1 O ne day as Jesus was instructing the people in the temple '> porches] and preaching the good news (the Gospel), the chief priests and the scribes came up with the elders (members of the Sanhedrin)

And it came to pass, on one of those days, as he is teaching the people in the temple, and proclaiming good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came upon,

2 A nd said to Him, Tell us by what authority You are doing these things? Or who is it who gave You this authority?

and spake unto him, saying, `Tell us by what authority thou dost these things? or who is he that gave to thee this authority?'

3 H e replied to them, I will also ask you a question. Now answer Me:

And he answering said unto them, `I will question you -- I also -- one thing, and tell me:

4 W as the baptism of John from heaven, or from men?

the baptism of John, from heaven was it, or from men?'

5 A nd they argued and discussed and reasoned together with themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him?

And they reasoned with themselves, saying -- `If we may say, From heaven, he will say, Wherefore, then, did ye not believe him?

6 B ut if we answer, From men, all the people will stone us to death, for they are long since firmly convinced that John was a prophet.

and if we may say, From men, all the people will stone us, for they are having been persuaded John to be a prophet.'

7 S o they replied that they did not know from where it came.

And they answered, that they knew not whence,

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

and Jesus said to them, `Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these things.'

9 T hen He began to relate to the people this parable ( this story to figuratively portray what He had to say): A man planted a vineyard and leased it to some vinedressers and went into another country for a long stay.

And he began to speak unto the people this simile: `A certain man planted a vineyard, and gave it out to husbandmen, and went abroad for a long time,

10 W hen the season came, he sent a bond servant to the tenants, that they might give him of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat ( thrashed) him and sent him away empty-handed.

and at the season he sent unto the husbandmen a servant, that from the fruit of the vineyard they may give to him, but the husbandmen having beat him, did send away empty.

11 A nd he sent still another servant; him they also beat ( thrashed) and dishonored and insulted him disgracefully and sent him away empty-handed.

`And he added to send another servant, and they that one also having beaten and dishonoured, did send away empty;

12 A nd he sent yet a third; this one they wounded and threw out.

and he added to send a third, and this one also, having wounded, they did cast out.

13 T hen the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it is probable that they will respect him.

`And the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my son -- the beloved, perhaps having seen this one, they will do reverence;

14 B ut when the tenants saw him, they argued among themselves, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.

and having seen him, the husbandmen reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, we may kill him, that the inheritance may become ours;

15 S o they drove him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?

and having cast him outside of the vineyard, they killed; what, then, shall the owner of the vineyard do to them?

16 H e will come and '> utterly] put an end to those tenants and will give the vineyard to others. When they heard this, they said, May it never be!

He will come, and destroy these husbandmen, and will give the vineyard to others.' And having heard, they said, `Let it not be!'

17 B ut looked at them and said, What then is this that is written: The Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Stone of the corner ?

and he, having looked upon them, said, `What, then, is this that hath been written: A stone that the builders rejected -- this became head of a corner?

18 E veryone who falls on that Stone will be broken; but upon whomever It falls, It will crush him '> scatter him as dust].

every one who hath fallen on that stone shall be broken, and on whom it may fall, it will crush him to pieces.'

19 T he scribes and the chief priests desired and tried to find a way to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people; for they discerned that He had related this parable against them.

And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him in that hour, and they feared the people, for they knew that against them he spake this simile.

20 S o they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be upright (honest and sincere), that they might lay hold of something He might say, so as to turn Him over to the control and authority of the governor.

And, having watched, they sent forth liers in wait, feigning themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of his word, to deliver him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor,

21 T hey asked Him, Teacher, we know that You speak and teach what is right, and that You show no partiality to anyone but teach the way of God honestly and in truth.

and they questioned him, saying, `Teacher, we have known that thou dost say and teach rightly, and dost not accept a person, but in truth the way of God dost teach;

22 I s it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar or not?

Is it lawful to us to give tribute to Caesar or not?'

23 B ut He recognized and understood their cunning and unscrupulousness and said to them,

And he, having perceived their craftiness, said unto them, `Why me do ye tempt?

24 S how Me a denarius (a coin)! Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered, Caesar’s.

shew me a denary; of whom hath it an image and superscription?' and they answering said, `Of Caesar:'

25 H e said to them, Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

and he said to them, `Give back, therefore, the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God;'

26 S o they could not in the presence of the people take hold of anything He said to turn it against Him; but marveling at His reply, they were silent.

and they were not able to take hold on his saying before the people, and having wondered at his answer, they were silent.

27 A lso there came to Him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection.

And certain of the Sadducees, who are denying that there is a rising again, having come near, questioned him,

28 A nd they asked Him a question, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife and no children, the man shall take the woman and raise up offspring for his brother.

saying, `Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If any one's brother may die, having a wife, and he may die childless -- that his brother may take the wife, and may raise up seed to his brother.

29 N ow there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died without children.

`There were, then, seven brothers, and the first having taken a wife, died childless,

30 A nd the second

and the second took the wife, and he died childless,

31 A nd then the third took her, and in like manner all seven, and they died, leaving no children.

and the third took her, and in like manner also the seven -- they left not children, and they died;

32 L ast of all, the woman died also.

and last of all died also the woman:

33 N ow in the resurrection whose wife will the woman be? For the seven married her.

in the rising again, then, of which of them doth she become wife? -- for the seven had her as wife.'

34 A nd Jesus said to them, The people of this world and present age marry and are given in marriage;

And Jesus answering said to them, `The sons of this age do marry and are given in marriage,

35 B ut those who are considered worthy to gain that other world and that future age and to attain to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage;

but those accounted worthy to obtain that age, and the rising again that is out of the dead, neither marry, nor are they given in marriage;

36 F or they cannot die again, but they are angel-like and equal to angels. And being sons of and sharers in the resurrection, they are sons of God.

for neither are they able to die any more -- for they are like messengers -- and they are sons of God, being sons of the rising again.

37 B ut that the dead are raised '> from death]—even Moses made known and showed in the passage concerning the bush, where he calls the Lord, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

`And that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the Bush, since he doth call the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;

38 N ow He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all men are alive and they are alive unto Him.

and He is not a God of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him.'

39 A nd some of the scribes replied, Teacher, you have spoken well and expertly '> so that there is no room for blame].

And certain of the scribes answering said, `Teacher, thou didst say well;'

40 F or they did not dare to question Him further.

and no more durst they question him anything.

41 B ut He asked them, How can people say that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is David’s Son?

And he said unto them, `How do they say the Christ to be son of David,

42 F or David himself says in Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand

and David himself saith in the Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

43 U ntil I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.

till I shall make thine enemies thy footstool;

44 S o David calls Him Lord; how then is He his Son?

David, then, doth call him lord, and how is he his son?'

45 A nd with all the people listening, He said to His disciples,

And, all the people hearing, he said to his disciples,

46 B eware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes and love to be saluted in places where people congregate and love the front and best seats in the synagogues and places of distinction at feasts,

`Take heed of the scribes, who are wishing to walk in long robes, and are loving salutations in the markets, and first seats in the synagogues, and first couches in the suppers,

47 W ho make away with and devour widows’ houses, and with pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation (the heavier sentence, the severer punishment).

who devour the houses of the widows, and for a pretence make long prayers, these shall receive more abundant judgment.'