New Revised Standard NRS
Common English Bible CEB
1 One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders
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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 are you doing these things? Who is it 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 answered them, "I will also ask you a question, and you tell me:
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He replied, "I have a question for you. Tell me:
4 Did the baptism of John come from heaven, or was it of human origin?"
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Was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin?"
5 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, "Of human origin,' all the people will stone us; 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 Then Jesus said to them, "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 began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went to another country 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 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce 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 Next he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted 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 And he sent still a third; this one also they wounded and threw 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 discussed it among themselves and said, "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 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 destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "Heaven 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 But he looked at them and said, "What then does this text mean: "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 it will crush anyone on whom it falls."
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Everyone who falls on that stone will be crushed. And the stone will crush the person it falls on."
19 When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, 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 honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction 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 they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and you show deference to no one, but teach the way of God in accordance with 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 lawful for us to pay taxes to the emperor, 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 head and whose title does it bear?" They said, "The emperor's."
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"Show me a coin. Whose image and inscription does it have on it?"
25 He said to them, "Then give to the emperor the things that are the emperor'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 trap him by what he said; and being amazed 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 Sadducees, those who say there is no resurrection, came to him
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Some Sadducees, who deny that there's a resurrection, came to Jesus and asked,
28 and asked him a question, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no children, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children 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 married, and died childless;
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Now there were seven brothers. The first man married a woman and then died childless.
30 then the second
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The second
31 and the third married her, and so in the same way all seven died childless.
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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 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 married her."
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In the resurrection, whose wife will she be? All seven were married to her."
34 Jesus said to them, "Those who belong to 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 a place in that age and in 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 Indeed they cannot die anymore, because they are like angels and are children of God, being 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 And the fact that the dead are raised Moses himself showed, in the story about the bush, where he speaks of the Lord as the God of Abraham, 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 God not of the dead, but of the living; for to him all of them 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 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 another question.
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No one dared to ask him anything else.
41 Then he said to them, "How can they say that the Messiah 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 can he be his son?"
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Since David calls him ‘Lord,' how can he be David's son?"
45 In the hearing of all the people he said to the 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 to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have the best seats in the synagogues and 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 the sake of appearance say 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."
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible