AND it came to pass, on one of those days, as he was teaching the
people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and
scribes with the elders came upon him, (2)and spake to him, saying,
Tell us by what authority thou doest these things or who is he that
giveth thee this authority? (3)Then he answering said to them, I also
will ask you one question; and resolve me: (4)The baptism of John, was
it from heaven, or of men? (5)And they reasoned among themselves,
saying, If we reply, From heaven; he will say, Wherefore then did ye
not believe him? (6)But if we say, Of men; all the people will stone
us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet. (7)And they
answered, We know not from whence. (8)And Jesus said to them, Neither
tell I you by what authority I do these things.
(9)Then he began to speak to the people this parable: A certain man
planted a vineyard, and delivered it to husbandmen, and went abroad for
a long while. (10)And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a
servant, that they might give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the
husbandmen beat, and sent him away empty. (11)And he again sent another
servant: and him also they beat, and treating him with indignity, sent
him away empty. (12)And he sent yet a third: and him they also wounded,
and cast out. (13)Then said the master of the vineyard, What shall I
do? I will send my beloved son: probably when they see him, they will
shew him respect. (14)But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned
among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that
the inheritance may be our own. (15)So casting him out of the vineyard,
they slew him. What then will the master of the vineyard do with these
men? (16)He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and give the
vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said God forbid.
(17)Then he looked on them, and said, What is this then which is
written[17], The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become
the head of the corner? (18)Every one who falleth upon this stone shall
be broken to pieces; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him
to powder. (19)And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay
hands on him at that time; and were afraid of the people: for they knew
that he had spoken this parable against them.
(20)And watching him, they sent men they had suborned, who pretended
that they were righteous persons, in order to lay hold of some word of
his, that they might deliver him to the power and authority of the
governor. (21)And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou
speakest and teachest rightly, and respectest no man's person, but
teachest the way of God in truth: (22)Is it lawful for us to pay
tribute to Caesar, or not? (23)Then he, aware of their crafty design,
said unto them, Why tempt ye me? (24)Shew me a denarius. Whose image
and inscription hath it? And they answering said, Caesar's. (25)Then
said he to them, Pay therefore to Caesar the things which are Caesar's,
and to God the things which are God's. (26)And they were unable to lay
hold of a single expression of his before the people: and marvelling at
his answer, they were silenced.
(27)Then certain of the Sadducees, who contend that there is no
resurrection, asked him, (28)saying, Master, Moses wrote for us[18], If
a man's brother die, having a wife, and he die childless, that his
brother should take the wife, and raise up seed for his brother.
(29)Now there were seven brothers: and the first taking a wife, died
childless. (30)And the second taking the wife, he also died childless.
(31)Then the third took her; and also all the seven in like manner: and
left no children, and died. (32)And last of all died also the woman.
(33)In the resurrection therefore whose wife of them shall she be? for
the seven had her to wife. (34)And Jesus in reply said to them, The
children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: (35)but they
who are counted worthy to attain to that world, and the resurrection of
the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: (36)neither can
they die any more: for they are like the angels; and are the children
of God, being the children of the resurrection. (37)Now that the dead
are raised, even Moses intimated at the bush[19], when he called the
Lord, "the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
(38)Now God is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live
with him. (39)Then some of the scribes addressing him said, Master,
admirably hast thou spoken! (40)And after that they durst not put
another question to him.
(41)Then he spake to them: How say they that the Messiah is the son of
David? (42)Yet David himself, in the book of Psalms, saith, "The Lord
said unto my Lord, Sit down at my right hand, (43)until I put thine
enemies for a footstool of thy feet[20]." (44)David then calleth him
Lord, and how then is he his son?
(45)And whilst all the people were hearkening, he said to his
disciples, (46)Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk about in
trailing robes, and love salutations in the public places, and the
principal seats in the synagogues, and the most honourable couch at
suppers; (47)who devour the houses of widows, and for a pretext make
long prayers: these shall receive a more abundant punishment.