Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

"He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'

"But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

"What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.Haven't you read this passage of Scripture:
"'The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;

the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes' ?"

Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren't swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?

Should we pay or shouldn't we?"But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. "Why are you trying to trap me?" he asked. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it."

They brought the coin, and he asked them, "Whose image is this? And whose inscription?""Caesar's," they replied.

Then Jesus said to them, "Give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."And they were amazed at him.Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question."Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children.The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third.In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too.At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ?He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?"

"The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

"Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked, "Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:
"'The Lord said to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet."'

David himself calls him 'Lord.' How then can he be his son?"The large crowd listened to him with delight.As he taught, Jesus said, "Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces,and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.They devour widows' houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely."

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on."

Mark 12

The Parable of the Tenants

1 Thent he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.s He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Thent he leased it to tenant farmerss and went on a journey.2 At harvest time he sent a slavets to the tenants to collect from themt his portion of the crop.t3 Butt those tenantst seized his slave,t beat him,s and sent him away empty-handed.s4 Sot he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously.5 He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed.6 He had one left, his one dear son.ts Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’8 Sot they seized him,t killed him, and threw his bodyt out of the vineyard.s9 What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroys those tenants and give the vineyard to others.s

10 Have you not read this scripture:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.ts

11 This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”s

12 Nowt they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized that he told this parable against them. Sot they left him and went away.s

Paying Taxes to Caesar

13 Thent they sent some of the Phariseess and Herodianss to trap him with his own words.t14 When they came they said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and do not court anyone’s favor, because you show no partialityt but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.s Is it rightt to pay taxests to Caesart or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”15 But he saw through their hypocrisy and saidt to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denariusts and let me look at it.”16 Sot they brought one, and he said to them, “Whose imagets is this, and whose inscription?” They replied,t “Caesar’s.”

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”s And they were utterly amazed at him.

Marriage and the Resurrection

18 Sadduceess (who say there is no resurrection)s also came to him and asked him,t19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us: ‘If a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, that mantmust marrytthe widow and father childrentfor his brother.’s20 There were seven brothers. The first one married,t and when he died he had no children.21 The second married her and died without any children, and likewise the third.22 None of the seven had children. Finally, the woman died too.23 In the resurrection, when they rise again,s whose wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”t24 Jesus said to them, “Aren’t you deceivedt for this reason, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God?25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angelss in heaven.26 Now as for the dead being raised,t have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush,s how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, thetGod of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?s

27 He is not the God of the dead but of the living.s You are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment

28 Nowt one of the experts in the lawt came and heard them debating. When he saw that Jesust answered them well, he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?”29 Jesus answered, “The most important is: ‘Listen, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.30 Lovetthe Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’s31 The second is: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’s There is no other commandment greater than these.”32 The expert in the law said to him, “That is true, Teacher; you are right to say that he is one, and there is no one else besides him.s33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your mind, and with all your strengths and to love your neighbor as yourselfs is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” Then no one dared any longer to question him.

The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he said, “How is it that the experts in the lawt say that the Christts is David’s son?s

36 David himself, by the Holy Spirit, said,
‘The Lord said to my lord,s
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.”’s

37 If David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”t And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Warnings About Experts in the Law

38 In his teaching Jesust also said, “Watch out for the experts in the law.t They like walkingt around in long robes and elaborate greetingss in the marketplaces,39 and the best seats in the synagoguess and the places of honor at banquets.

40 Theyt devour widows’ property,t and as a show make long prayers. These men will receive a more severe punishment.”

The Widow’s Offering

41 Thent hes sat down opposite the offering box,tss and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing in large amounts.42 And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins,s worth less than a penny.43 He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth,t this poor widow has put more into the offering boxt than all the others.s

44 For they all gave out of their wealth.t But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”s