GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard and telling them the Good News. The chief priests, scribes, and leaders came up to him.
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Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him
2 They asked him, "Tell us, what gives you the right to do these things? Who told you that you could do this?"
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and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?"
3 Jesus answered them, "I, too, have a question for you. Tell me,
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But He answered and said to them, "I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:
4 did John's right to baptize come from heaven or from humans?"
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The baptism of John--was it from heaven or from men?"
5 They talked about this among themselves. They said, "If we say, 'from heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?'
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And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
6 But if we say, 'from humans,' everyone will stone us to death. They're convinced that John was a prophet."
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But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."
7 So they answered that they didn't know who gave John the right to baptize.
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So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 Jesus told them, "Then I won't tell you why I have the right to do these things."
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And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
9 Then, using this illustration, Jesus spoke to the people: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to vineyard workers, and went on a long trip.
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Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.
10 "At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to obtain from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard. But the workers beat the servant and sent him back with nothing.
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Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11 So he sent a different servant. The workers beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him back with nothing.
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Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
12 Then he sent a third servant. But they injured this one and threw him out [of the vineyard].
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And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.
13 "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I'll send my son, whom I love. They'll probably respect him.'
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Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.'
14 "When the workers saw him, they talked it over among themselves. They said, 'This is the heir. Let's kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.'
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But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'
15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "What will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
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So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will destroy these workers and give the vineyard to others." Those who heard him said, "That's unthinkable!"
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He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"
17 Then Jesus looked straight at them and asked, "What, then, does this Scripture verse mean: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?
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Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person."
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"Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
19 The scribes and the chief priests wanted to arrest him right there, but they were afraid of the people. They knew that he had directed this illustration at them.
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And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.
20 So they watched for an opportunity to send out some spies. The spies were to act like sincere religious people. They wanted to catch him saying the wrong thing so that they could hand him over to the governor.
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So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
21 They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you're right in what you say and teach. Besides, you don't play favorites. Rather, you teach the way of God truthfully.
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Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:
22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to the emperor or not?"
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Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
23 He saw through their scheme, so he said to them,
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But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?
24 "Show me a coin. Whose face and name is this?" They answered, "The emperor's."
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Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" They answered and said, "Caesar's."
25 He said to them, "Well, then give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God."
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And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
26 They couldn't make him say anything wrong in front of the people. His answer surprised them, so they said no more.
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But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
27 Some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him,
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Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,
28 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.'
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saying: "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
29 There were seven brothers. The first got married and died without having children.
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Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 Then the second brother married the widow,
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And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.
31 and so did the third. In the same way all seven brothers married the widow, died, and left no children.
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Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.
32 Finally, the woman died.
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Last of all the woman died also.
33 Now, when the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? The seven brothers had married her."
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Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife."
34 Jesus said to them, "In this world people get married.
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And Jesus answered and said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.
35 But people who are considered worthy to come back to life and live in the next world will neither marry
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But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;
36 nor die anymore. They are the same as the angels. They are God's children who have come back to life.
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nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37 "Even Moses showed in the passage about the bush that the dead come back to life. He says that the Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
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But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'
38 He's not the God of the dead but of the living. In God's sight all people are living."
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For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him."
39 Some scribes responded, "Teacher, that was well said."
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Then some of the scribes answered and said, "Teacher, You have spoken well."
40 From that time on, no one dared to ask him another question.
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But after that they dared not question Him anymore.
41 Jesus said to them, "How can people say that the Messiah is David's son?
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And He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?
42 David says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Take the highest position in heaven
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Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand,
43 until I make your enemies your footstool."'
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Till I make Your enemies Your footstool." '
44 David calls him Lord. So how can he be his son?"
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"Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?"
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to the disciples,
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Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples,
46 "Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces, to have the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at dinners.
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"Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,
47 They rob widows by taking their houses and then say long prayers to make themselves look good. The scribes will receive the most severe punishment."
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who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.