16
"He will come and kill those men, and turn the vineyard over to other tenants." When the people heard this, they said, "Surely not!"
17
Jesus looked at them and asked, "What, then, does this scripture mean?
1 "The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.'
18
Everyone who falls on that stone will be cut to pieces; and if that stone falls on someone, that person will be crushed to dust."
19
The teachers of the Law and the chief priests tried to arrest Jesus on the spot, because they knew that he had told this parable against them; but they were afraid of the people.
20
So they looked for an opportunity. They bribed some men to pretend they were sincere, and they sent them to trap Jesus with questions, so that they could hand him over to the authority and power of the Roman Governor.
21
These spies said to Jesus, "Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is right. We know that you pay no attention to anyone's status, but teach the truth about God's will for people.
22
Tell us, is it against our Law for us to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor, or not?"
23
But Jesus saw through their trick and said to them,
24
"Show me a silver coin. Whose face and name are these on it?" "The Emperor's," they answered.
25
So Jesus said, "Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God."
26
There before the people they could not catch him in a thing, so they kept quiet, amazed at his answer.