English Standard Version

New Living Translation

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

1Jesus also told them other parables. He said,

2“The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,

2 “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.

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

3 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!

4Again he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.”’

4 “So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’

5But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,

5 But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business.

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

6 Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.

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

7 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town.

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

8 And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor.

9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.’

9 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’

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

10 So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

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

11 “But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding.

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

12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply.

13Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

13 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.” Taxes for Caesar

15Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to entangle him in his words.

15Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.

16And they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are true and teach the way of God truthfully, and you do not care about anyone’s opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances.

16They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites.

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

17Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

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

18But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me?

19Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.

19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin,

20And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?”

20he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

21They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

21“Caesar’s,” they replied. “Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

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

22His reply amazed them, and they went away. Discussion about Resurrection

23The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,

23That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question:

24saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’

24“Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’

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

25Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow.

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

26But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them.

27After them all, the woman died.

27Last of all, the woman also died.

28In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

28So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

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

29Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God.

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

30 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

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

31 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said,

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.”

32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ So he is the God of the living, not the dead.”

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

33When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching. The Most Important Commandment

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

34But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again.

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

35One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question:

36“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

36“Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37And 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.

37Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’

38This is the great and first commandment.

38 This is the first and greatest commandment.

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

39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

40On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” Whose Son Is the Messiah?

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

41Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question:

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

42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “He is the son of David.”

43He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying,

43Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,

44“‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’?

44 ‘The LORD said to my Lord, Sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’

45If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?”

45 Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

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

46No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.