Mark 12; Mark 13

Mark 12

1 Then He began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away.

2 At harvest time he sent a slave to the farmers to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers.

3 But they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

4 Again he sent another slave to them, and they hit him on the head and treated him shamefully.

5 Then he sent another, and they killed that one. [He] also [sent] many others; they beat some and they killed some.

6 "He still had one to send, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

7 "But those tenant farmers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!'

8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 "Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers and give the vineyard to others.

10 Haven't you read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

11 This came from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes ?"

12 Because they knew He had said this parable against them, they were looking for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left Him and went away.

13 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Him to trap Him by what He said.

14 When they came, they said to Him, "Teacher, we know You are truthful and defer to no one, for You don't show partiality but teach truthfully the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

15 Should we pay, or should we not pay?" But knowing their hypocrisy, He said to them, "Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at."

16 So they brought one. "Whose image and inscription is this?" He asked them. "Caesar's," they said.

17 Then Jesus told them, "Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at Him.

18 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and questioned Him:

19 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies , leaves his wife behind, and leaves no child, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.

20 There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying, left no offspring.

21 The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise.

22 The seven also left no offspring. Last of all, the woman died too.

23 In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?"

24 Jesus told them, "Are you not deceived because you don't know the Scriptures or the power of God?

25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.

26 Now concerning the dead being raised-haven't you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him: I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob ?

27 He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are badly deceived."

28 One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"

29 "This is the most important," Jesus answered: Listen, Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is One.

30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.

31 "The second is: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these."

32 Then the scribe said to Him, "You are right, Teacher! You have correctly said that He is One, and there is no one else except Him.

33 And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more [important] than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices."

34 When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to question Him any longer.

35 So Jesus asked this question as He taught in the temple complex, "How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the Son of David?

36 David himself says by the Holy Spirit: The Lord declared to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet.'

37 David himself calls Him 'Lord'; how then can the Messiah be his Son?" And the large crowd was listening to Him with delight.

38 He also said in His teaching, "Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes, and who want greetings in the marketplaces,

39 the front seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.

40 They devour widows' houses and say long prayers just for show. These will receive harsher punishment."

41 Sitting across from the temple treasury, He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums.

42 And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little./ 64 of a daily wage, was the smallest Roman coin.

43 Summoning His disciples, He said to them, "I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury.

44 For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed-all she had to live on."

Mark 13

1 As He was going out of the temple complex, one of His disciples said to Him, "Teacher, look! What massive stones! What impressive buildings!"

2 Jesus said to him, "Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left here on another that will not be thrown down!"

3 While He was sitting on the Mount of Olives across from the temple complex, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately,

4 "Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to take place?"

5 Then Jesus began by telling them: "Watch out that no one deceives you.

6 Many will come in My name, saying, 'I am He,' and they will deceive many.

7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, don't be alarmed; these things must take place, but the end is not yet.

8 For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

9 "But you, be on your guard! They will hand you over to sanhedrins, and you will be flogged in the synagogues. You will stand before governors and kings because of Me, as a witness to them.

10 And the good news must first be proclaimed to all nations.

11 So when they arrest you and hand you over, don't worry beforehand what you will say. On the contrary, whatever is given to you in that hour-say it. For it isn't you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12 Then brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and put them to death.

13 And you will be hated by everyone because of My name. But the one who endures to the end will be delivered.

14 "When you see the abomination that causes desolation standing where it should not" (let the reader understand), "then those in Judea must flee to the mountains!

15 A man on the housetop must not come down or go in to get anything out of his house.

16 And a man in the field must not go back to get his clothes.

17 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days!

18 Pray it won't happen in winter.

19 For those will be days of tribulation, the kind that hasn't been from the beginning of the world, which God created, until now and never will be again!

20 Unless the Lord limited those days, no one would survive. But He limited those days because of the elect, whom He chose.

21 "Then if anyone tells you, 'Look, here is the Messiah! Look-there!' do not believe it!

22 For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and will perform signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, the elect.

23 And you must watch! I have told you everything in advance.

24 "But in those days, after that tribulation: The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light;

25 the stars will be falling from the sky, and the celestial powers will be shaken.

26 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

27 He will send out the angels and gather His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth to the end of the sky.

28 "Learn this parable from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.

29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, know that He is near-at the door!

30 I assure you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place.

31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

32 "Now concerning that day or hour no one knows-neither the angels in heaven nor the Son-except the Father.

33 Watch! Be alert! For you don't know when the time is [coming].

34 It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his slaves, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert.

35 Therefore be alert, since you don't know when the master of the house is coming-whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning.

36 Otherwise, he might come suddenly and find you sleeping.

37 And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!"