Luke 20
1 And it came to pass, on one of those days, He teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, the priests, and scribes, along with the elders stood up against Him;
One day [during that week, Jesus] was teaching the people in the Temple [courtyard] and telling them [God’s] good message. As he was doing that, the chief priests, the men who taught the [Jewish] laws, and [other Jewish] elders came to him.
2 and they spoke to Him, saying, Tell us by what authority you are doing these things? Who is the one having given you this authority?
They asked him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do things [like you did here yesterday]?”
3 And responding He said to them, I will ask you one word; and you tell me:
He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me,
4 Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men?
where did John [the Baptizer] get [his authority to] baptize [those who came to him]? [Did he get it] from God [MTY/EUP] or from people?”
5 And they reason among themselves saying, If we may say it is from heaven; He will say, Why did you not believe on him?
They discussed this among themselves. They said, “[If we(inc) say], ‘[It was] from God [MTY/EUP],’ he will say to us, ‘[Then] (you should have believed John’s [message]!/why did you not believe what John preached?) [RHQ]’
6 And if we may say, From men; all the people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.
But if we say, ‘It was [from] people,’ the people [here] will [kill us by] throwing stones at us, because they [all] believe that John was a prophet [from God].”
7 And they responded, We do not know whence it is.
So they replied, “We [(exc)] do not know where [John got his authority].”
8 And Jesus said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
Then Jesus said to them, “[Because you did not answer my question], I will not tell you who authorized me to do those things [here yesterday].”
9 And He began to speak to the people this parable, A man planted a vineyard and gave it out to husbandmen, and went away a long time.
Then Jesus told the people this parable [to illustrate what God would do to the Jews who rejected the former prophets and himself]: “A [certain] man planted a vineyard. He rented the vineyard to some men [to care for it and to give him some of the grapes in return]. Then he went to another country and stayed there several years.
10 And in season he sent a servant to the husbandmen that they might give to him of the fruit of the vineyard, and the husbandmen beating him, sent him away empty.
When [the vines started producing] grapes, he sent a servant to the men who were taking care of the vineyard. He expected that they would give him some of the grapes that the vineyard had produced. But [after the servant arrived], they beat him and they did not give him any grapes. They [just] sent him away.
11 And he proceeded to send to them another servant, and they beating and dishonoring him sent him away empty.
[Later], [the owner] sent another servant. But they beat him and mistreated him [also]. They sent him away without giving him any grapes.
12 And he proceeded to send a third: and wounding him, they cast him out also.
[Still later, the owner] sent another servant. That one they wounded and threw him out [of the vineyard].
13 And the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my own beloved son: perchance seeing, they will reverence him.
So the owner of the vineyard thought to himself, ‘(I do not know what to do!/What shall I do?) [RHQ]’ [Then he had an idea. He thought to himself], ‘I will send my son, [whom I] love [very much]. Perhaps they will respect him [and give him my share of the grapes].’
14 And the husbandmen, seeing him, reasoned among themselves saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, in order that the inheritance may be ours.
[So he sent his son], but when the men who were caring for the vineyard saw him [coming], they said to each other, ‘Here [comes] the man who will [some day] inherit [the vineyard]. Let’s kill him so that this vineyard will be ours!’
15 And casting him out from the vineyard they slew him; what then will the lord of the vineyard do?
So they dragged him outside the vineyard and they killed him. So (I will tell you what the owner of the vineyard will do to them!/do you know what the owner of the vineyard will do to them?) [RHQ]
16 He will come and destroy those husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others. And hearing, they said, Let it not be so.
He will come and kill those men who were taking care of the vineyard. Then he will arrange for other people to take care of it.” When the people listening to Jesus heard that, they said, “[We would] not do anything like those wicked men did!”
17 And looking upon them, He said, What is that which has been written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same has come to be the head of the corner.
But Jesus looked directly at them and said, “You can say that, [but think about] the meaning of these words that are written {which [a prophet] wrote} [RHQ] [in the Scriptures], The men who were building a house rejected a certain stone. But others put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone in the building [MET].
18 Every one having fallen on that stone will be dashed to pieces; and on whomsoever it may fall, it will grind him to powder.
[That stone represents me, the Messiah], and those who reject me are [like people who fall on this stone]. Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces {This stone will break to pieces everyone who falls on it}, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
19 And the chief priests and scribes sought to lay hands on Him at this hour, and feared the people; for they knew that He spoke this parable against them.
The chief priests and the men who taught the [Jewish] laws realized that he was accusing them when he told the parable [about what those wicked men did]. So they immediately tried to find a way to seize [MTY] him, but [they did not seize him, because] they were afraid of [what] the people [there would do if they did that].
20 And laying in wait for Him, they sent sharpers, feigning themselves to be righteous, that they might catch his word, in order to turn Him over to the government and authority of the proconsul.
So they watched him carefully. They also hired (spies/secret agents) who pretended to be sincere. [But] they really wanted to get him to say something for [which they could accuse] him. They wanted to be able to turn him over to the authority of the governor [of the province. But they also knew that the Jews were disgusted with having to pay taxes to the government].
21 They asked Him saying, Teacher, we know that thou dost speak and teach correctly; and thou dost not receive the face; but thou dost teach the way of God in truth:
[So] one of them asked Jesus, “Teacher, we [(exc)] know that you [(sg)] speak and teach what is right. You tell the truth even if important people do not like it. You teach truthfully what God wants us to do.
22 is it lawful for us give tribute to Caesar, or not?
[So tell us what you think about this matter]: Is it right that we pay taxes to the Roman government [MTY], or not?”
23 And He knowing their rascality, said to them, Why tempt ye me?
But Jesus knew that they were trying to trick him [to get him into trouble, either with the Jews, who hated to pay those taxes, or with the Roman government]. So he said to them,
24 Show me the denarion. Whose image and superscription has it? And they responding said, Caesar's.
“Show me a [Roman] coin. [Then tell me] whose picture is on it. And [tell me whose] name is on it.” They [showed him a coin and] said, “It has the picture and name of Caesar, [the head of the Roman government].”
25 And He said to them, Therefore render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things which are God's.
He said to them, “In that case, give to the government [MTY] what they [require], and give to God what he [requires].”
26 And they were not able to criticise His word before the people: and being astonished at His answer, they were silent.
While the people were there, the [spies] were unable to find fault with him for what he said. And they were amazed at his answer. So they said nothing.
27 And certain ones of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, coming forward asked Him,
Some Sadducees came to [Jesus]. They are a Jewish sect who do not believe that people will become alive again after they die.
28 saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us, That if the brother of any one may die having a wife, and the same may die childless, that his brother must take his wife and raise up seed to his brother.
They [wanted to] ask [Jesus] a question [in order to discredit the idea that dead people will live again]. One of them said [to Jesus], “Teacher, Moses wrote for us [Jews] about situations where a man who has a wife but no children. If the man dies, his brother should marry the [dead man’s] widow so that she can have a child by him. People [will consider] that the child is the descendant of the man [who died], [and in that way the dead man will have descendants].
29 Then there were seven brothers; and the first receiving a wife died childless.
Well, there were seven brothers in one family. The oldest one married, but he and his wife did not bear any children. Later he died.
30 And the second
The second [brother followed this law and married the widow, but the same thing happened to him].
31 and the third received her, and likewise also the seven; they left no children and died.
Then the third [brother] married her, [but the same thing happened again]. All seven [brothers, one by one, married that woman], [but] they had no children, and [one by one] they died.
32 Last of all the woman also died.
Afterwards, the woman died, too.
33 Therefore in the resurrection of which one of them is she the wife? for the seven had her a wife.
Therefore, [if it is true that there will be a time] when dead people will become alive again, whose wife [do you think that woman] will be [then]? ([Keep in mind that she was married to all seven brothers!/It will be impossible to decide because] she was married to all seven brothers!) [RHQ]”
34 And responding Jesus said to them, The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, (aiōn g165)
Jesus replied to them, “Men who live here in this world take wives, or are given wives [by their parents] {their [parents] choose wives [for them]}. (aiōn g165)
35 but those counted worthy to attain that age and the resurrection, which is from the dead, (aiōn g165)
But the men whom God considers worthy of [being in heaven after] they become alive again will not be married. (aiōn g165)
36 neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they are not able yet to die; for they are like the angels, and sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
[You need to know also that] they cannot die any more, because they will be [immortal] [SIM] like angels. [The fact that God has caused] them to be alive again [will show] that they are God’s children.
37 But that the dead are raised, Moses also mentioned at the Bush, when he says; The Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
But [as for people] becoming alive again after they die, Moses wrote something about that. In the place where [he wrote about] the [burning] bush, he mentions the Lord as being the God whom Abraham [worships] and the God whom Isaac [worships] and the God whom Jacob [worships].
38 He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live unto Him.
It is not dead people who worship God. It is living people who worship him. [Abraham, Isaac and Jacob died long before Moses lived, but God said that they were still worshipping him, so we(inc) know their spirits were still alive]! All [people] whose [spirits] are alive [again after they die continue to live to honor God]!”
39 And certain of the scribes responding said; Teacher, you spoke beautifully.
Some of the men who taught the [Jewish] laws replied, “Teacher, you [(sg)] have answered very well!”
40 And they no longer dared to ask Him anything.
After that, they no longer dared to ask him any more questions [like that to try to trap him].
41 And He said to them; How do they say that the Christ is the son of David?
Then Jesus said to them, “I will show you (OR, prove to you) that people [are wrong who] say that the Messiah is [merely] a descendant of [King] David! [RHQ]
42 And David himself says in the Book of the Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
Because David himself wrote [about the Messiah] in the book of Psalms, God said to my Lord, Sit [here beside me] on my right, [where I will highly honor you(sg)] [MTY].
43 until I may make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet.
[Sit here] while I completely defeat your enemies.
44 Therefore David calls Him Lord, and how is He his son?
King David calls [the Messiah] ‘[my] Lord’! So ([the Messiah] cannot be [just someone] descended from [King] David!/how can the Messiah be [just] someone descended from [King] David?) [RHQ] [What I just said proves that he is much greater than David, isn’t that right]?”
45 And all the people hearing, He said to His disciples,
While all the [other] people were listening, [Jesus] said to his disciples,
46 Beware of the scribes, wishing to walk about in robes, and loving salutations in the forums, and the first seats in the synagogues, and the first couches at the suppers,
“Beware that [you do not act like] the men who teach our [Jewish] laws. They like to put on long robes and walk around [to make people think that they are very important]. [They] also like [people to] greet them [respectfully] in the marketplaces. They like [to sit in] the most important places in the Jewish meeting places. At dinner parties [they like to sit in] the seats where the most honored people sit.
47 Who devour the houses of the widows, and pray long through pretext; they shall receive the greater judgment.
They swindle [MET] the houses [and property] of widows. [Then] they pretend they are good, as they pray [long] prayers [publicly. God] will [certainly] punish them very severely.”
