New King James Version

New Living Translation

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

Now it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him

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The Authority of Jesus Challenged

One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him.

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and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”

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They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”

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But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me:

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“Let me ask you a question first,” he replied.

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The baptism of John — was it from heaven or from men?”

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“Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”

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And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why [a]then did you not believe him?’

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They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John.

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But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”

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But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.”

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So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

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So they finally replied that they didn’t know.

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And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

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And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

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The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers

Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to [b]vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time.

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Parable of the Evil Farmers

Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years.

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Now at [c]vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

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At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.

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Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

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So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed.

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And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

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A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away.

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“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’

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“‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’

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But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’

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“But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’

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So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

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So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him.
“What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked.

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He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others.”
And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”

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“I’ll tell you — he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.”
“How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,” his listeners protested.

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Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone’?

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Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean?
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’a

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Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

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Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”

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And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they [d]feared the people — for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

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The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them — they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction.

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The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?

So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.

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Taxes for Caesar

Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus.

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Then they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:

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“Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully.

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Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

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Now tell us — is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

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But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, [e]“Why do you test Me?

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He saw through their trickery and said,

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Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”
They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”

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“Show me a Roman coin.b Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.

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And He said to them, “Render[f] therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

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“Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

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But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.

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So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent.

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The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?

Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,

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Discussion about Resurrection

Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees — religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead.

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saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

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They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.c

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Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children.

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Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children.

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And the second [g]took her as wife, and he died childless.

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So the second brother married the widow, but he also died.

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Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven [h]also; and they left no children, and died.

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Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children.

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Last of all the woman died also.

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Finally, the woman also died.

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Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.”

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So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”

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Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage.

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Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth.

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But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;

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But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage.

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nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

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And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.

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But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’

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“But now, as to whether the dead will be raised — even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lordd as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’e

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For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

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So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”

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Then some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.”

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“Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there.

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But after that they dared not question Him anymore.

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And then no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?

And He said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David?

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Whose Son Is the Messiah?

Then Jesus presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that the Messiah is said to be the son of David?

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Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,

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For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand

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Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

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until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.’f

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Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?”

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Since David called the Messiah ‘Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

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Beware of the Scribes

Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples,

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Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said,

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“Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts,

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“Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets.

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who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

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Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”

Parallel

New King James Version

New Living Translation

Luke 20

Luke 20