Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
1 Then Jesus spoke to them in parables: "Once there was a man who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a hole for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to tenants and left home on a trip.
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He began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, set a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country.
2 When the time came to gather the grapes, he sent a slave to the tenants to receive from them his share of the harvest.
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When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
3 The tenants grabbed the slave, beat him, and sent him back without a thing.
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They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.
4 Then the owner sent another slave; the tenants beat him over the head and treated him shamefully.
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Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.
5 The owner sent another slave, and they killed him; and they treated many others the same way, beating some and killing others.
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Again he sent another; and they killed him; and many others, beating some, and killing some.
6 The only one left to send was the man's own dear son. Last of all, then, he sent his son to the tenants. "I am sure they will respect my son,' he said.
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Therefore he had yet one, a beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.'
7 But those tenants said to one another, "This is the owner's son. Come on, let's kill him, and his property will be ours!'
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But those farmers said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
8 So they grabbed the son and killed him and threw his body out of the vineyard.
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They took him, killed him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard.
9 "What, then, will the owner of the vineyard do?" asked Jesus. "He will come and kill those tenants and turn the vineyard over to others.
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What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.
10 Surely you have read this scripture? "The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.
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Haven't you even read this Scripture: 'The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner.
11 This was done by the Lord; what a wonderful sight it is!' "
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This was from the Lord, It is marvelous in our eyes'?"
12 The Jewish leaders tried to arrest Jesus, because they knew that he had told this parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.
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They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him, and went away.
13 Some Pharisees and some members of Herod's party were sent to Jesus to trap him with questions.
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They sent some of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to him, that they might catch him in words.
14 They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you tell the truth, without worrying about what people think. You pay no attention to anyone's status, but teach the truth about God's will for people. Tell us, is it against our Law to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor? Should we pay them or not?"
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When they had come, they asked him, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don't defer to anyone; for you aren't partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
15 But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, "Why are you trying to trap me? Bring a silver coin, and let me see it."
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Shall we give, or shall we not give?" But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, "Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it."
16 They brought him one, and he asked, "Whose face and name are these?" "The Emperor's," they answered.
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They brought it. He said to them, "Whose is this image and inscription?" They said to him, "Caesar's."
17 So Jesus said, "Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God." And they were amazed at Jesus.
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Jesus answered them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." They marveled greatly at him.
18 Then some Sadducees, who say that people will not rise from death, came to Jesus and said,
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There came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection. They asked him, saying,
19 "Teacher, Moses wrote this law for us: "If a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man's brother must marry the widow so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man's children.'
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"Teacher, Moses wrote to us, 'If a man's brother dies, and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother.'
20 Once there were seven brothers; the oldest got married and died without having children.
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There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring.
21 Then the second one married the woman, and he also died without having children. The same thing happened to the third brother,
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The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise;
22 and then to the rest: all seven brothers married the woman and died without having children. Last of all, the woman died.
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and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died.
23 Now, when all the dead rise to life on the day of resurrection, whose wife will she be? All seven of them had married her."
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In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife."
24 Jesus answered them, "How wrong you are! And do you know why? It is because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power.
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Jesus answered them, "Isn't this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God?
25 For when the dead rise to life, they will be like the angels in heaven and will not marry.
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For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
26 Now, as for the dead being raised: haven't you ever read in the Book of Moses the passage about the burning bush? There it is written that God said to Moses, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'
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But about the dead, that they are raised; haven't you read in the book of Moses, at the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?'
27 He is the God of the living, not of the dead. You are completely wrong!"
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He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken."
28 A teacher of the Law was there who heard the discussion. He saw that Jesus had given the Sadducees a good answer, so he came to him with a question: "Which commandment is the most important of all?"
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One of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together. Knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, "What commandment is the greatest of all?"
29 Jesus replied, "The most important one is this: "Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord.
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Jesus answered, "The greatest is, 'Hear, 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.'
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you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the primary commandment.
31 The second most important commandment is this: "Love your neighbor as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment more important than these two."
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The second is like this, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
32 The teacher of the Law said to Jesus, "Well done, Teacher! It is true, as you say, that only the Lord is God and that there is no other god but he.
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The scribe said to him, "Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he,
33 And you must love God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength; and you must love your neighbor as you love yourself. It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer on the altar animals and other sacrifices to God."
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and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
34 Jesus noticed how wise his answer was, and so he told him, "You are not far from the Kingdom of God." After this nobody dared to ask Jesus any more questions.
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When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." No one dared ask him any question after that.
35 As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he asked the question, "How can the teachers of the Law say that the Messiah will be the descendant of David?
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Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?
36 The Holy Spirit inspired David to say: "The Lord said to my Lord: Sit here at my right side until I put your enemies under your feet.'
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For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, 'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, Until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.'
37 David himself called him "Lord'; so how can the Messiah be David's descendant?" A large crowd was listening to Jesus gladly.
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Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?" The common people heard him gladly.
38 As he taught them, he said, "Watch out for the teachers of the Law, who like to walk around in their long robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplace,
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In his teaching he said to them, "Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,
39 who choose the reserved seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts.
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and chief seats in the synagogues, and chief places at feasts:
40 They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers. Their punishment will be all the worse!"
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those who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation."
41 As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money;
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Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.
42 then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny.
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A poor widow came, and she cast in two lepta, which make a quadrans.
43 He called his disciples together and said to them, "I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others.
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He called his disciples to himself, and said to them, "Most assuredly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury,
44 For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had - she gave all she had to live on."
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for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on."
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.