< Mark 12 >

1 He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the wine press, built a tower, rented it out to a farmer, and went into another country.
And he gave them teaching in the form of stories. A man had a vine-garden planted, and put a wall about it, and made a place for crushing out the wine, and put up a tower, and let it out to field-workers, and went into another country.
2 When it was time, he sent a servant to the farmer to get from the farmer his share of the fruit of the vineyard.
And when the time came, he sent a servant to get from the workmen some of the fruit of the garden.
3 They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty.
And they took him, and gave him blows, and sent him away with nothing.
4 Again, he sent another servant to them; and they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.
And again he sent to them another servant; and they gave him wounds on the head, and were very cruel to him.
5 Again he sent another, and they killed him, and many others, beating some, and killing some.
And he sent another; and they put him to death: and a number of others, whipping some, and putting some to death.
6 Therefore still having one, his beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
He still had one, a dearly loved son: he sent him last to them, saying, They will have respect for my son.
7 But those farmers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
But those workmen said among themselves, This is he who will one day be the owner of the property; come, let us put him to death, and the heritage will be ours.
8 They took him, killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
And they took him and put him to death, pushing his body out of the garden.
9 What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.
What then will the master of the garden do? He will come and put the workmen to death, and will give the garden into the hands of others.
10 Haven’t you even read this Scripture: ‘The stone which the builders rejected was made the head of the corner.
Have you not seen this which is in the Writings: The stone which the builders put on one side, the same was made the chief stone of the building:
11 This was from the Lord. It is marvelous in our eyes’?”
This was the Lord's doing, and it is a wonder in our eyes?
12 They tried to seize him, but they feared the multitude; for they perceived that he spoke the parable against them. They left him and went away.
And they made attempts to take him; but they were in fear of the people, because they saw that the story was against them; and they went away from him.
13 They sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to him, that they might trap him with words.
Then they sent to him certain of the Pharisees and the Herodians, so that they might make use of his words to take him by a trick.
14 When they had come, they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest, and don’t defer to anyone; for you aren’t partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?
And when they had come, they said to him, Master, we are certain that you are true, and have no fear of anyone: you have no respect for a man's position, but you are teaching the true way of God: Is it right to give taxes to Caesar or not?
15 Shall we give, or shall we not give?” But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.”
Are we to give or not to give? But he, conscious of their false hearts, said to them, Why do you put me to the test? give me a penny, so that I may see it.
16 They brought it. He said to them, “Whose is this image and inscription?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
And they gave him one. And he said to them, Whose is this image and name on it? And they said to him, Caesar's.
17 Jesus answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They marveled greatly at him.
And Jesus said to them, Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's. And they were full of wonder at him.
18 Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying,
And there came to him Sadducees, who say there is no coming back from the dead; and they put a question to him, saying,
19 “Teacher, Moses wrote to us, ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife behind him, and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’
Master, in the law Moses says, If a man's brother comes to his end, and has a wife still living and no child, it is right for his brother to take his wife, and get a family for his brother.
20 There were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and dying left no offspring.
There were seven brothers: and the first took a wife, and at his death there were no offspring;
21 The second took her, and died, leaving no children behind him. The third likewise;
And the second took her, and at his death there were no offspring; and the third the same:
22 and the seven took her and left no children. Last of all the woman also died.
And all the seven had no seed. Last of all the woman herself came to her death.
23 In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be of them? For the seven had her as a wife.”
In the future life, when they come back from the dead, whose wife will she be? for the seven had her for a wife.
24 Jesus answered them, “Isn’t this because you are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God?
Jesus said to them, Is not this the reason for your error, that you have no knowledge of the holy Writings or of the power of God?
25 For when they will rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
When they come back from the dead, they do not get married, but are like the angels in heaven.
26 But about the dead, that they are raised, haven’t you read in the book of Moses about the Bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
But as to the dead coming back to life; have you not seen in the book of Moses, about the burning thorn-tree, how God said to him, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are therefore badly mistaken.”
He is not the God of the dead, but of the living: you are greatly in error.
28 One of the scribes came and heard them questioning together, and knowing that he had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the greatest of all?”
And one of the scribes came, and hearing their argument together, and seeing that he had given them a good answer, put the question to him, Which law is the first of all?
29 Jesus answered, “The greatest is: ‘Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
Jesus said in answer, The first is, Give ear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord;
30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.
And you are to have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.
31 The second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The second is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself. There is no other law greater than these.
32 The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he;
And the scribe said to him, Truly, Master, you have well said that he is one, and there is no other but he:
33 and to love him with all the heart, with all the understanding, all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
And to have love for him with all the heart, and with all the mind, and with all the strength, and to have the same love for his neighbour as for himself, is much more than all forms of offerings.
34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that.
And when Jesus saw that he gave a wise answer, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And every man after that was in fear of questioning him any more.
35 Jesus responded, as he taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?
And Jesus, when he was teaching in the Temple, said, How do the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?
36 For David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.”’
David himself said in the Holy Spirit, The Lord said to my Lord, Be seated at my right hand, till I put those who are against you under your feet.
37 Therefore David himself calls him Lord, so how can he be his son?” The common people heard him gladly.
David himself gives him the name of Lord; and how then is he his son? And the common people gave ear to him gladly.
38 In his teaching he said to them, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and to get greetings in the marketplaces,
And in his teaching he said, Be on your watch against the scribes, whose pleasure it is to go about in long robes and be respected in the market-places,
39 and to get the best seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts,
And to have the chief seats in the Synagogues and the first places at feasts;
40 those who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
Who take away the property of widows, and before the eyes of men make long prayers; these will be judged more hardly.
41 Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. Many who were rich cast in much.
And he took a seat by the place where the money was kept, and saw how the people put money into the boxes: and a number who had wealth put in much.
42 A poor widow came and she cast in two small brass coins, which equal a quadrans coin.
And there came a poor widow, and she put in two little bits of money, which make a farthing.
43 He called his disciples to himself and said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, this poor widow gave more than all those who are giving into the treasury,
And he made his disciples come to him, and said to them, Truly I say to you, This poor widow has put in more than all those who are putting money into the box:
44 for they all gave out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, gave all that she had to live on.”
Because they all put in something out of what they had no need for; but she out of her need put in all she had, even all her living.

< Mark 12 >