Parallel Bible results for "mark 12"

Mark 12

The Message Bible MSG

1 Then Jesus started telling them stories. "A man planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, erected a watchtower, turned it over to the farmhands, and went off on a trip.

2 At the time for harvest, he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect his profits.

3 "They grabbed him, beat him up, and sent him off empty-handed.

4 So he sent another servant. That one they tarred and feathered.

5 He sent another and that one they killed. And on and on, many others. Some they beat up, some they killed.

6 "Finally there was only one left: a beloved son. In a last-ditch effort, he sent him, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.'

7 "But those farmhands saw their chance. They rubbed their hands together in greed and said, 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.'

8 They grabbed him, killed him, and threw him over the fence.

9 "What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Right. He'll come and clean house. Then he'll assign the care of the vineyard to others.

10 Read it for yourselves in Scripture: That stone the masons threw out is now the cornerstone!

11 This is God's work; we rub our eyes - we can hardly believe it!"

12 They wanted to lynch him then and there but, intimidated by public opinion, held back. They knew the story was about them. They got away from there as fast as they could. Paying Taxes to Caesar

13 They sent some Pharisees and followers of Herod to bait him, hoping to catch him saying something incriminating.

14 They came up and said, "Teacher, we know you have integrity, that you are indifferent to public opinion, don't pander to your students, and teach the way of God accurately. Tell us: Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

15 He knew it was a trick question, and said, "Why are you playing these games with me? Bring me a coin and let me look at it."

16 They handed him one. "This engraving - who does it look like? And whose name is on it?" "Caesar," they said.

17 Jesus said, "Give Caesar what is his, and give God what is his." Their mouths hung open, speechless.

18 Some Sadducees, the party that denies any possibility of resurrection, came up and asked,

19 "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to marry the widow and have children.

20 Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless.

21 The second married her. He died, and still no child. The same with the third.

22 All seven took their turn, but no child. Finally the wife died.

23 When they are raised at the resurrection, whose wife is she? All seven were her husband."

24 Jesus said, "You're way off base, and here's why: One, you don't know your Bibles; two, you don't know how God works.

25 After the dead are raised up, we're past the marriage business. As it is with angels now, all our ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God.

26 And regarding the dead, whether or not they are raised, don't you ever read the Bible? How God at the bush said to Moses, 'I am - not was - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

27 The living God is God of the living, not the dead. You're way, way off base."

28 One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: "Which is most important of all the commandments?"

29 Jesus said, "The first in importance is, 'Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one;

30 so love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy.'

31 And here is the second: 'Love others as well as you love yourself.' There is no other commandment that ranks with these."

32 The religion scholar said, "A wonderful answer, Teacher! So lucid and accurate - that God is one and there is no other.

33 And loving him with all passion and intelligence and energy, and loving others as well as you love yourself. Why, that's better than all offerings and sacrifices put together!"

34 When Jesus realized how insightful he was, he said, "You're almost there, right on the border of God's kingdom." After that, no one else dared ask a question.

35 While he was teaching in the Temple, Jesus asked, "How is it that the religion scholars say that the Messiah is David's 'son,'

36 when we all know that David, inspired by the Holy Spirit, said, God said to my Master, "Sit here at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet."

37 "David here designates the Messiah 'my Master' - so how can the Messiah also be his 'son'?" The large crowd was delighted with what they heard.

38 He continued teaching. "Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery,

39 basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function.

40 And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they'll pay for it in the end."

41 Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions.

42 One poor widow came up and put in two small coins - a measly two cents.

43 Jesus called his disciples over and said, "The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together.

44 All the others gave what they'll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn't afford - she gave her all."

New Living Translation NLT

1 Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.

2 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop.

3 But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.

4 The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head.

5 The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed,

6 until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

7 “But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’

8 So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

9 “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” Jesus asked. “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.

10 Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.

11 This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’ ”

12 The religious leaders wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.

13 Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.

14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?” Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.”

16 When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” His reply completely amazed them.

18 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question:

19 “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.

20 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.

21 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her.

22 This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died.

23 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

24 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.

25 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

26 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

27 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.”

28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The LORD our God is the one and only LORD.

30 And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’

31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other.

33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

35 Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, “Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David?

36 For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said, ‘The said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

37 Since David himself called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with great delight.

38 Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces.

39 And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.

40 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”

41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts.

42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.

43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions.

44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”