Luke, 20

1. Now it happened that one day while he was teaching the people in the Temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came up, together with the elders,

1. One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up

2. and spoke to him. 'Tell us,' they said, 'what authority have you for acting like this? Or who gives you this authority?'

2. and said to him, "Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority."

3. In reply he said to them, 'And I will ask you a question, just one. Tell me:

3. He answered them, "I also will ask you a question; now tell me,

4. John's baptism: what was its origin, heavenly or human?'

4. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"

5. And they debated this way among themselves, 'If we say heavenly, he will retort, "Why did you refuse to believe him?";

5. And they discussed it with one another, saying, "If we say, `From heaven,' he will say, `Why did you not believe him?'

6. and if we say human, the whole people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.'

6. But if we say, `From men,' all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet."

7. So their reply was that they did not know where it came from.

7. So they answered that they did not know whence it was.

8. And Jesus said to them, 'Nor will I tell you my authority for acting like this.'

8. And Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

9. And he went on to tell the people this parable, 'A man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants, and went abroad for a long while.

9. And he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country for a long while.

10. When the right time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get his share of the produce of the vineyard. But the tenants thrashed him, and sent him away empty-handed.

10. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, that they should give him some of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

11. But he went on to send a second servant; they thrashed him too and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed.

11. And he sent another servant; him also they beat and treated shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

12. He still went on to send a third; they wounded this one too, and threw him out.

12. And he sent yet a third; this one they wounded and cast out.

13. Then the owner of the vineyard thought, "What am I to do? I will send them my own beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him."

13. Then the owner of the vineyard said, `What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will respect him.'

14. But when the tenants saw him they put their heads together saying, "This is the heir, let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours."

14. But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, `This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

15. So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 'Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

15. And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

16. He will come and make an end of these tenants and give the vineyard to others.' Hearing this they said, 'God forbid!'

16. He will come and destroy those tenants, and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "God forbid!"

17. But he looked hard at them and said, 'Then what does this text in the scriptures mean: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?

17. But he looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: `The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner'?

18. Anyone who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; anyone it falls on will be crushed.'

18. Every one who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one it will crush him."

19. And the scribes and the chief priests would have liked to lay hands on him that very moment, because they realised that this parable was aimed at them, but they were afraid of the people.

19. The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people; for they perceived that he had told this parable against them.

20. So they awaited their opportunity and sent agents to pose as upright men, and to catch him out in something he might say and so enable them to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor.

20. So they watched him, and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might take hold of what he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.

21. They put to him this question, 'Master, we know that you say and teach what is right; you favour no one, but teach the way of God in all honesty.

21. They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.

22. Is it permissible for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'

22. Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?"

23. But he was aware of their cunning and said,

23. But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,

24. 'Show me a denarius. Whose portrait and title are on it?' They said, 'Caesar's.'

24. "Show me a coin. Whose likeness and inscription has it?" They said, "Caesar's."

25. He said to them, 'Well then, pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar -- and God what belongs to God.'

25. He said to them, "Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

26. They were unable to catch him out in anything he had to say in public; they were amazed at his answer and were silenced.

26. And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him by what he said; but marveling at his answer they were silent.

27. Some Sadducees -- those who argue that there is no resurrection -- approached him and they put this question to him,

27. There came to him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection,

28. 'Master, Moses prescribed for us, if a man's married brother dies childless, the man must marry the widow to raise up children for his brother.

28. and they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother.

29. Well then, there were seven brothers; the first, having married a wife, died childless.

29. Now there were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and died without children;

30. The second

30. and the second

31. and then the third married the widow. And the same with all seven, they died leaving no children.

31. and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died.

32. Finally the woman herself died.

32. Afterward the woman also died.

33. Now, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be, since she had been married to all seven?'

33. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife."

34. Jesus replied, 'The children of this world take wives and husbands,

34. And Jesus said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage;

35. but those who are judged worthy of a place in the other world and in the resurrection from the dead do not marry

35. but those who are accounted worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage,

36. because they can no longer die, for they are the same as the angels, and being children of the resurrection they are children of God.

36. for they cannot die any more, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

37. And Moses himself implies that the dead rise again, in the passage about the bush where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

37. But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

38. Now he is God, not of the dead, but of the living; for to him everyone is alive.'

38. Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him."

39. Some scribes then spoke up. They said, 'Well put, Master.'

39. And some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well."

40. They did not dare to ask him any more questions.

40. For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

41. He then said to them, 'How can people maintain that the Christ is son of David?

41. But he said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is David's son?

42. Why, David himself says in the Book of Psalms: The Lord declared to my Lord, take your seat at my right hand,

42. For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, `The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,

43. till I have made your enemies your footstool.

43. till I make thy enemies a stool for thy feet.'

44. David here calls him Lord; how then can he be his son?'

44. David thus calls him Lord; so how is he his son?"

45. While all the people were listening he said to the disciples,

45. And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples,

46. 'Beware of the scribes who like to walk about in long robes and love to be greeted respectfully in the market squares, to take the front seats in the synagogues and the places of honour at banquets,

46. "Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and love salutations in the market places and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,

47. who devour the property of widows, and for show offer long prayers. The more severe will be the sentence they receive.'

47. who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation."