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1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him.
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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 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who 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 replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me:
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He replied, "I have a question for you. Tell me:
4 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
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Was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin?"
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you 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, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded 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, “We don’t know where it was from.”
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They answered that they didn't know where it came from.
8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing 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 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.
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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 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so 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 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent 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 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him 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 son, whom I love; 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 talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will 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 So 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 kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
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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 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: “ ‘The stone 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; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”
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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 teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of 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 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said, so that they might hand him over to the power and authority 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 the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
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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 right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
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Does the Law allow people to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
23 He saw through their duplicity 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 image and inscription are on it?”“Caesar’s,” they replied.
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"Show me a coin. Whose image and inscription does it have on it?"
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is 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 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by 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 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.
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Some Sadducees, who deny that there's a resurrection, came to Jesus and asked,
28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry 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 one married a woman and died childless.
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Now there were seven brothers. The first man married a woman and then died childless.
30 The second
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The second
31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children.
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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 Finally, the woman died too.
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Finally, the woman died too.
33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
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In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? All seven were married to her."
34 Jesus replied, “The people 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 of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be 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 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children 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 in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for 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 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”
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He isn't the God of the dead but of the living. To him they are all alive."
39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!”
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Some of the legal experts responded, "Teacher, you have answered well."
40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
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No one dared to ask him anything else.
41 Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?
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Jesus said to them, "Why do they say that the Christ is David's son?
42 David himself declares 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 a footstool for your feet.” ’
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until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'
44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”
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Since David calls him ‘Lord,' how can he be David's son?"
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples,
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In the presence of all the people, Jesus said to his disciples,
46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
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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 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
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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."
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible