we say 'heaven,' he'll ask us why we didn't believe him;
6 But if we say, 'From man,' all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet."
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if we say 'humans,' the people will tear us limb from limb, convinced as they are that John was God's prophet."
7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from.
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They agreed to concede that round to Jesus and said they didn't know.
8 And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
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Jesus said, "Then neither will I answer your question."
9 And he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while.
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Jesus told another story to the people: "A man planted a vineyard. He handed it over to farmhands and went off on a trip. He was gone a long time.
10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
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In time he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect the profits, but they beat him up and sent him off empty-handed.
11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
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He decided to try again and sent another servant. That one they beat black and blue, and sent him off empty-handed.
12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out.
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He tried a third time. They worked that servant over from head to foot and dumped him in the street.
13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.'
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"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'I know what I'll do: I'll send my beloved son. They're bound to respect my son.'
14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.'
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"But when the farmhands saw him coming, they quickly put their heads together. 'This is our chance - this is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all to ourselves.'
15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
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They killed him and threw him over the fence. "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do?
16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!"
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Right. He'll come and clean house. Then he'll assign the care of the vineyard to others." Those who were listening said, "Oh, no! He'd never do that!"
17 But he looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written: "'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?
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But Jesus didn't back down. "Why, then, do you think this was written: That stone the masons threw out - It's now the cornerstone!?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him."
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"Anyone falling over that stone will break every bone in his body; if the stone falls on anyone, it will be a total smashup."
19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.
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The religion scholars and high priests wanted to lynch him on the spot, but they were intimidated by public opinion. They knew the story was about them.
20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.
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Watching for a chance to get him, they sent spies who posed as honest inquirers, hoping to trick him into saying something that would get him in trouble with the law.
21 So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.
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So they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you're honest and straightforward when you teach, that you don't pander to anyone but teach the way of God accurately.
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?"
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Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,
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He knew they were laying for him and said,
24 "Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?" They said, "Caesar's."
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"Show me a coin. Now, this engraving, who does it look like and what does it say?"
25 He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
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"Caesar," they said. Jesus said, "Then give Caesar what is his and give God what is his."
26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.
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Try as they might, they couldn't trap him into saying anything incriminating. His answer caught them off guard and left them speechless.
27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
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Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked,
28 and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.
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"Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to take the widow to wife and get her with child.
29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.
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Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless.
30 And the second
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The second married her and died,
31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.
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then the third, and eventually all seven had their turn, but no child.
32 Afterward the woman also died.
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After all that, the wife died.
33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."
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That wife, now - in the resurrection whose wife is she? All seven married her."
34 And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,
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Jesus said, "Marriage is a major preoccupation here,
35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,
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but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage
36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
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nor, of course, with death. They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it. All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God.
37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
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Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, 'God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!'
38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him."
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God isn't the God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive."
39 Then some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well."
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Some of the religion scholars said, "Teacher, that's a great answer!"
40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.
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For a while, anyway, no one dared put questions to him.
41 But he said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is David's son?
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Then he put a question to them: "How is it that they say that the Messiah is David's son?
42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,
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In the Book of Psalms, David clearly says, God said to my Master, "Sit here at my right hand
43 until I make your enemies your footstool.'
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until I put your enemies under your feet."
44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?"
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"David here designates the Messiah as 'my Master' - so how can the Messiah also be his 'son'?"
45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples,
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With everybody listening, Jesus spoke to his disciples.
46 "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,
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"Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preen in the radiance of public flattery, bask in prominent positions, sit at the head table at every church function.
47 who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
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And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they'll pay for it in the end."
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.