Matthew, 22

1. Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again,

1. And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,

2. 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding.

2. "The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a marriage feast for his son,

3. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come.

3. and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the marriage feast; but they would not come.

4. Next he sent some more servants with the words, "Tell those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding."

4. Again he sent other servants, saying, `Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have made ready my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves are killed, and everything is ready; come to the marriage feast.'

5. But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business,

5. But they made light of it and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,

6. and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them.

6. while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.

7. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.

7. The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8. Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy,

8. Then he said to his servants, `The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy.

9. go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding."

9. Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find.'

10. So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

10. And those servants went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good; so the wedding hall was filled with guests.

11. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment,

11. "But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment;

12. and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent.

12. and he said to him, `Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.

13. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

13. Then the king said to the attendants, `Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.'

14. For many are invited but not all are chosen.'

14. For many are called, but few are chosen."

15. Then the Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap him in what he said.

15. Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how to entangle him in his talk.

16. And they sent their disciples to him, together with some Herodians, to say, 'Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in all honesty, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because human rank means nothing to you.

16. And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Hero'di-ans, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God truthfully, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men.

17. Give us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'

17. Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

18. But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, 'You hypocrites! Why are you putting me to the test?

18. But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, "Why put me to the test, you hypocrites?

19. Show me the money you pay the tax with.' They handed him a denarius,

19. Show me the money for the tax." And they brought him a coin.

20. and he said, 'Whose portrait is this? Whose title?'

20. And Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?"

21. They replied, 'Caesar's.' Then he said to them, 'Very well, pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar -- and God what belongs to God.'

21. They said, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

22. When they heard this they were amazed; they left him alone and went away.

22. When they heard it, they marveled; and they left him and went away.

23. That day some Sadducees -- who deny that there is a resurrection -- approached him and they put this question to him,

23. The same day Sad'ducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question,

24. 'Master, Moses said that if a man dies childless, his brother is to marry the widow, his sister-in-law, to raise children for his brother.

24. saying, "Teacher, Moses said, `If a man dies, having no children, his brother must marry the widow, and raise up children for his brother.'

25. Now we had a case involving seven brothers; the first married and then died without children, leaving his wife to his brother;

25. Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married, and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother.

26. the same thing happened with the second and third and so on to the seventh,

26. So too the second and third, down to the seventh.

27. and then last of all the woman herself died.

27. After them all, the woman died.

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

28. In the resurrection, therefore, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her."

29. Jesus answered them, 'You are wrong, because you understand neither the scriptures nor the power of God.

29. But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God.

30. For at the resurrection men and women do not marry; no, they are like the angels in heaven.

30. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

31. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you never read what God himself said to you:

31. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God,

32. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is God, not of the dead, but of the living.'

32. `I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living."

33. And his teaching made a deep impression on the people who heard it.

33. And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

34. But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they got together

34. But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sad'ducees, they came together.

35. and, to put him to the test, one of them put a further question,

35. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, to test him.

36. 'Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?'

36. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?"

37. Jesus said to him, 'You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.

37. And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

38. This is the greatest and the first commandment.

38. This is the great and first commandment.

39. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself.

39. And a second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

40. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets too.'

40. On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets."

41. While the Pharisees were gathered round, Jesus put to them this question,

41. Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question,

42. 'What is your opinion about the Christ? Whose son is he?' They told him, 'David's.'

42. saying, "What do you think of the Christ? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David."

43. He said to them, 'Then how is it that David, moved by the Spirit, calls him Lord, where he says:

43. He said to them, "How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

44. The Lord declared to my Lord, take your seat at my right hand, till I have made your enemies your footstool?

44. `The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I put thy enemies under thy feet'?

45. 'If David calls him Lord, how then can he be his son?'

45. If David thus calls him Lord, how is he his son?"

46. No one could think of anything to say in reply, and from that day no one dared to ask him any further questions.

46. And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did any one dare to ask him any more questions.