1 ¶ On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, it so happened that the chief priests and scribes together with the elders came up to him,

2 And said to him, Tell us, by what authority you do these things? and who is it who gave you that authority?

3 And in answer he said to them, I will also ask you a question; tell me:

4 Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men?

5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did you not believe him?

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

7 So they said, that they could not tell where it was from.

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

9 ¶ Then he began to tell the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to farmers, and went to a distant country for a long time.

10 And at harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers, so that they might give him some of the fruit from the vineyard: but the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.

11 Then he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and threw him out.

13 Then the lord of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: when they see him perhaps they will respect him.

14 But when the farmers saw him, they said among themselves, This is the heir: let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.

15 So they threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Therefore what will the lord of the vineyard do to them?

16 He will come and destroy those farmers, and will give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, May it never be.

17 He then looked at them, and asked, What then is the meaning of this that is written, The stone that the builders rejected, has become the chief cornerstone?

18 Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but whoever it falls on, will be ground to powder.

19 And the chief priests and the scribes immediately looked for a way to arrest him; but they feared the people: for they realized that he had spoken that parable against them.

20 ¶ And they watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be sincere and honest men, so that they might catch him saying something that they could use, to deliver him to the power and authority of the governor.

21 So they asked him, Master, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and do not show partiality, but teach the way of God in truth:

22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

23 But he was aware of their treachery, and said, Why are you testing me?

24 Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription is on it? And they said, Caesar’s.

25 And he said to them, Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

26 And they could not catch him in his words in front of the people: and they marveled at his answer, and became silent.

27 ¶ Then some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection; came to him saying,

28 Master, Moses wrote for us that, If a man’s brother dies, and leaves a wife, but no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up children for his brother.

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

30 And the second made her his wife, and he died childless.

31 And then the third married her; and it was the same way with all seven: they died leaving no children.

32 Finally the woman also died.

33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife will she be? since all seven were married to her.

34 And Jesus said to them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:

35 But those who are considered worthy to gain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:

36 Nor can they die any more: for they are like the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

37 But even Moses revealed that the dead are raised, in the account of the bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

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

39 ¶ Then some of the scribes responded by saying, Master, you have given a good answer.

40 After that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

41 So he asked them, How is it that they say that Christ is David’s son?

42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand,

43 Until I make your enemies your footstool.

44 David therefore calls him Lord, how can he then be his son?

45 Then while the people were listening he said to his disciples,

46 Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love to be greeted in the marketplace, and have the chief seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets;

47 Who devour widows’ houses, and for a show make long prayers: the same will receive greater damnation.