to Peter, and said, "Doesn't your teacher pay the didrachma?"
017:025 He said, "Yes." When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him,
saying, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings
of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children,
or from strangers?"
017:026 Peter said to him, "From strangers." Jesus said to him,
"Therefore the children are exempt.
017:027 But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea,
cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up.
When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater
coin.{A stater is a silver coin equivalent to four
Attic or two Alexandrian drachmas, or a Jewish shekel:
just exactly enough to cover the half-shekel temple tax for two
people.} Take that, and give it to them for me and you."
018:001 In that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying, "Who then
is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"
018:002 Jesus called a little child to himself, and set him in the
midst of them,
018:003 and said, "Most certainly I tell you, unless you turn,
and become as little children, you will in no way enter
into the Kingdom of Heaven.
018:004 Whoever therefore humbles himself as this little child,
the same is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.
018:005 Whoever receives one such little child in my name receives me,
018:006 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me
to stumble, it would be better for him that a huge millstone
should be hung around his neck, and that he should be sunk
in the depths of the sea.
018:007 "Woe to the world because of occasions of stumbling!
For it must be that the occasions come, but woe to that person
through whom the occasion comes!
018:008 If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off,
and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life
maimed or crippled, rather than having two hands or two feet
to be cast into the eternal fire.
018:009 If your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out, and cast
it from you. It is better for you to enter into life
with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into
the Gehenna{or, Hell} of fire.
018:010 See that you don't despise one of these little ones, for I
tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face
of my Father who is in heaven.
018:011 For the Son of Man came to save that which was lost.
018:012 "What do you think? If a man has one hundred sheep,
and one of them goes astray, doesn't he leave the ninety-nine,
go to the mountains, and seek that which has gone astray?
018:013 If he finds it, most certainly I tell you, he rejoices over it
more than over the ninety-nine which have not gone astray.
018:014 Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven
that one of these little ones should perish.
018:015 "If your brother sins against you, go, show him his fault
between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have
gained back your brother.
018:016 But if he doesn't listen, take one or two more with you,
that at the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may
be established.{Deuteronomy 19:15}
018:017 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the assembly.
If he refuses to hear the assembly also, let him be to you
as a Gentile or a tax collector.
018:018 Most certainly I tell you, whatever things you bind on earth
will have been bound in heaven, and whatever things you
release on earth will have been released in heaven.
018:019 Again, assuredly I tell you, that if two of you will agree
on earth concerning anything that they will ask, it will be
done for them by my Father who is in heaven.
018:020 For where two or three are gathered together in my name,
there I am in the midst of them."
018:021 Then Peter came and said to him, "Lord, how often
shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him?
Until seven times?"
018:022 Jesus said to him, "I don't tell you until seven times, but,
until seventy times seven.
018:023 Therefore the Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king,
who wanted to reconcile accounts with his servants.
018:024 When he had begun to reconcile, one was brought to him who owed
him ten thousand talents.{Ten thousand talents represents
an extremely large sum of money, equivalent to about
60,000,000 denarii, where one denarius was typical of one day's
wages for agricultural labor.}
018:025 But because he couldn't pay, his lord commanded him to be sold,
with his wife, his children, and all that he had, and payment
to be made.
018:026 The servant therefore fell down and kneeled before him,
saying, 'Lord, have patience with me, and I will repay you all!'
018:027 The lord of that servant, being moved with compassion,
released him, and forgave him the debt.
018:028 "But that servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants,
who owed him one hundred denarii,{100 denarii was about one
sixtieth of a talent.} and he grabbed him, and took him
by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!'
018:029 "So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him,
saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will repay you!'
018:030 He would not, but went and cast him into prison, until he should
pay back that which was due.
018:031 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were
exceedingly sorry, and came and told to their lord all
that was done.
018:032 Then his lord called him in, and said to him, 'You wicked servant!
I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me.
018:033 Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant,
even as I had mercy on you?'
018:034 His lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors,
until he should pay all that was due to him.
018:035 So my heavenly Father will also do to you, if you don't each
forgive your brother from your hearts for his misdeeds."
019:001 It happened when Jesus had finished these words, he departed
from Galilee, and came into the borders of Judea beyond the Jordan.
019:002 Great multitudes followed him, and he healed them there.
019:003 Pharisees came to him, testing him, and saying, "Is it lawful
for a man to divorce his wife for any reason?"
019:004 He answered, "Haven't you read that he who made them from
the beginning made them male and female,{Genesis 1:27}
019:005 and said, 'For this cause a man shall leave his father
and mother, and shall join to his wife; and the two shall
become one flesh?'{Genesis 2:24}
019:006 So that they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore
God has joined together, don't let man tear apart."
019:007 They asked him, "Why then did Moses command us to give her
a bill of divorce, and divorce her?"
019:008 He said to them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts,
allowed you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it
has not been so.
019:009 I tell you that whoever divorces his wife, except for
sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery;
and he who marries her when she is divorced commits adultery."
019:010 His disciples said to him, "If this is the case of the man
with his wife, it is not expedient to marry."
019:011 But he said to them, "Not all men can receive this saying,
but those to whom it is given.
019:012 For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their
mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs
by men; and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs
for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. He who is able to receive it,
let him receive it."
019:013 Then little children were brought to him, that he should lay
his hands on them and pray; and the disciples rebuked them.
019:014 But Jesus said, "Allow the little children, and don't forbid
them to come to me; for the Kingdom of Heaven belongs
to ones like these."
019:015 He laid his hands on them, and departed from there.
019:016 Behold, one came to him and said, "Good teacher, what good thing
shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"
019:017 He said to him, "Why do you call me good? No one is good
but one, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life,
keep the commandments."
019:018 He said to him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder.'
'You shall not commit adultery.' 'You shall not steal.'
'You shall not offer false testimony.'
019:019 'Honor your father and mother.'{Exodus 20:12-16;
Deuteronomy 5:16-20} And, 'You shall love your neighbor
as yourself.'"{Leviticus 19:18}
019:020 The young man said to him, "All these things I have observed
from my youth. What do I still lack?"
019:021 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have,
and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven;
and come, follow me."
019:022 But when the young man heard the saying, he went away sad,
for he was one who had great possessions.
019:023 Jesus said to his disciples, "Most certainly I say to you,
a rich man will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven with difficulty.
019:024 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through
a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the
Kingdom of God."
019:025 When the disciples heard it, they were exceedingly astonished,
saying, "Who then can be saved?"
019:026 Looking at them, Jesus said, "With men this is impossible,
but with God all things are possible."
019:027 Then Peter answered, "Behold, we have left everything,
and followed you. What then will we have?"
019:028 Jesus said to them, "Most certainly I tell you that you who have
followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit
on the throne of his glory, you also will sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
019:029 Everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father,
or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake,
will receive one hundred times, and will inherit eternal life.
019:030 But many will be last who are first; and first who are last.
020:001 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master
of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire
laborers for his vineyard.
020:002 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius{A denarius
is a silver Roman coin worth 1/25th of a Roman aureus.
This was a common wage for a day of farm labor.} a day,
he sent them into his vineyard.
020:003 He went out about the third hour,{Time was measured from sunrise
to sunset, so the third hour would be about 9:00 AM.} and saw
others standing idle in the marketplace.
020:004 To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever
is right I will give you.' So they went their way.
020:005 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour,{noon
and 3:00 P. M.} and did likewise.
020:006 About the eleventh hour{5:00 PM} he went out, and found
others standing idle. He said to them, 'Why do you stand
here all day idle?'
020:007 "They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.'
"He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you
will receive whatever is right.'
020:008 When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to
his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages,
beginning from the last to the first.'
020:009 "When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came,
they each received a denarius.
020:010 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more;
and they likewise each received a denarius.
020:011 When they received it, they murmured against the master
of the household,
020:012 saying, 'These last have spent one hour, and you have made
them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day
and the scorching heat!'
020:013 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong.
Didn't you agree with me for a denarius?
020:014 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire
to give to this last just as much as to you.
020:015 Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own?
Or is your eye evil, because I am good?'
020:016 So the last will be first, and the first last.
For many are called, but few are chosen."
020:017 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve
disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
020:018 "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man
will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they
will condemn him to death,
020:019 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge,
and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up."
020:020 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons,
kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.
020:021 He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him,
"Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand,
and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom."
020:022 But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking.
Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink,
and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"
They said to him, "We are able."
020:023 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be
baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit
on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give;
but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
020:024 When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.
020:025 But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers
of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise
authority over them.
020:026 It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become
great among you shall be{TR reads "let him be" instead of "shall
be"} your servant.
020:027 Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,
020:028 even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve,
and to give his life as a ransom for many."
020:029 As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
020:030 Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard
that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us,
you son of David!"
020:031 The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet,
but they cried out even more, "Lord, have mercy on us,
you son of David!"
020:032 Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you
want me to do for you?"
020:033 They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."
020:034 Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes;
and immediately their eyes received their sight,
and they followed him.
021:001 When they drew near to Jerusalem, and came to Bethsphage,{TR
& NU read "Bethphage" instead of "Bethsphage"} to the Mount
of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples,
021:002 saying to them, "Go into the village that is opposite you,
and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her.
Untie them, and bring them to me.
021:003 If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord needs them,'
and immediately he will send them."
021:004 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken
through the prophet, saying,
021:005 "Tell the daughter of Zion, behold, your King comes
to you, humble, and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal
of a donkey."{Zechariah 9:9}
021:006 The disciples went, and did just as Jesus commanded them,
021:007 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their clothes on them;
and he sat on them.
021:008 A very great multitude spread their clothes on the road.
Others cut branches from the trees, and spread them on the road.
021:009 The multitudes who went before him, and who followed
kept shouting, "Hosanna{"Hosanna" means "save us" or "help us,
we pray."} to the son of David! Blessed is he who comes
in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"{Psalm 118:26}
021:010 When he had come into Jerusalem, all the city was stirred up,
saying, "Who is this?"
021:011 The multitudes said, "This is the prophet, Jesus, from
Nazareth of Galilee."
021:012 Jesus entered into the temple of God, and drove out all of those who
sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the money changers'
tables and the seats of those who sold the doves.
021:013 He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called
a house of prayer,'{Isaiah 56:7} but you have made it a den
of robbers!"{Jeremiah 7:11}
021:014 The blind and the lame came to him in the temple,
and he healed them.
021:015 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful
things that he did, and the children who were crying
in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the son of David!"
they were indignant,
021:016 and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"
Jesus said to them, "Yes. Did you never read, 'Out of the mouth
of babes and nursing babies you have perfected praise?'"{Psalm 8:2}
021:017 He left them, and went out of the city to Bethany,
and lodged there.
021:018 Now in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
021:019 Seeing a fig tree by the road, he came to it, and found nothing
on it but leaves. He said to it, "Let there be no fruit
from you forever!" Immediately the fig tree withered away.
021:020 When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How did
the fig tree immediately wither away?"
021:021 Jesus answered them, "Most certainly I tell you, if you
have faith, and don't doubt, you will not only do what was
done to the fig tree, but even if you told this mountain,
'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' it would be done.
021:022 All things, whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."
021:023 When he had come into the temple, the chief priests and
the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching,
and said, "By what authority do you do these things?
Who gave you this authority?"
021:024 Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question,
which if you tell me, I likewise will tell you by what authority
I do these things.
021:025 The baptism of John, where was it from? From heaven or from men?"
They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,'
he will ask us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
021:026 But if we say, 'From men,' we fear the multitude, for all hold
John as a prophet."
021:027 They answered Jesus, and said, "We don't know."
He also said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority
I do these things.
021:028 But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came
to the first, and said, 'Son, go work today in my vineyard.'
021:029 He answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he changed
his mind, and went.
021:030 He came to the second, and said the same thing. He answered,
'I go, sir,' but he didn't go.
021:031 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said to him,
"The first." Jesus said to them, "Most certainly I tell you
that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering
into the Kingdom of God before you.
021:032 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you
didn't believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes
believed him. When you saw it, you didn't even repent afterward,
that you might believe him.
021:033 "Hear another parable. There was a man who was a master
of a household, who planted a vineyard, set a hedge about it,
dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it out to farmers,
and went into another country.
021:034 When the season for the fruit drew near, he sent his servants
to the farmers, to receive his fruit.
021:035 The farmers took his servants, beat one, killed another,
and stoned another.
021:036 Again, he sent other servants more than the first:
and they treated them the same way.
021:037 But afterward he sent to them his son, saying, 'They will
respect my son.'
021:038 But the farmers, when they saw the son, said among themselves,
'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and seize
his inheritance.'
021:039 So they took him, and threw him out of the vineyard,
and killed him.
021:040 When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do
to those farmers?"
021:041 They told him, "He will miserably destroy those miserable men,
and will lease out the vineyard to other farmers, who will
give him the fruit in its season."
021:042 Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The
stone which the builders rejected, the same was made
the head of the corner. This was from the Lord.
It is marvelous in our eyes?'{Psalm 118:22-23}
021:043 "Therefore I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away
from you, and will be given to a nation bringing forth its fruit.
021:044 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but on
whoever it will fall, it will scatter him as dust."
021:045 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they perceived that he spoke about them.
021:046 When they sought to seize him, they feared the multitudes,
because they considered him to be a prophet.
022:001 Jesus answered and spoke again in parables to them, saying,
022:002 "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a certain king, who made
a marriage feast for his son,
022:003 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited
to the marriage feast, but they would not come.
022:004 Again he sent out other servants, saying, 'Tell those
who are invited, "Behold, I have made ready my dinner.
My oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready.
Come to the marriage feast!"'
022:005 But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his
own farm, another to his merchandise,
022:006 and the rest grabbed his servants, and treated them shamefully,
and killed them.
022:007 When the king heard that, he was angry, and sent his armies,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
022:008 "Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready,
but those who were invited weren't worthy.
022:009 Go therefore to the intersections of the highways, and as many
as you may find, invite to the marriage feast.'
022:010 Those servants went out into the highways, and gathered
together as many as they found, both bad and good.
The wedding was filled with guests.
022:011 But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there
a man who didn't have on wedding clothing,
022:012 and he said to him, 'Friend, how did you come in here not
wearing wedding clothing?' He was speechless.
022:013 Then the king said to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot,
take him away, and throw him into the outer darkness;
there is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.'
022:014 For many are called, but few chosen."
022:015 Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entrap
him in his talk.
022:016 They sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians,
saying, "Teacher, we know that you are honest, and teach
the way of God in truth, no matter who you teach, for you
aren't partial to anyone.
022:017 Tell us therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to pay
taxes to Caesar, or not?"
022:018 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, "Why do you
test me, you hypocrites?
022:019 Show me the tax money." They brought to him a denarius.
022:020 He asked them, "Whose is this image and inscription?"
022:021 They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them,
"Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's,
and to God the things that are God's."
022:022 When they heard it, they marveled, and left him, and went away.
022:023 On that day Sadducees (those who say that there is no resurrection)
came to him. They asked him,
022:024 saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies, having no children,
his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed
for his brother.'
022:025 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first married and died,
and having no seed left his wife to his brother.
022:026 In like manner the second also, and the third, to the seventh.
022:027 After them all, the woman died.
022:028 In the resurrection therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven?
For they all had her."
022:029 But Jesus answered them, "You are mistaken, not knowing
the Scriptures, nor the power of God.
022:030 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given
in marriage, but are like God's angels in heaven.
022:031 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven't you read
that which was spoken to you by God, saying,
022:032 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God
of Jacob?'{Exodus 3:6} God is not the God of the dead,
but of the living."
022:033 When the multitudes heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
022:034 But the Pharisees, when they heard that he had silenced
the Sadducees, gathered themselves together.
022:035 One of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, testing him.
022:036 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?"
022:037 Jesus said to him, "'You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all
your mind.'{Deuteronomy 6:5}
022:038 This is the first and great commandment.