New International Version NIV
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
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Jesus told them more stories. He said,
2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
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"Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A king prepared a wedding dinner for his son.
3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
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He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the dinner. The servants told them to come. But they refused.
4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
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"Then he sent some more servants. He said, 'Tell those who were invited that I have prepared my dinner. I have killed my oxen and my fattest cattle. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding dinner.'
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.
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"But the people paid no attention. One went away to his field. Another went away to his business.
6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.
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The rest grabbed his servants. They treated them badly and then killed them.
7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.
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"The king became very angry. He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.
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"Then the king said to his servants, 'The wedding dinner is ready. But those I invited were not fit to come.
9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’
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Go to the street corners. Invite to the dinner anyone you can find.'
10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
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So the servants went out into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad. Soon the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
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"The king came in to see the guests. He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.
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'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man couldn't think of anything to say.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
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"Then the king told his servants, 'Tie up his hands and feet. Throw him outside into the darkness. Out there people will sob and grind their teeth.'
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”
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"Many are invited, but few are chosen."
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.
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The Pharisees went out. They made plans to trap Jesus with his own words.
16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.
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They sent their followers to him. They sent the Herodians with them. "Teacher," they said, "we know you are a man of honor. You teach the way of God truthfully. You don't let others tell you what to do or say. You don't care how important they are.
17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?”
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Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me?
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But Jesus knew their evil plans. He said, "You pretenders! Why are you trying to trap me?
19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius,
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Show me the coin people use for paying the tax." They brought him a silver coin.
20 and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
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He asked them, "Whose picture is this? And whose words?"
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied. Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”
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"Caesar's," they replied. Then he said to them, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God."
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
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When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.
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That same day the Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. They do not believe that people rise from the dead.
24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.
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"Teacher," they said, "here is what Moses told us. If a man dies without having children, his brother must get married to the widow. He must have children to carry on his brother's name.
25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother.
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There were seven brothers among us. The first one got married and died. Since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother.
26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh.
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The same thing happened to the second and third brothers. It happened right on down to the seventh brother.
27 Finally, the woman died.
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Finally, the woman died.
28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”
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Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her."
29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
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Jesus replied, "You are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God.
30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.
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When the dead rise, they won't get married. And their parents won't give them to be married. They will be like the angels in heaven.
31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you,
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"What about the dead rising? Haven't you read what God said to you?
32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
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He said, 'I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.'(Exodus 3:6) He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living."
33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
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When the crowds heard this, they were amazed by what he taught.
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together.
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The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees weren't able to answer Jesus. So the Pharisees got together.
35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
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One of them was an authority on the law. So he tested Jesus with a question.
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
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"Teacher," he asked, "which is the most important commandment in the Law?"
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’
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Jesus replied, " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.'(Deuteronomy 6:5)
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
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This is the first and most important commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
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And the second is like it. 'Love your neighbor as you love yourself.'(Leviticus 19:18)
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
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Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments."
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,
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The Pharisees were gathered together. Jesus asked them,
42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”“The son of David,” they replied.
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"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied.
43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
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He said to them, "Then why does David call him 'Lord'? The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself. David said,
44 “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:“Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’
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" 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your control." ' (Psalm 110:1)
45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
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So if David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be David's son?"
46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.
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No one could answer him with a single word. From that day on, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.