GOD'S WORD Translation GW
New King James Version NKJV
1 Again Jesus used stories as illustrations when he spoke to them. He said,
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And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:
2 "The kingdom of heaven is like a king who planned a wedding for his son.
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"The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,
3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the wedding, but they refused to come.
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and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.
4 He sent other servants to tell the people who had been invited, 'I've prepared dinner. My bulls and fattened calves have been butchered. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding!'
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Again, he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding." '
5 "But they paid no attention and went away. Some went to work in their own fields, and others went to their businesses.
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But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.
6 The rest grabbed the king's servants, mistreated them, and then killed them.
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And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.
7 "The king became angry. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.
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But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
8 "Then the king said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited don't deserve the honor.
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Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.
9 Go where the roads leave the city. Invite everyone you find to the wedding.'
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Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'
10 The servants went into the streets and brought in all the good people and all the evil people they found. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
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So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 "When the king came to see the guests, he saw a person who was not dressed in the wedding clothes [provided for the guests].
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But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.
12 He said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without proper wedding clothes?' "The man had nothing to say.
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So he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.
13 Then the king told his servants, 'Tie his hands and feet, and throw him outside into the darkness. People will cry and be in extreme pain there.'
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Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'
14 "Therefore, many are invited, but few of those are chosen to stay."
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For many are called, but few are chosen."
15 Then the Pharisees went away and planned to trap Jesus into saying the wrong thing.
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Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk.
16 They sent their disciples to him along with Herod's followers. They said to him, "Teacher, we know that you tell the truth and that you teach the truth about the way of God. You don't favor individuals because of who they are.
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And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men.
17 So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to the emperor or not?"
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Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
18 Jesus recognized their evil plan, so he asked, "Why do you test me, you hypocrites?
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But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you test Me, you hypocrites?
19 Show me a coin used to pay taxes." They brought him a coin.
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Show Me the tax money." So they brought Him a denarius.
20 He said to them, "Whose face and name is this?"
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And He said to them, "Whose image and inscription is this?"
21 They replied, "The emperor's." Then he said to them, "Very well, give the emperor what belongs to the emperor, and give God what belongs to God."
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They said to Him, "Caesar's." And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
22 They were surprised to hear this. Then they left him alone and went away.
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When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
23 On that day some Sadducees, who say that people will never come back to life, came to Jesus. They asked him,
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The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,
24 "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies childless, his brother should marry his widow and have children for his brother.'
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saying: "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.
25 There were seven brothers among us. The first married and died. Since he had no children, he left his widow to his brother.
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Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother.
26 The second brother also died, as well as the third, and the rest of the seven brothers.
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Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh.
27 At last the woman died.
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Last of all the woman died also.
28 Now, when the dead come back to life, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers had been married to her."
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Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her."
29 Jesus answered, "You're mistaken because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power.
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Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.
30 When people come back to life, they don't marry. Rather, they are like the angels in heaven.
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For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.
31 Haven't you read what God told you about the dead coming back to life? He said,
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But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying,
32 'I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' He's not the God of the dead but of the living."
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'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."
33 He amazed the crowds who heard his teaching.
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And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.
34 When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
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But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together.
35 One of them, an expert in Moses' Teachings, tested Jesus by asking,
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Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying,
36 "Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in Moses' Teachings?"
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"Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"
37 Jesus answered him, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
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Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
38 This is the greatest and most important commandment.
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This is the first and great commandment.
39 The second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'
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And the second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'
40 All of Moses' Teachings and the Prophets depend on these two commandments."
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On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."
41 While the Pharisees were still gathered, Jesus asked them,
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While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
42 "What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They answered him, "David's."
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saying, "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said to Him, "The Son of David."
43 He said to them, "Then how can David, guided by the Spirit, call him Lord? David says,
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He said to them, "How then does David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying:
44 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Take the highest position in heaven until I put your enemies under your control."'
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'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool" '?
45 If David calls him Lord, how can he be his son?"
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"If David then calls Him 'Lord,' how is He his Son?"
46 No one could answer him, and from that time on no one dared to ask him another question.
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And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
GOD'S WORD® is a copyrighted work of God's Word to the Nations. Copyright © 1995 by God's Word to the Nations. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.