Luke 20
1 And on one of those days as He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes and elders came upon Him, saying,
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 Tell us by what authority thou dost these things? or who it is that gave thee 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 He answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one question, 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 reasoned among themselves, saying, If we say, From heaven, He will say, Why then did ye not believe 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 but if we say, Of men, the people will all 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 answered, they did not know whence it was.
So they replied, “We [(exc)] do not know where [John got his authority].”
8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do 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 Then He began to speak unto the people this parable, A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen and travelled abroad for a considerable 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 at the fruit-season he sent a servant to the husbandmen that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard; but the husbandmen beat him and 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 sent another servant; and they beat him also and abused him, and 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 sent a third; and they wounded him also and drove him out.
[Still later, the owner] sent another servant. That one they wounded and threw him out [of the vineyard].
13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: perhaps when they see Him 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 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 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 So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
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 these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others. And when they heard this they said, God forbid.
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 He looked upon them and said, What then is this, which is written, The stone which the builders refused, is become 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 Whosoever falleth on that stone shall be bruised; but on whomsoever it falleth, it will crush him to pieces.
[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 the scribes would have laid hands on Him at that very time, but were afraid of the people: for they perceived that He had spoken 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 they watched Him and sent out spies, pretending to be righteous men, to lay hold of his words, that they might deliver Him up to the power and authority of the governor.
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 And they asked Him, saying, Master, we know that thou speakest and teachest rightly, and acceptest not the person of any, but teachest 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 to give tribute to Cesar, 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 But He perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why do ye tempt 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 Shew me a penny: whose image and inscription hath it? and they answered, Cesar'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 Then said He unto them, Render therefore unto Cesar the things that are Cesar's, and to God the things that 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 could not take hold of his word before the people: and they marvelled at his answer and said no more.
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 some of the Sadducees (who deny a resurrection) came to Him and 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, Moses enjoined us, if any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die childless, that his brother should 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 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless; and the second took the wife, and he 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 third took her;
The second [brother followed this law and married the widow, but the same thing happened to him].
31 and in like manner all the seven.
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 And they died and left no children. Last of all the woman also died.
Afterwards, the woman died, too.
33 Therefore at the resurrection whose wife is she? for all the seven had her to 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 Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world 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 they who are counted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: (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 for they can die no more, being like the angels: and they are the children of God as being the children 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 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush; for he calleth 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 And He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for to Him they are all living.
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 some of the scribes replied, Master, thou hast indeed said right.
Some of the men who taught the [Jewish] laws replied, “Teacher, you [(sg)] have answered very well!”
40 And they dared not any more to ask Him any such question.
After that, they no longer dared to ask him any more questions [like that to try to trap him].
41 And He said unto them, How do they say, that 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 when David himself saith in the book of Psalms, "The Lord said unto my Lord,
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 Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool."
[Sit here] while I completely defeat your enemies.
44 David therefore calleth Him Lord, and how is He then 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 He said to his disciples, in the audience of all the people,
While all the [other] people were listening, [Jesus] said to his disciples,
46 Beware of the scribes, who affect to walk in long robes, and love salutations in public places, and the chief seats in the Synagogues, and uppermost places at feasts;
“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 widows houses, and for a shew of religion make long prayers: these shall receive a heavier sentence.
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.”
