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Job’s Eighth Speech: A Response to Eliphaz

23 Then Job spoke again:

“My complaint today is still a bitter one,
    and I try hard not to groan aloud.
If only I knew where to find God,
    I would go to his court.
I would lay out my case
    and present my arguments.
Then I would listen to his reply
    and understand what he says to me.
Would he use his great power to argue with me?
    No, he would give me a fair hearing.
Honest people can reason with him,
    so I would be forever acquitted by my judge.
I go east, but he is not there.
    I go west, but I cannot find him.
I do not see him in the north, for he is hidden.
    I look to the south, but he is concealed.

10 “But he knows where I am going.
    And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold.
11 For I have stayed on God’s paths;
    I have followed his ways and not turned aside.
12 I have not departed from his commands,
    but have treasured his words more than daily food.
13 But once he has made his decision, who can change his mind?
    Whatever he wants to do, he does.
14 So he will do to me whatever he has planned.
    He controls my destiny.
15 No wonder I am so terrified in his presence.
    When I think of it, terror grips me.
16 God has made me sick at heart;
    the Almighty has terrified me.
17 Darkness is all around me;
    thick, impenetrable darkness is everywhere.

Job Asks Why the Wicked Are Not Punished

24 “Why doesn’t the Almighty bring the wicked to judgment?
    Why must the godly wait for him in vain?
Evil people steal land by moving the boundary markers.
    They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures.
They take the orphan’s donkey
    and demand the widow’s ox as security for a loan.
The poor are pushed off the path;
    the needy must hide together for safety.
Like wild donkeys in the wilderness,
    the poor must spend all their time looking for food,
    searching even in the desert for food for their children.
They harvest a field they do not own,
    and they glean in the vineyards of the wicked.
All night they lie naked in the cold,
    without clothing or covering.
They are soaked by mountain showers,
    and they huddle against the rocks for want of a home.

“The wicked snatch a widow’s child from her breast,
    taking the baby as security for a loan.
10 The poor must go about naked, without any clothing.
    They harvest food for others while they themselves are starving.
11 They press out olive oil without being allowed to taste it,
    and they tread in the winepress as they suffer from thirst.
12 The groans of the dying rise from the city,
    and the wounded cry for help,
    yet God ignores their moaning.

13 “Wicked people rebel against the light.
    They refuse to acknowledge its ways
    or stay in its paths.
14 The murderer rises in the early dawn
    to kill the poor and needy;
    at night he is a thief.
15 The adulterer waits for the twilight,
    saying, ‘No one will see me then.’
    He hides his face so no one will know him.
16 Thieves break into houses at night
    and sleep in the daytime.
    They are not acquainted with the light.
17 The black night is their morning.
    They ally themselves with the terrors of the darkness.

18 “But they disappear like foam down a river.
    Everything they own is cursed,
    and they are afraid to enter their own vineyards.
19 The grave[a] consumes sinners
    just as drought and heat consume snow.
20 Their own mothers will forget them.
    Maggots will find them sweet to eat.
No one will remember them.
    Wicked people are broken like a tree in the storm.
21 They cheat the woman who has no son to help her.
    They refuse to help the needy widow.

22 “God, in his power, drags away the rich.
    They may rise high, but they have no assurance of life.
23 They may be allowed to live in security,
    but God is always watching them.
24 And though they are great now,
    in a moment they will be gone like all others,
    cut off like heads of grain.
25 Can anyone claim otherwise?
    Who can prove me wrong?”

Footnotes

  1. 24:19 Hebrew Sheol.

Job Says He Longs for God

23 Then Job responded,

“Even today my (A)complaint is rebellion;
[a]His hand is (B)heavy despite my groaning.
Oh that I knew how to find Him,
That I might come to His home!
I would (C)present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
I would learn the words which He would [b]answer,
And perceive what He would tell me.
Would He contend with me by (D)the greatness of His power?
No, surely He would pay attention to me.
There the upright would (E)argue with Him;
And I [c]would be (F)free of my Judge forever.

“Behold, I go forward but He is not there,
And backward, but I (G)cannot perceive Him;
When He acts on the left, I cannot see Him;
He turns to the right, but I cannot see Him.
10 But He knows the [d]way I take;
When He has (H)put me to the test, I will come out as gold.
11 My foot has (I)held on to His path;
I have kept His way and not turned aside.
12 I have not [e]failed the command of His lips;
I have treasured the (J)words of His mouth [f]more than my [g]necessary food.
13 But He is unique, and who can [h]make Him turn?
Whatever His soul desires, He does it.
14 For He carries out what is destined for me,
And many such destinies are with Him.
15 Therefore, I would be terrified at His presence;
When I consider this, I am frightened of Him.
16 It is God who has made my (K)heart faint,
And the Almighty who has terrified me,
17 But I (L)am not destroyed by darkness,
Nor by (M)deep gloom which covers me.

Job Says God Seems to Ignore Wrongs

24 (N)Why are [i]times not stored up by the Almighty,
And why do those who know Him not see (O)His [j]days?
People (P)remove landmarks;
They seize and [k]devour flocks.
They drive away the donkeys of (Q)orphans;
They seize the (R)widow’s ox as a pledge.
They push (S)the needy aside from the road;
The (T)poor of the land have to hide themselves together.
Behold, like (U)wild donkeys in the wilderness
They (V)go out scavenging for food in their activity,
As [l]bread for their children in the desert.
They harvest their feed in the field
And glean the vineyard of the wicked.
(W)They spend the night naked, without clothing,
And have no covering against the cold.
They are wet from the mountain rains,
And they hug the rock for lack of a shelter.
Others snatch an (X)orphan from the breast,
And they seize it as a pledge against the poor.
10 The poor move about naked without clothing,
And they carry sheaves, while going hungry.
11 Within the walls they produce oil;
They tread wine presses but go thirsty.
12 From the city people groan,
And the souls of the wounded cry for help;
Yet God (Y)does not pay attention to the offensiveness.

13 [m]Others have been with those who rebel against the light;
They do not want to know its ways
Nor stay in its paths.
14 The murderer (Z)arises at dawn;
He (AA)kills the poor and the needy,
And at night he is like a thief.
15 The eye of the (AB)adulterer watches for [n]twilight,
Saying, ‘No eye will see me.’
And he [o]disguises his face.
16 In the darkness they (AC)dig into houses,
They (AD)shut themselves up by day;
They do not know the light.
17 For the morning is the same to him as thick darkness,
For he is familiar with the (AE)terrors of thick darkness.

18 “They are [p](AF)insignificant on the surface of the water;
Their plot of land on the earth is (AG)cursed.
They do not turn [q]toward the (AH)vineyards.
19 Dryness and heat (AI)snatch away the snow waters,
As [r](AJ)Sheol snatches those who have sinned.
20 A [s](AK)mother will forget him;
The (AL)maggot feeds sweetly until he is (AM)no longer remembered.
And injustice will be broken (AN)like a tree.
21 He wrongs the [t]infertile woman,
And does no good for (AO)the widow.
22 But He drags off the mighty by (AP)His power;
He rises, but (AQ)no one has assurance of life.
23 He provides them (AR)with security, and they are supported;
And His (AS)eyes are on their ways.
24 They are exalted a (AT)little while, then they are gone;
Moreover, they are (AU)brought low, and like everything they are gathered up;
Like the heads of grain they wither.
25 Now if it is not so, (AV)who can prove me a liar,
And make my speech worthless?”

Footnotes

  1. Job 23:2 As in LXX and Syriac; MT My
  2. Job 23:5 Lit answer me
  3. Job 23:7 Or bring forth my justice forever
  4. Job 23:10 Lit way with me
  5. Job 23:12 Lit ceased from
  6. Job 23:12 Or with some ancient versions, in my breast
  7. Job 23:12 Lit prescribed portion
  8. Job 23:13 Or deprive Him of anything
  9. Job 24:1 I.e., of judgment for the wicked
  10. Job 24:1 I.e., of judgment for the wicked
  11. Job 24:2 Or pasture
  12. Job 24:5 Lit his bread
  13. Job 24:13 Lit They
  14. Job 24:15 Lit the twilight
  15. Job 24:15 Or puts a covering on his face
  16. Job 24:18 Or light; or swift
  17. Job 24:18 Lit to the path of
  18. Job 24:19 I.e., the netherworld
  19. Job 24:20 Lit womb
  20. Job 24:21 Lit infertile who does not bear

Jesus’ Triumphant Entry

11 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the towns of Bethphage and Bethany on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. “Go into that village over there,” he told them. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a young donkey tied there that no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks, ‘What are you doing?’ just say, ‘The Lord needs it and will return it soon.’”

The two disciples left and found the colt standing in the street, tied outside the front door. As they were untying it, some bystanders demanded, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” They said what Jesus had told them to say, and they were permitted to take it. Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments over it, and he sat on it.

Many in the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others spread leafy branches they had cut in the fields. Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,

“Praise God![a]
    Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
10 Blessings on the coming Kingdom of our ancestor David!
    Praise God in highest heaven!”[b]

11 So Jesus came to Jerusalem and went into the Temple. After looking around carefully at everything, he left because it was late in the afternoon. Then he returned to Bethany with the twelve disciples.

Jesus Curses the Fig Tree

12 The next morning as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 He noticed a fig tree in full leaf a little way off, so he went over to see if he could find any figs. But there were only leaves because it was too early in the season for fruit. 14 Then Jesus said to the tree, “May no one ever eat your fruit again!” And the disciples heard him say it.

Jesus Clears the Temple

15 When they arrived back in Jerusalem, Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out the people buying and selling animals for sacrifices. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves, 16 and he stopped everyone from using the Temple as a marketplace.[c] 17 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer for all nations,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves.”[d]

18 When the leading priests and teachers of religious law heard what Jesus had done, they began planning how to kill him. But they were afraid of him because the people were so amazed at his teaching.

19 That evening Jesus and the disciples left[e] the city.

20 The next morning as they passed by the fig tree he had cursed, the disciples noticed it had withered from the roots up. 21 Peter remembered what Jesus had said to the tree on the previous day and exclaimed, “Look, Rabbi! The fig tree you cursed has withered and died!”

22 Then Jesus said to the disciples, “Have faith in God. 23 I tell you the truth, you can say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. But you must really believe it will happen and have no doubt in your heart. 24 I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you’ve received it, it will be yours. 25 But when you are praying, first forgive anyone you are holding a grudge against, so that your Father in heaven will forgive your sins, too.[f]

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

27 Again they entered Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking through the Temple area, the leading priests, the teachers of religious law, and the elders came up to him. 28 They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right to do them?”

29 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. 30 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!”

31 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John. 32 But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet. 33 So they finally replied, “We don’t know.”

And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Parable of the Evil Farmers

12 Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’

“But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.

“What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” Jesus asked. “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. 10 Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
11 This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.’[g]

12 The religious leaders[h] wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.

Taxes for Caesar

13 Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”

Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin,[i] and I’ll tell you.” 16 When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

His reply completely amazed them.

Discussion about Resurrection

18 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 19 “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.[j] 20 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 21 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. 22 This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. 23 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

24 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 25 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.

26 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses,[k] ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[l] 27 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.”

The Most Important Commandment

28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’[m] 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[n] No other commandment is greater than these.”

32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”

34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

35 Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, “Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said,

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

37 Since David himself called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with great delight.

38 Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. 39 And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 40 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 more severely punished.”

The Widow’s Offering

41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.[p]

43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”

Footnotes

  1. 11:9 Greek Hosanna, an exclamation of praise that literally means “save now”; also in 11:10.
  2. 11:9-10 Pss 118:25-26; 148:1.
  3. 11:16 Or from carrying merchandise through the Temple.
  4. 11:17 Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11.
  5. 11:19 Greek they left; other manuscripts read he left.
  6. 11:25 Some manuscripts add verse 26, But if you refuse to forgive, your Father in heaven will not forgive your sins. Compare Matt 6:15.
  7. 12:10-11 Ps 118:22-23.
  8. 12:12 Greek They.
  9. 12:15 Greek a denarius.
  10. 12:19 See Deut 25:5-6.
  11. 12:26a Greek in the story of the bush? God said to him.
  12. 12:26b Exod 3:6.
  13. 12:29-30 Deut 6:4-5.
  14. 12:31 Lev 19:18.
  15. 12:36 Ps 110:1.
  16. 12:42 Greek two lepta, which is a kodrantes [i.e., a quadrans].

The Triumphal Entry

11 (A)And as they *approached Jerusalem, at Bethphage and (B)Bethany, near (C)the Mount of Olives, He *sent two of His disciples, and *said to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately as you enter it you will find a colt tied there, on which no one has ever sat; untie it and bring it here. And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it’; and immediately he [a]will send it back here.” They went away and found a colt tied at the door, outside in the street; and they *untied it. And some of the bystanders were saying to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” And they told them just as Jesus had said, and they gave them permission. (D)They *brought the colt to Jesus and *put their cloaks on it; and He sat on it. And many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches which they had cut from the fields. And those who went in front and those who followed were shouting:

[b]Hosanna!
(E)Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord;
10 Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David;
[c]Hosanna (F)in the highest!”

11 (G)And Jesus entered Jerusalem and came into the temple area; and after looking around at everything, (H)He left for Bethany with the twelve, since it was already late.

12 (I)On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13 Seeing from a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14 And He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening.

Jesus Drives Money Changers from the Temple

15 (J)Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling [d]doves; 16 and He would not allow anyone to carry [e]merchandise through the temple grounds. 17 And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written: ‘(K)My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? (L)But you have made it a den of robbers.” 18 And the chief priests and the scribes heard this, and they (M)began seeking how to put Him to death; for they were afraid of Him, because all (N)the crowd was astonished at His teaching.

19 And (O)whenever evening came, [f]they would leave the city.

20 (P)As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21 And being reminded, Peter *said to Him, “(Q)Rabbi, look, the fig tree that You cursed has withered.” 22 And Jesus answered and *said to them, (R)Have faith in God. 23 (S)Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted to him. 24 Therefore, I say to you, (T)all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you. 25 And whenever you (U)stand praying, (V)forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you for your [g]offenses. 26 [[h](W)But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your [i]offenses.”]

Jesus’ Authority Questioned

27 And they *came again to Jerusalem. (X)And as He was walking in the temple area, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders *came to Him, 28 and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?” 29 But Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30 Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men? Answer Me.” 31 And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 32 But should we say, ‘From men’?”—they were afraid of the [j]people, for they all considered John to have been a real prophet. 33 Answering Jesus, they *said, “We do not know.” And Jesus *said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.”

Parable of the Vine-growers

12 (Y)And He began to speak to them in parables: (Z)A man (AA)planted a vineyard and put a [k]fence around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and leased it to [l]vine-growers and went on a journey. And at the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive his share of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. And again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. He had one more man to send, a beloved son; he sent him to them last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ And they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What will the [m]owner of the vineyard do? He will come and put the vine-growers to death, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not even read this Scripture:

(AB)A stone which the builders rejected,
This has become the [n]chief cornerstone;
11 (AC)This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 (AD)And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the [o]people, for they understood that He told the parable against them. And so (AE)they left Him and went away.

Jesus Answers the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes

13 (AF)Then they *sent some of the Pharisees and (AG)Herodians to Him in order to (AH)trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and *said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and [p]do not care what anyone thinks; for You [q]are not partial to anyone, but You teach the way of God in truth. Is it [r]permissible to pay a [s]poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 Are we to pay, or not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a [t]denarius to look at.” 16 And they brought one. And He *said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, (AI)Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at Him.

18 (AJ)Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) *came to [u]Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that (AK)if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and does not leave a child, his brother is to [v]marry the wife and raise up [w]children for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. 21 The second one [x]married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; 22 and so the seven together left no children. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, which one’s wife will she be? For each of the seven had her as his wife.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not [y]understand the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 But [z]regarding the fact that the dead rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, (AL)in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘(AM)I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 (AN)He is not the God [aa]of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

28 (AO)One of the scribes came up and heard them arguing, and (AP)recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the [ab]foremost of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The [ac]foremost is, ‘(AQ)Hear, Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one; 30 (AR)and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘(AS)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher; You have truly stated that (AT)He is One, and there is no other besides Him; 33 (AU)and to love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, (AV)is much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (AW)And then, no one dared any longer to question Him.

35 (AX)And Jesus responded and began saying, as He (AY)taught in the temple area, “How is it that the scribes say that the [ad]Christ is the (AZ)son of David? 36 David himself said [ae]in the Holy Spirit,

(BA)The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies under Your feet.”’

37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And (BB)the large crowd [af]enjoyed listening to Him.

38 (BC)And in His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like (BD)personal greetings in the marketplaces, 39 and seats of honor in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets, 40 (BE)who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive all the more condemnation.”

The Widow’s Coins

41 (BF)And Jesus sat down opposite (BG)the treasury, and began watching how the [ag]people were (BH)putting [ah]money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large amounts. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two [ai]lepta coins, which amount to a [aj]quadrans. 43 Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all [ak]the contributors to the treasury; 44 for they all put in out of their [al]surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, [am]all she had (BI)to live on.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 11:3 Lit sends
  2. Mark 11:9 Aramaic for Save, we pray
  3. Mark 11:10 Aramaic for Save, we pray
  4. Mark 11:15 Lit the doves
  5. Mark 11:16 Lit a vessel; i.e., a receptacle or implement of any kind
  6. Mark 11:19 I.e., Jesus and His disciples
  7. Mark 11:25 Or wrongdoings
  8. Mark 11:26 Early mss do not contain this v
  9. Mark 11:26 Or wrongdoings
  10. Mark 11:32 Lit crowd
  11. Mark 12:1 Or hedge
  12. Mark 12:1 Or tenant farmers, also vv 2, 7, 9
  13. Mark 12:9 Lit lord
  14. Mark 12:10 Lit head of the corner
  15. Mark 12:12 Lit crowd
  16. Mark 12:14 Lit it is not a concern to You about anyone
  17. Mark 12:14 Lit do not look at the face of people
  18. Mark 12:14 I.e., by Jewish law and tradition
  19. Mark 12:14 I.e., a tax on each person in the census
  20. Mark 12:15 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
  21. Mark 12:18 Lit Him
  22. Mark 12:19 Lit take
  23. Mark 12:19 Lit seed, also vv 20-22
  24. Mark 12:21 Lit took
  25. Mark 12:24 Or know
  26. Mark 12:26 Lit concerning the dead, that they rise
  27. Mark 12:27 Or of corpses
  28. Mark 12:28 Or first
  29. Mark 12:29 Or first
  30. Mark 12:35 I.e., Messiah
  31. Mark 12:36 Or by
  32. Mark 12:37 Lit was gladly hearing Him
  33. Mark 12:41 Lit crowd was
  34. Mark 12:41 I.e., copper coins
  35. Mark 12:42 The smallest Greek copper coin, about 1/128 of a laborer’s daily wage
  36. Mark 12:42 A small Roman copper coin, worth about 1/64 of a laborer’s daily wage
  37. Mark 12:43 Lit those who were putting in
  38. Mark 12:44 Or abundance
  39. Mark 12:44 Lit her whole livelihood