Matthew 21:23–23:36
23 xNow when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and ysaid, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
24 But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: 25 The zbaptism of aJohn—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”
And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we bfear the multitude, cfor all count John as a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”
And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my dvineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said to Him, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, e“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For fJohn came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; gbut tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward 6relent and believe him.
33 “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner hwho planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and iwent into a far country. 34 Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. 35 jAnd the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. 37 Then last of all he sent his kson to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, l‘This is the heir. mCome, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ 39 nSo they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”
41 oThey said to Him, p“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, qand lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will 7render to him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:
r‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 “Therefore I say to you, sthe kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. 44 And twhoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, uit will grind him to powder.”
45 Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they 8perceived that He was speaking of them. 46 But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they vfeared the multitudes, because wthey took Him for a prophet.
22 And Jesus answered aand spoke to them again by parables and said: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, 3 and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; bmy oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ 5 But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. 6 And the rest seized his servants, treated them 1spitefully, and killed them. 7 But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out chis armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not dworthy. 9 Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ 10 So those servants went out into the highways and egathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there fwho did not have on a wedding garment. 12 So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was gspeechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, 2take him away, and cast him hinto outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
14 i“For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Conflict with Pharisees and Herodians
15 jThen the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the kHerodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not 3regard the person of men. 17 Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
18 But Jesus 4perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the tax money.”
So they brought Him a denarius.
20 And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
And He said to them, l“Render 5therefore to Caesar the things that are mCaesar’s, and to God the things that are nGod’s.” 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
23 oThe same day the Sadducees, pwho say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 24 saying: “Teacher, qMoses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. 27 Last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”
29 Jesus answered and said to them, “You are 6mistaken, rnot knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but sare like angels 7of God in heaven. 31 But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32 t‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the multitudes heard this, uthey were astonished at His teaching.
34 vBut when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, wa lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, x“ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: y‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 zOn these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
41 aWhile the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
They said to Him, “The bSon of David.”
43 He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:
44 ‘The cLord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?
45 If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” 46 dAnd no one was able to answer Him a word, enor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.
Jesus Characterizes the Pharisees
23 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, 2 saying: a“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore whatever they tell you 1to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for bthey say, and do not do. 4 cFor they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. 5 But all their works they do to dbe seen by men. They make their phylacteries broad and enlarge the borders of their garments. 6 eThey love the 2best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi.’ 8 fBut you, do not be called ‘Rabbi’; for One is your 3Teacher, 4the Christ, and you are all brethren. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father; gfor One is your Father, He who is in heaven. 10 And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ. 11 But hhe who is greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 iAnd whoever exalts himself will be 5humbled, and he who humbles himself will be 6exalted.
13 “But jwoe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 7Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! kFor you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.
15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of 8hell as yourselves.
16 “Woe to you, lblind guides, who say, m‘Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is obliged to perform it.’ 17 Fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold nor the temple that 9sanctifies the gold? 18 And, ‘…