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Common English Bible CEB
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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On one of the days when Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests, legal experts, and elders approached him.
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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They said, "Tell us: What kind of authority do you have for doing these things? Who gave you this authority?"
3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,
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He replied, "I have a question for you. Tell me:
4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? ”
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Was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin?"
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 discussed among themselves, "If we say, ‘It's of heavenly origin,' he'll say, ‘Why didn't you 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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But if we say, ‘It's of human origin,' all the people will stone us to death because they are convinced that John was a prophet."
7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from.
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They answered that they didn't know where it came from.
8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. ”
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Then Jesus replied, "Neither will I tell you what kind of authority I have to do these things."
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 the people this parable: "A certain man planted a vineyard, rented it to tenant farmers, and went on a trip for 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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When it was time, he sent a servant to collect from the tenants his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants sent him away, beaten and 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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The man sent another servant. But they beat him, treated him disgracefully, and sent him away empty-handed as well.
12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out.
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He sent a third servant. They wounded this servant and threw him out.
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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The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I'll send my son, whom I love dearly. Perhaps they will respect him.'
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 they saw him, they said to each other, ‘This is the heir. Let's kill him so the inheritance will be ours.'
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 threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
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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He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they said, "May this never happen!"
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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Staring at them, Jesus said, "Then what is the meaning of this text of scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become 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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Everyone who falls on that stone will be crushed. And the stone will crush the person it falls on."
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 legal experts and chief priests wanted to arrest him right then because they knew he had told this parable against them. But they feared the people.
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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The legal experts and chief priests were watching Jesus closely and sent spies who pretended to be sincere. They wanted to trap him in his words so they could hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor.
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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They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you are correct in what you say and teach. You don't show favoritism but teach God's way as it really is.
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not? ”
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Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,
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Since Jesus recognized their deception, he said to them, "Caesar's," they replied.
24 “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have? ”They said, “Caesar’s. ”
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"Show me a coin. Whose image and inscription does it have on it?"
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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He said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."
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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They couldn't trap him in his words in front of the people. Astonished by his answer, they were speechless.
27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection,
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Some Sadducees, who deny that there's a resurrection, came to Jesus and 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 for us that if a man's brother dies leaving a widow but no children, the brother must marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.
29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children.
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Now there were seven brothers. The first man married a woman and then died childless.
30 And the second
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The second
31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.
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and then the third brother married her. Eventually all seven married her, and they all died without leaving any children.
32 Afterward the woman also died.
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Finally, the woman died too.
33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife. ”
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In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? All seven were married to her."
34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,
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Jesus said to them, "People who belong to this age marry and are given in marriage.
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 those who are considered worthy to participate in that age, that is, in the age of the resurrection from the dead, won't marry nor will they be given in 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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They can no longer die, because they are like angels and are God's children since they share in the resurrection.
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 demonstrated that the dead are raised—in the passage about the burning bush, when he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the 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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He isn't the God of the dead but of the living. To him they are all alive."
39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well. ”
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Some of the legal experts responded, "Teacher, you have answered well."
40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.
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No one dared to ask him anything else.
41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son?
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Jesus said to them, "Why do they say that the Christ 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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David himself says in the scroll of Psalms, The Lord said to my lord, ‘Sit at my right side
43 until I make your enemies your footstool. ”’
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until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'
44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son? ”
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Since David calls him ‘Lord,' how can he be David's son?"
45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples,
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In the presence of all the people, Jesus said 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 legal experts. They like to walk around in long robes. They love being greeted with honor in the markets. They long for the places of honor in the synagogues and at banquets.
47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation. ”
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They are the ones who cheat widows out of their homes, and to show off they say long prayers. They will be judged most harshly."
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible