Luke, 20

1. One day as he was teaching the people in the temple area and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, approached him

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,

2. and said to him, "Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who is the one who gave you this authority?"

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

3. He said to them in reply, "I shall ask you a question. Tell me,

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

4. was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin?"

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

5. They discussed this among themselves, and said, "If we say, 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say, 'Why did you not believe him?'

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

6. But if we say, 'Of human origin,' then all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet."

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

7. So they answered that they did not know from where it came.

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

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

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

9. Then he proceeded to tell the people this parable. "(A) man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and then went on a journey for a long time.

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.

10. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenant farmers to receive some of the produce of the vineyard. But they beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.

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.

11. So he proceeded to send another servant, but him also they beat and insulted and sent 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.

12. Then he proceeded to send a third, but this one too they wounded and threw out.

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

13. The owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I shall send my beloved son; maybe they will respect him.'

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."

14. But when the tenant farmers saw him they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Let us kill him that the inheritance may become ours.'

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."

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

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

16. He will come and put those tenant farmers to death and turn over the vineyard to others." When the people heard this, they exclaimed, "Let it not be so!"

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

17. But he looked at them and asked, "What then does this scripture passage mean: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?

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?

18. Everyone who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls."

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

19. The scribes and chief priests sought to lay their hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people, for they knew that he had addressed this parable to them.

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.

20. They watched him closely and sent agents pretending to be righteous who were to trap him in speech, in order to hand him over to the authority and power of the governor.

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.

21. They posed this question to him, "Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is correct, and you show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.

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.

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

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

23. Recognizing their craftiness he said to them,

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

24. "Show me a denarius; whose image and name does it bear?" They replied, "Caesar's."

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

25. So he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

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

26. They were unable to trap him by something he might say before the people, and so amazed were they at his reply that they fell silent.

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.

27. Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him,

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

28. saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us, 'If someone's brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.'

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.

29. Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless.

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

30. Then the second

30. The second

31. and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless.

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

32. Finally the woman also died.

32. Finally the woman herself died.

33. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her."

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

34. Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry and remarry;

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

35. but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor 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

36. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise.

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.

37. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called 'Lord' the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;

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.

38. and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

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

39. Some of the scribes said in reply, "Teacher, you have answered well."

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

40. And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

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

41. Then he said to them, "How do they claim that the Messiah is the Son of David?

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

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

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

43. till I make your enemies your footstool."'

43. till I have made your enemies your footstool.

44. Now if David calls him 'lord,' how can he be his son?"

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

45. Then, within the hearing of all the people, he said to (his) disciples,

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

46. "Be on guard against the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and love greetings in marketplaces, seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets.

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,

47. They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation."

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