The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And it came to be, on one of those days, as He was teaching the people in the Set-apart Place and bringing the Good News, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, came up 2and spoke to Him, saying, “Say to us, by what authority are You doing these? Or who is he who gave You this authority?” 3And He answering, said to them, “I shall ask you one question too, and answer Me: 4“The immersion of Yoḥanan – was it from heaven or from men?” 5And they debated among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He shall say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 6“But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people shall stone us, for they are persuaded that Yoḥanan was a prophet.” 7And they answered that they did not know from where it was. 8And יהושע said to them, “Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these.” 9And He began to speak this parable to the people, “A certain man planted a vineyard, and leased it to farmers, and went away for a long time. 10“And at harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers, to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11“And again he sent another servant. And they beat him too and maltreated him, and sent him away empty-handed. 12“And again he sent a third. And they wounded him too and cast him out. 13“And the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I shall send my son, the beloved. They might respect him when they see him.’ 14“But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, so that the inheritance becomes ours.’ 15“And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, shall the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16“He shall come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others.” And having heard, they said, “Let it not be!” 17But He looked at them and said, “What then is this that has been written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner-stone’? 18“Everyone who falls on that stone shall be broken, but on whomever it falls, he shall be pulverised.” 19And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on Him in the same hour, but they feared the people, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. 20And keeping a close watch on Him, they sent spies who pretended to be righteous, to catch Him in a word, in order to deliver Him to the rule and to the authority of the governor. 21So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You are not partial to any, but teach the way of Elohim truly, 22“Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 23But perceiving their craftiness, He said to them, “Why do you try Me? 24“Show Me a silver piece. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” And they answering, said, “Caesar’s.” 25And He said to them, “Then give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to Elohim what is Elohim’s.” 26And they were unable to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people, and marvelling at His answer, they were silent. 27And some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 28saying, “Teacher, Mosheh wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies childless, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 29“Now, there were seven brothers, and the first took a wife, and died childless. 30“And the second took her as wife, and he died childless. 31“And the third took her, and in the same way the seven also. And they left no children, and died. 32“And last of all the woman died too. 33“At the resurrection, then, whose wife does she become? For the seven had her as wife.” 34And יהושע answering, said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35but those who are counted worthy of attaining that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are they given in marriage, 36for neither is it possible for them to die any more, because they are like messengers and are sons of Elohim, being sons of the resurrection. 37“But that the dead are raised, even Mosheh showed at the bush when he called יהוה ‘the Elohim of Aḇraham, and the Elohim of Yitsḥaq, and the Elohim of Ya‛aqoḇ.’ 38“Now He is not the Elohim of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him.” 39And some of the scribes answering, said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” 40And they were not bold enough to question Him any more. 41And He said to them, “How do they say that the Messiah is the Son of Dawiḏ? 42“For Dawiḏ himself said in the Book of Psalms, ‘יהוה said to my Master, “sit at My right hand, 43until I make Your enemies a footstool of Your feet.” ’ 44“Dawiḏ then calls Him ‘Master,’ how is He then his Son?” 45And in the hearing of all the people, He said to His taught ones, 46“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the market-places, and the best seats in the congregations, and the best places at feasts, 47who devour widows’ houses, and for a show make long prayers. They shall receive greater judgment.” |