Mark 12
1 And he began to speak to them in parables: A man dug a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a pit, and built a tower, and he loaned it out to farmers, and he set out on a long journey.2 And in time, he sent a servant to the farmers, in order to receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers.3 But they, having apprehended him, beat him and sent him away empty.4 And again, he sent another servant to them. And they wounded him on the head, and they treated him with contempt.5 And again, he sent another, and him they killed, and many others: some they beat, but others they killed.6 Therefore, having still one son, most dear to him, he sent him also to them, at the very end, saying, For they will reverence my son.7 But the settlers said one to another: This is the heir. Come, let us kill him. And then the inheritance will be ours.8 And apprehending him, they killed him. And they cast him out of the vineyard.9 Therefore, what will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the settlers. And he will give the vineyard to others.10 And so, have you not read this scripture?: The stone which the builders have rejected, the same has been made the head of the corner.11 By the Lord has this been done, and it is wondrous in our eyes. 12 And they sought to take hold of him, but they feared the crowd. For they knew that he had spoken this parable about them. And leaving him behind, they went away.13 And they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to him, so that they might trap him with words.14 And these, arriving, said to him: Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you do not favor anyone; for you do not consider the appearance of men, but you teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give the tribute to Caesar, or should we not give it?15 And knowing their skill in deception, he said to them: Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, so that I may see it.16 And they brought it to him. And he said to them, Whose image and inscription is this? They said to him, Caesars.17 So in response, Jesus said to them, Then render to Caesar, the things that are of Caesar; and to God, the things that are of God. And they wondered over him.18 And the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, approached him. And they questioned him, saying:19 Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if any mans brother will have died and left behind a wife, and not have left behind sons, his brother should take his wife to himself and should raise up offspring for his brother.20 So then, there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and he died without leaving behind offspring.21 And the second took her, and he died. And neither did he leave behind offspring. And the third acted similarly.22 And in like manner, each of the seven received her and did not leave behind offspring. Last of all, the woman also died.23 Therefore, in the resurrection, when they will rise again, to which of them will she be a wife? For each of the seven had her as wife.24 And Jesus responded by saying to them: But have you not gone astray, by knowing neither the scriptures, nor the power of God?25 For when they will be resurrected from the dead, they shall neither marry, nor be given in marriage, but they are like the Angels in heaven.26 But concerning the dead who rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, how God spoke to him from the bush, saying: 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. Therefore, you have gone far astray.28 And one of the scribes, who had heard them arguing, drew near to him. And seeing that he had answered them well, he questioned him as to which was the first commandment of all.29 And Jesus answered him: For the first commandment of all is this: Listen, O Israel. The Lord your God is one God.30 And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength. This is the first commandment.31 But the second is similar to it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.32 And the scribe said to him: Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth that there is one God, and there is no other beside him;33 and that he should be loved from the whole heart, and from the whole understanding, and from the whole soul, and from the whole strength. And to love ones neighbor as ones self is greater than all holocausts and sacrifices.34 And Jesus, seeing that he had responded wisely, said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that, no one dared to question him.35 And while teaching in the temple, Jesus said in answer: How is it that 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 set your enemies as your footstool.37 Therefore, David himself calls him Lord, and so how can he be his son? And a great multitude listened to him willingly.38 And he said to them in his doctrine: Beware of the scribes, who prefer to walk in long robes and to be greeted in the marketplace,39 and to sit in the first chairs in the synagogues, and to have the first seats at feasts,40 who devour the houses of widows under the pretense of long prayers. These shall receive the more extensive judgment.41 And Jesus, sitting opposite the offertory box, considered the way in which the crowd cast coins into the offertory, and that many of the wealthy cast in a great deal.42 But when one poor widow had arrived, she put in two small coins, which is a quarter.43 And calling together his disciples, he said to them: Amen I say to you, that this poor widow has put in more than all those who contributed to the offertory.44 For they all gave from their abundance, yet truly, she gave from her scarcity, even all that she had, her entire living.
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