New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 Then he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower; then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.
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And he gave them teaching in the form of stories. A man had a vine-garden planted, and put a wall about it, and made a place for crushing out the wine, and put up a tower, and let it out to field-workers, and went into another country.
2 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his share of the produce of the vineyard.
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And when the time came, he sent a servant to get from the workmen some of the fruit of the garden.
3 But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
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And they took him, and gave him blows, and sent him away with nothing.
4 And again he sent another slave to them; this one they beat over the head and insulted.
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And again he sent to them another servant; and they gave him wounds on the head, and were very cruel to him.
5 Then he sent another, and that one they killed. And so it was with many others; some they beat, and others they killed.
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And he sent another; and they put him to death: and a number of others, whipping some, and putting some to death.
6 He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, "They will respect my son.'
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He still had one, a dearly loved son: he sent him last to them, saying, They will have respect for my son.
7 But those tenants said to one another, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
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But those workmen said among themselves, This is he who will one day be the owner of the property; come, let us put him to death, and the heritage will be ours.
8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
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And they took him and put him to death, pushing his body out of the garden.
9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.
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What then will the master of the garden do? He will come and put the workmen to death, and will give the garden into the hands of others.
10 Have you not read this scripture: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
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Have you not seen this which is in the Writings: The stone which the builders put on one side, the same was made the chief stone of the building:
11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is amazing in our eyes'?"
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This was the Lord's doing, and it is a wonder in our eyes?
12 When they realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowd. So they left him and went away.
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And they made attempts to take him; but they were in fear of the people, because they saw that the story was against them; and they went away from him.
13 Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said.
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Then they sent to him certain of the Pharisees and the Herodians, so that they might make use of his words to take him by a trick.
14 And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and show deference to no one; for you do not regard people with partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor, or not?
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And when they had come, they said to him, Master, we are certain that you are true, and have no fear of anyone: you have no respect for a man's position, but you are teaching the true way of God: Is it right to give taxes to Caesar or not?
15 Should we pay them, or should we not?" But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it."
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Are we to give or not to give? But he, conscious of their false hearts, said to them, Why do you put me to the test? give me a penny, so that I may see it.
16 And they brought one. Then he said to them, "Whose head is this, and whose title?" They answered, "The emperor's."
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And they gave him one. And he said to them, Whose is this image and name on it? And they said to him, Caesar's.
17 Jesus said to them, "Give to the emperor the things that are the emperor's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were utterly amazed at him.
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And Jesus said to them, Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's. And they were full of wonder at him.
18 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying,
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And there came to him Sadducees, who say there is no coming back from the dead; and they put a question to him, saying,
19 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother.
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Master, in the law Moses says, If a man's brother comes to his end, and has a wife still living and no child, it is right for his brother to take his wife, and get a family for his brother.
20 There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children;
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There were seven brothers: and the first took a wife, and at his death there were no offspring;
21 and the second married the widow and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise;
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And the second took her, and at his death there were no offspring; and the third the same:
22 none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died.
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And all the seven had no seed. Last of all the woman herself came to her death.
23 In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her."
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In the future life, when they come back from the dead, whose wife will she be? for the seven had her for a wife.
24 Jesus said to them, "Is not this the reason you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?
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Jesus said to them, Is not this the reason for your error, that you have no knowledge of the holy Writings or of the power of God?
25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
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When they come back from the dead, they do not get married, but are like the angels in heaven.
26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?
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But as to the dead coming back to life; have you not seen in the book of Moses, about the burning thorn-tree, how God said to him, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27 He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong."
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He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: you are greatly in error.
28 One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, he asked him, "Which commandment is the first of all?"
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And one of the scribes came, and hearing their argument together, and seeing that he had given them a good answer, put the question to him, Which law is the first of all?
29 Jesus answered, "The first is, "Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
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Jesus said in answer, The first is, Give ear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord;
30 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.'
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And you are to have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
31 The second is this, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
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The second is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. There is no other law greater than these.
32 Then the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that "he is one, and besides him there is no other';
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And the scribe said to him, Truly, Master, you have well said that he is one, and there is no other but he:
33 and "to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength,' and "to love one's neighbor as oneself,'—this is much more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."
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And to have love for him with all the heart, and with all the mind, and with all the strength, and to have the same love for his neighbour as for himself, is much more than all forms of offerings.
34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that no one dared to ask him any question.
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And when Jesus saw that he gave a wise answer, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And every man after that was in fear of questioning him any more.
35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, "How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David?
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And Jesus, when he was teaching in the Temple, said, How do the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?
36 David himself, by the Holy Spirit, declared, "The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet." '
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David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said to my Lord, Be seated at my right hand, till I put those who are against you under your feet.
37 David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?" And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
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David himself gives him the name of Lord; and how then is he his son? And the common people gave ear to him gladly.
38 As he taught, he said, "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,
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And in his teaching he said, Be on your watch against the scribes, whose pleasure it is to go about in long robes and be respected in the market-places,
39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets!
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And to have the chief seats in the Synagogues and the first places at feasts;
40 They devour widows' houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."
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Who take away the property of widows, and before the eyes of men make long prayers; these will be judged more hardly.
41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums.
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And he took a seat by the place where the money was kept, and saw how the people put money into the boxes: and a number who had wealth put in much.
42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny.
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And there came a poor widow, and she put in two little bits of money, which make a farthing.
43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury.
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And he made his disciples come to him, and said to them, Truly I say to you, This poor widow has put in more than all those who are putting money into the box:
44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."
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Because they all put in something out of what they had no need for; but she out of her need put in all she had, even all her living.
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.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.