Ezra 7-8
New Living Translation
Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem
7 Many years later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia,[a] there was a man named Ezra. He was the son[b] of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son[c] of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest.[d] 6 This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7 Some of the people of Israel, as well as some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants, traveled up to Jerusalem with him in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes’ reign.
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in August[e] of that year. 9 He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year,[f] and he arrived at Jerusalem on August 4,[g] for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10 This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.
Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra
11 King Artaxerxes had given a copy of the following letter to Ezra, the priest and scribe who studied and taught the commands and decrees of the Lord to Israel:
12 [h]“From Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the teacher of the law of the God of heaven. Greetings.
13 “I decree that any of the people of Israel in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may volunteer to return to Jerusalem with you. 14 I and my council of seven hereby instruct you to conduct an inquiry into the situation in Judah and Jerusalem, based on your God’s law, which is in your hand. 15 We also commission you to take with you silver and gold, which we are freely presenting as an offering to the God of Israel who lives in Jerusalem.
16 “Furthermore, you are to take any silver and gold that you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the voluntary offerings of the people and the priests that are presented for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17 These donations are to be used specifically for the purchase of bulls, rams, male lambs, and the appropriate grain offerings and liquid offerings, all of which will be offered on the altar of the Temple of your God in Jerusalem. 18 Any silver and gold that is left over may be used in whatever way you and your colleagues feel is the will of your God.
19 “But as for the cups we are entrusting to you for the service of the Temple of your God, deliver them all to the God of Jerusalem. 20 If you need anything else for your God’s Temple or for any similar needs, you may take it from the royal treasury.
21 “I, Artaxerxes the king, hereby send this decree to all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River[i]: ‘You are to give Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven, whatever he requests of you. 22 You are to give him up to 7,500 pounds[j] of silver, 500 bushels[k] of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil,[l] and an unlimited supply of salt. 23 Be careful to provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his Temple, for why should we risk bringing God’s anger against the realm of the king and his sons? 24 I also decree that no priest, Levite, singer, gatekeeper, Temple servant, or other worker in this Temple of God will be required to pay tribute, customs, or tolls of any kind.’
25 “And you, Ezra, are to use the wisdom your God has given you to appoint magistrates and judges who know your God’s laws to govern all the people in the province west of the Euphrates River. Teach the law to anyone who does not know it. 26 Anyone who refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king will be punished immediately, either by death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.”
Ezra Praises the Lord
27 Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem! 28 And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem.
Exiles Who Returned with Ezra
8 Here is a list of the family leaders and the genealogies of those who came with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:
2 From the family of Phinehas: Gershom.
From the family of Ithamar: Daniel.
From the family of David: Hattush, 3 a descendant of Shecaniah.
From the family of Parosh: Zechariah and 150 other men were registered.
4 From the family of Pahath-moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah and 200 other men.
5 From the family of Zattu[m]: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel and 300 other men.
6 From the family of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan and 50 other men.
7 From the family of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah and 70 other men.
8 From the family of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael and 80 other men.
9 From the family of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel and 218 other men.
10 From the family of Bani[n]: Shelomith son of Josiphiah and 160 other men.
11 From the family of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai and 28 other men.
12 From the family of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan and 110 other men.
13 From the family of Adonikam, who came later[o]: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 other men.
14 From the family of Bigvai: Uthai, Zaccur,[p] and 70 other men.
Ezra’s Journey to Jerusalem
15 I assembled the exiles at the Ahava Canal, and we camped there for three days while I went over the lists of the people and the priests who had arrived. I found that not one Levite had volunteered to come along. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were leaders of the people. I also sent for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of discernment. 17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader of the Levites at Casiphia, to ask him and his relatives and the Temple servants to send us ministers for the Temple of God at Jerusalem.
18 Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they sent us a man named Sherebiah, along with eighteen of his sons and brothers. He was a very astute man and a descendant of Mahli, who was a descendant of Levi son of Israel.[q] 19 They also sent Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and twenty of his sons and brothers, 20 and 220 Temple servants. The Temple servants were assistants to the Levites—a group of Temple workers first instituted by King David and his officials. They were all listed by name.
21 And there by the Ahava Canal, I gave orders for all of us to fast and humble ourselves before our God. We prayed that he would give us a safe journey and protect us, our children, and our goods as we traveled. 22 For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen[r] to accompany us and protect us from enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king, “Our God’s hand of protection is on all who worship him, but his fierce anger rages against those who abandon him.” 23 So we fasted and earnestly prayed that our God would take care of us, and he heard our prayer.
24 I appointed twelve leaders of the priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten other priests— 25 to be in charge of transporting the silver, the gold, the gold bowls, and the other items that the king, his council, his officials, and all the people of Israel had presented for the Temple of God. 26 I weighed the treasure as I gave it to them and found the totals to be as follows:
24 tons[s] of silver,
7,500 pounds[t] of silver articles,
7,500 pounds of gold,
27 20 gold bowls, equal in value to 1,000 gold coins,[u]
2 fine articles of polished bronze, as precious as gold.
28 And I said to these priests, “You and these treasures have been set apart as holy to the Lord. This silver and gold is a voluntary offering to the Lord, the God of our ancestors. 29 Guard these treasures well until you present them to the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of Israel, who will weigh them at the storerooms of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem.” 30 So the priests and the Levites accepted the task of transporting these treasures of silver and gold to the Temple of our God in Jerusalem.
31 We broke camp at the Ahava Canal on April 19[v] and started off to Jerusalem. And the gracious hand of our God protected us and saved us from enemies and bandits along the way. 32 So we arrived safely in Jerusalem, where we rested for three days.
33 On the fourth day after our arrival, the silver, gold, and other valuables were weighed at the Temple of our God and entrusted to Meremoth son of Uriah the priest and to Eleazar son of Phinehas, along with Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui—both of whom were Levites. 34 Everything was accounted for by number and weight, and the total weight was officially recorded.
35 Then the exiles who had come out of captivity sacrificed burnt offerings to the God of Israel. They presented twelve bulls for all the people of Israel, as well as ninety-six rams and seventy-seven male lambs. They also offered twelve male goats as a sin offering. All this was given as a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 The king’s decrees were delivered to his highest officers and the governors of the province west of the Euphrates River,[w] who then cooperated by supporting the people and the Temple of God.
Footnotes
- 7:1a Artaxerxes reigned 465–424 B.c.
- 7:1b Or descendant; see 1 Chr 6:14.
- 7:3 Or descendant; see 1 Chr 6:6-10.
- 7:5 Or the first priest.
- 7:8 Hebrew in the fifth month. This month in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred within the months of August and September 458 B.c.
- 7:9a Hebrew on the first day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was April 8, 458 B.c.; also see note on 6:15.
- 7:9b Hebrew on the first day of the fifth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was August 4, 458 B.c.; also see note on 6:15.
- 7:12 The original text of 7:12-26 is in Aramaic.
- 7:21 Aramaic the province beyond the river; also in 7:25.
- 7:22a Aramaic 100 talents [3,400 kilograms].
- 7:22b Aramaic 100 cors [22 kiloliters].
- 7:22c Aramaic 100 baths [2.1 kiloliters] of wine, 100 baths of olive oil.
- 8:5 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 1 Esdras 8:32); Hebrew lacks Zattu.
- 8:10 As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 1 Esdras 8:36); Hebrew lacks Bani.
- 8:13 Or who were the last of his family.
- 8:14 As in Greek and Syriac versions and an alternate reading of the Masoretic Text; the other alternate reads Zabbud.
- 8:18 Israel is the name that God gave to Jacob.
- 8:22 Or charioteers.
- 8:26a Hebrew 650 talents [22 metric tons].
- 8:26b Hebrew 100 talents [3,400 kilograms]; also in 8:26c.
- 8:27 Hebrew 1,000 darics, about 19 pounds or 8.6 kilograms in weight.
- 8:31 Hebrew on the twelfth day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was April 19, 458 B.c.; also see note on 6:15.
- 8:36 Hebrew the province beyond the river.
Ezra 7-8
New American Standard Bible
Ezra Journeys from Babylon to Jerusalem
7 (A)Now after these things, in the reign of (B)Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra went up to Jerusalem; Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest. 6 So this Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a (C)scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all [a]he requested (D)because the hand of the Lord his God was upon him. 7 (E)Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, (F)because the good hand of his God was upon him. 10 For Ezra had [b]firmly resolved to study the Law of the Lord and to practice it, and (G)to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.
King’s Decree on Behalf of Ezra
11 Now this is the copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, [c]learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel: 12 “[d]Artaxerxes, (H)king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, [e]perfect peace. And now 13 (I)I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 Since you are sent [f]on the part of the king and his (J)seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God which is in your hand, 15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his advisers have voluntarily given to the God of Israel, (K)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 with (L)all the silver and gold which you find in the entire province of Babylon, along (M)with the [g]voluntary offering of the people and of the priests, who (N)offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem; 17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, (O)with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and (P)offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God. 19 Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And the rest of the needs of the house of your God, for which it may be incumbent upon you to provide, (Q)provide for them from the royal treasury.
21 “I myself, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, that whatever Ezra the priest, (R)the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently, 22 up to [h]a hundred talents of silver, [i]a hundred kors of wheat, [j]a hundred baths of wine, [k]a hundred baths of anointing oil, and salt [l]as needed. 23 Whatever is [m]commanded by the God of heaven, it shall be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, (S)so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 We also inform you that (T)it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute, or toll (U)on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 “And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, (V)appoint magistrates and judges so that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the Euphrates River, that is, all those who know the laws of your God; and you may (W)teach anyone who is ignorant of them. 26 And (X)whoever does not comply with the Law of your God and the law of the king, judgment is to be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment, or for [n]confiscation of property or for imprisonment.”
The King’s Kindness
27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, (Y)who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, 28 and (Z)has extended favor to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king’s mighty officials. So I was strengthened according to (AA)the hand of the Lord my God that was upon me, and I gathered [o]leading men from Israel to go up with me.
People Who Went with Ezra
8 Now these are the heads of their fathers’ households and the genealogical enrollment of those who went up with me from Babylon in the reign of King Artaxerxes: 2 of the sons of Phinehas, Gershom; of the sons of Ithamar, Daniel; of the sons of David, (AB)Hattush; 3 of the sons of Shecaniah who was of the sons of (AC)Parosh, Zechariah, and with him 150 males who were in the genealogical list; 4 of the sons of Pahath-moab, Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and two hundred males with him; 5 of the sons of [p]Zattu, Shecaniah, the son of Jahaziel and three hundred males with him; 6 and of the sons of (AD)Adin, Ebed the son of Jonathan and fifty males with him; 7 and of the sons of Elam, Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and seventy males with him; 8 and of the sons of Shephatiah, Zebadiah the son of Michael and eighty males with him; 9 of the sons of Joab, Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 males with him; 10 and of the sons of [q]Bani, Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah and 160 males with him; 11 and of the sons of Bebai, Zechariah the son of Bebai and twenty-eight males with him; 12 and of the sons of Azgad, Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 males with him; 13 and of the sons of Adonikam, the last ones, these being their names: Eliphelet, [r]Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and sixty males with them; 14 and of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and [s]Zabbud, and seventy males with [t]them.
Ezra Sends for Levites
15 Now I assembled them at (AE)the river that runs to Ahava, where we camped for three days; and when I paid close attention to the people and the priests, I (AF)did not find any Levites there. 16 So I sent for Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, [u]leading men, and for Joiarib and Elnathan, teachers. 17 And I sent them to Iddo the [v]leading man at the place called Casiphia; and I [w]told them what to say to [x]Iddo and his brothers, (AG)the temple servants at the place Casiphia, that is, to bring ministers to us for the house of our God. 18 (AH)And as the good hand of our God was upon us, they brought us a (AI)man of insight from the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, namely Sherebiah, and his sons and brothers, eighteen men; 19 and Hashabiah and [y]Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, with his brothers and their sons, twenty men; 20 and 220 of (AJ)the temple servants, whom David and the officials had provided for the service of the Levites, all of them designated by name.
Protection of God Invoked
21 Then I proclaimed (AK)a fast there at (AL)the river of Ahava, to (AM)humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a [z]safe journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to [aa]protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “(AN)The hand of our God is [ab]favorably disposed to all who seek Him, but (AO)His power and His anger are against all those who (AP)abandon Him.” 23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He [ac](AQ)listened to our pleading.
24 Then I selected twelve of the leading priests: (AR)Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25 and I (AS)weighed out to them (AT)the silver, the gold, and the utensils, the offering for the house of our God which the king, (AU)his counselors, his officials, and all Israel who were present there had contributed. 26 (AV)So I weighed into their hands [ad]650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth [ae]a hundred talents, and a hundred gold talents, 27 and twenty gold bowls worth a thousand [af]darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28 Then I said to them, “(AW)You are holy to the Lord, and the (AX)utensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a [ag]voluntary offering to the Lord God of your fathers. 29 Watch and keep them (AY)until you weigh them before the leading priests, the Levites, and the leaders of the fathers’ households of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of the Lord.” 30 So the priests and the Levites (AZ)accepted the weight of silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 Then we journeyed from (BA)the river Ahava on (BB)the twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and (BC)the hand of our God was upon us, and He rescued us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the road. 32 (BD)So we came to Jerusalem and remained there for three days.
Treasure Placed in the Temple
33 And on the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the utensils (BE)were weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of (BF)Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 A notation was made for everything by number and weight, and all the weight was recorded at that time.
35 (BG)The exiles who had come from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: (BH)twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, twelve male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to the Lord. 36 Then (BI)they delivered the king’s edicts to (BJ)the king’s satraps and the governors in the provinces beyond the Euphrates River, and they supported the people and the house of God.
Footnotes
- Ezra 7:6 Lit his request
- Ezra 7:10 Lit set his heart
- Ezra 7:11 Or the scribe of
- Ezra 7:12 Ch 7:12-26 is in Aram
- Ezra 7:12 Or perhaps it is determined
- Ezra 7:14 Lit from before
- Ezra 7:16 Or freewill offering
- Ezra 7:22 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
- Ezra 7:22 About 770 cubic feet or 22 cubic meters
- Ezra 7:22 About 600 gallons or 2,271 liters
- Ezra 7:22 About 600 gallons or 2,271 liters
- Ezra 7:22 Lit without instruction
- Ezra 7:23 Lit from the command of
- Ezra 7:26 Or fines
- Ezra 7:28 Lit heads
- Ezra 8:5 As in LXX; MT omits Zattu
- Ezra 8:10 As in LXX; MT omits Bani
- Ezra 8:13 Or Jeuel
- Ezra 8:14 Or Zakkur
- Ezra 8:14 Or him
- Ezra 8:16 Lit heads
- Ezra 8:17 Lit head
- Ezra 8:17 Lit put words in their mouth to say
- Ezra 8:17 As in LXX; MT Iddo his brother
- Ezra 8:19 As in LXX; MT with him Jeshaiah
- Ezra 8:21 Lit smooth way
- Ezra 8:22 Lit help
- Ezra 8:22 Lit upon all...for good
- Ezra 8:23 Lit was entreated by us
- Ezra 8:26 About 24 tons or 22 metric tons
- Ezra 8:26 About 3.75 tons or 3.4 metric tons
- Ezra 8:27 A coin weighing about 0.25 oz. or 7 gm
- Ezra 8:28 Or freewill offering
Luke 20
New Living Translation
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people and preaching the Good News in the Temple, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 2 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
3 “Let me ask you a question first,” he replied. 4 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”
5 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 6 But if we say it was merely human, the people will stone us because they are convinced John was a prophet.” 7 So they finally replied that they didn’t know.
8 And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Parable of the Evil Farmers
9 Now Jesus turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and moved to another country to live for several years. 10 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers attacked the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 11 So the owner sent another servant, but they also insulted him, beat him up, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 A third man was sent, and they wounded him and chased him away.
13 “‘What will I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son, they said to each other, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 15 So they dragged him out of the vineyard and murdered him.
“What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to them?” Jesus asked. 16 “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others.”
“How terrible that such a thing should ever happen,” his listeners protested.
17 Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does this Scripture mean?
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.’[a]
18 Everyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.”
19 The teachers of religious law and the leading priests wanted to arrest Jesus immediately because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the people’s reaction.
Taxes for Caesar
20 Watching for their opportunity, the leaders sent spies pretending to be honest men. They tried to get Jesus to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor so he would arrest Jesus. 21 “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you speak and teach what is right and are not influenced by what others think. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Now tell us—is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their trickery and said, 24 “Show me a Roman coin.[b] Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 “Well then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
26 So they failed to trap him by what he said in front of the people. Instead, they were amazed by his answer, and they became silent.
Discussion about Resurrection
27 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. 28 They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.[c] 29 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 30 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. 31 Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children. 32 Finally, the woman also died. 33 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”
34 Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. 35 But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. 36 And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.
37 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord[d] as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[e] 38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”
39 “Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. 40 And then no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
41 Then Jesus presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that the Messiah is said to be the son of David? 42 For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
43 until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.’[f]
44 Since David called the Messiah ‘Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”
45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46 “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and love to receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 47 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be severely punished.”
Luke 20
New American Standard Bible
Jesus’ Authority Questioned
20 (A)On one of the days while (B)He was teaching the people in the temple and (C)preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders (D)confronted Him, 2 and they declared, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority You are doing these things, or who is the one who gave You this authority?” 3 But He replied to them, “I will also ask you a [a]question, and you tell Me: 4 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” 5 They discussed among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us to death, since they are convinced that John was a (E)prophet.” 7 And so they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”
Parable of the Vine-growers
9 (F)But He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and leased it to [b]vine-growers, and went on a journey for a long time. 10 At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, so that they would give him his share of the produce of the vineyard; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he proceeded to send another slave; but they beat him also and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he proceeded to send a third; but this one too they wounded and threw out. 13 Now the [c]owner of the vineyard said, ‘What am I to do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will (G)respect him.’ 14 But when the vine-growers saw him, they discussed with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 And so they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What, then, will the [d]owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and (H)put these vine-growers to death, and will give the vineyard to others.” However, when they heard this, they said, “(I)May it never happen!” 17 But [e]Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what is this statement that has been written:
18 (L)Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
19 The scribes and the chief priests (M)tried to lay hands on Him that very hour, and yet they feared the people; for they were aware that He had spoken this parable against them. 20 (N)And so they watched Him [g]closely, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, in order (O)that they might catch Him in some statement, so that they could hand Him over to the jurisdiction and authority of (P)the governor. 21 And the spies questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, we know that You speak and teach correctly, and You [h]are not partial to anyone, but You teach the way of God on the basis of truth. 22 Is it [i]permissible for us (Q)to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” 23 But He saw through their trickery and said to them, 24 “Show Me a [j]denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 And He said to them, “Then (R)pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were unable to (S)catch Him in a statement in the presence of the people; and they were amazed at His answer, and said nothing.
Is There a Resurrection?
27 (T)Now some of the (U)Sadducees (who maintain that there is no resurrection) came to Him, 28 and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that (V)if [k]a man’s brother dies, [l]leaving a wife, and he is childless, that his brother is to [m]marry the wife and raise up children [n]for his brother. 29 So then, there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless; 30 and the second 31 and the third [o]married her; and in the same way [p]all seven [q]died, leaving no children. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 Therefore, in the resurrection, [r]which one’s wife does the woman become? For [s]all seven [t]married her.”
34 Jesus said to them, “The sons of (W)this age marry and the women are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to (X)that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for they cannot even die anymore, for they are like angels, and are (Y)sons of God, being [u]sons of the resurrection. 37 But as for the fact that the dead are raised, even Moses revealed this in (Z)the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord (AA)the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 (AB)Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for (AC)all live to Him.” 39 Some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” 40 For (AD)they did not have the courage to question Him any longer about anything.
41 (AE)But He said to them, “How is it that they say the [v]Christ is (AF)David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms,
‘(AG)The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
43 (AH)Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’
44 Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and so how is He his son?”
45 (AI)And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, (AJ)who like to walk around in long robes, and love personal greetings in the marketplaces, and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 47 who [w]devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation.”
Footnotes
- Luke 20:3 Lit word
- Luke 20:9 Or tenant farmers, also vv 10, 14, 16
- Luke 20:13 Lit lord
- Luke 20:15 Lit lord
- Luke 20:17 Lit He
- Luke 20:17 Lit head of the corner
- Luke 20:20 Or maliciously
- Luke 20:21 Lit do not receive a face
- Luke 20:22 I.e., by Jewish law and tradition
- Luke 20:24 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Luke 20:28 Lit someone’s brother
- Luke 20:28 Lit having
- Luke 20:28 Lit take
- Luke 20:28 I.e., as his brother’s heir
- Luke 20:31 Lit took
- Luke 20:31 Lit the seven also
- Luke 20:31 Lit left no children, and died
- Luke 20:33 Lit of which of them
- Luke 20:33 Lit the seven
- Luke 20:33 Lit had her as wife
- Luke 20:36 I.e., participants in
- Luke 20:41 I.e., Messiah
- Luke 20:47 I.e., misappropriate their property
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.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
