201 On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel , the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him, 2 and they spoke , saying to Him, "Tell us by what authority You are doing these things , or who is the one who gave You this authority ?" 3 Jesus answered and said to them, "I will also ask you a question , and you tell Me: 4 "Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men ?" 5 They reasoned among themselves , saying , "If we say , 'From heaven ,' He will say , 'Why e did you not believe him?' 6 "But if we say , 'From men ,' all the people will stone us to death , for they are convinced that John was a prophet ." 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, "Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things ."
9 And He began to tell the people this parable : "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers , and went on a journey for a long time . 10 "At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers , so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard ; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed . 11 "And he proceeded to send another slave ; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed . 12 "And he proceeded to send a third ; and this one also they wounded and cast out. 13 "The owner of the vineyard said , 'What shall I do ? I will send my beloved son ; perhaps they will respect him.' 14 "But when the vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another , saying , 'This is the heir ; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours .' 15 "So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What , then , will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 "He will come and destroy these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others ." When they heard it, they said , " May it never be!" 17 But Jesus looked at them and said , "What then is this that is written : ' THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED , THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone'? 18 " Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces ; but on whomever e it falls , it will scatter him like dust ."
19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour , and they feared the people ; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.
20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous , in order that they might catch Him in some statement , so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor . 21 They questioned Him, saying , "Teacher , we know that You speak and teach correctly , and You are not partial e to any, but teach the way of God in truth . 22 "Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar , or not?" 23 But He detected their trickery and said to them, 24 "Show Me a denarius . Whose likeness and inscription does it have ?" They said , "Caesar's ." 25 And He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's , and to God the things that are God's ." 26 And they were unable e to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people ; and being amazed at His answer , they became silent .
27 Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection ), 28 and they questioned Him, saying , "Teacher , Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES , having a wife , AND HE IS CHILDLESS , HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER . 29 "Now there were seven brothers ; and the first took a wife and died childless ; 30 and the second 31 and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died , leaving no children . 32 "Finally the woman died also . 33 "In the resurrection therefore , which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her." 34 Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage , 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead , neither marry nor are given in marriage ; 36 for they cannot e even die anymore , because they are like angels , and are sons of God , being sons of the resurrection . 37 "But that the dead are raised , even Moses showed , in the passage about the burning bush , where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM , AND THE GOD OF ISAAC , AND THE GOD OF JACOB . 38 " Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living ; for all live to Him."
39 Some of the scribes answered and said , "Teacher , You have spoken well ." 40 For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything .
41 Then He said to them, "How is it that they say the Christ is David's son ? 42 "For David himself says in the book of Psalms , ' THE Lord SAID TO MY Lord , "SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND , 43 UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET ."' 44 "Therefore David calls Him 'Lord ,' and how is He his son ?"
45 And while all the people were listening , He said to the disciples , 46 "Beware of the scribes , who like to walk around in long robes , and love respectful greetings in the market places , and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets , 47 who devour widows' houses , and for appearance's sake offer long prayers . These will receive greater condemnation ."
