Matthew 20-22
New Living Translation
Parable of the Vineyard Workers
20 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage[a] and sent them out to work.
3 “At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing.
6 “At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
7 “They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’
“The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’
8 “That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day’s wage. 11 When they received their pay, they protested to the owner, 12 ‘Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’
13 “He answered one of them, ‘Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? 14 Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. 15 Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?’
16 “So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last.”
Jesus Again Predicts His Death
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside privately and told them what was going to happen to him. 18 “Listen,” he said, “we’re going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man[b] will be betrayed to the leading priests and the teachers of religious law. They will sentence him to die. 19 Then they will hand him over to the Romans[c] to be mocked, flogged with a whip, and crucified. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”
Jesus Teaches about Serving Others
20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Jesus with her sons. She knelt respectfully to ask a favor. 21 “What is your request?” he asked.
She replied, “In your Kingdom, please let my two sons sit in places of honor next to you, one on your right and the other on your left.”
22 But Jesus answered by saying to them, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink from the bitter cup of suffering I am about to drink?”
“Oh yes,” they replied, “we are able!”
23 Jesus told them, “You will indeed drink from my bitter cup. But I have no right to say who will sit on my right or my left. My Father has prepared those places for the ones he has chosen.”
24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant. 25 But Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. 26 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. 28 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. 30 Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 “Be quiet!” the crowd yelled at them.
But they only shouted louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said, “we want to see!” 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.
Jesus’ Triumphant Entry
21 As Jesus and the disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two of them on ahead. 2 “Go into the village over there,” he said. “As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey tied there, with its colt beside it. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone asks what you are doing, just say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will immediately let you take them.”
4 This took place to fulfill the prophecy that said,
5 “Tell the people of Jerusalem,[d]
‘Look, your King is coming to you.
He is humble, riding on a donkey—
riding on a donkey’s colt.’”[e]
6 The two disciples did as Jesus commanded. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt to him and threw their garments over the colt, and he sat on it.[f]
8 Most of the crowd spread their garments on the road ahead of him, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 Jesus was in the center of the procession, and the people all around him were shouting,
“Praise God[g] for the Son of David!
Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
Praise God in highest heaven!”[h]
10 The entire city of Jerusalem was in an uproar as he entered. “Who is this?” they asked.
11 And the crowds replied, “It’s Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Jesus Clears the Temple
12 Jesus entered the Temple and began to drive out all the people buying and selling animals for sacrifice. He knocked over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 He said to them, “The Scriptures declare, ‘My Temple will be called a house of prayer,’ but you have turned it into a den of thieves!”[i]
14 The blind and the lame came to him in the Temple, and he healed them. 15 The leading priests and the teachers of religious law saw these wonderful miracles and heard even the children in the Temple shouting, “Praise God for the Son of David.”
But the leaders were indignant. 16 They asked Jesus, “Do you hear what these children are saying?”
“Yes,” Jesus replied. “Haven’t you ever read the Scriptures? For they say, ‘You have taught children and infants to give you praise.’[j]” 17 Then he returned to Bethany, where he stayed overnight.
Jesus Curses the Fig Tree
18 In the morning, as Jesus was returning to Jerusalem, he was hungry, 19 and he noticed a fig tree beside the road. He went over to see if there were any figs, but there were only leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” And immediately the fig tree withered up.
20 The disciples were amazed when they saw this and asked, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21 Then Jesus told them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and don’t doubt, you can do things like this and much more. You can even say to this mountain, ‘May you be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ and it will happen. 22 You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it.”
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
23 When Jesus returned to the Temple and began teaching, the leading priests and elders came up to him. They demanded, “By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?”
24 “I’ll tell you by what authority I do these things if you answer one question,” Jesus replied. 25 “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human?”
They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask us why we didn’t believe John. 26 But if we say it was merely human, we’ll be mobbed because the people believe John was a prophet.” 27 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 Two Sons
28 “But what do you think about this? A man with two sons told the older boy, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 The son answered, ‘No, I won’t go,’ but later he changed his mind and went anyway. 30 Then the father told the other son, ‘You go,’ and he said, ‘Yes, sir, I will.’ But he didn’t go.
31 “Which of the two obeyed his father?”
They replied, “The first.”[k]
Then Jesus explained his meaning: “I tell you the truth, corrupt tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the Kingdom of God before you do. 32 For John the Baptist came and showed you the right way to live, but you didn’t believe him, while tax collectors and prostitutes did. And even when you saw this happening, you refused to believe him and repent of your sins.
Parable of the Evil Farmers
33 “Now listen to another story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, 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. 34 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop. 35 But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. 36 So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.
37 “Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’
38 “But when the tenant farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 39 So they grabbed him, dragged him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.
40 “When the owner of the vineyard returns,” Jesus asked, “what do you think he will do to those farmers?”
41 The religious leaders replied, “He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest.”
42 Then Jesus asked them, “Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.’[l]
43 I tell you, the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit. 44 Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone it falls on.[m]”
45 When the leading priests and Pharisees heard this parable, they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. 46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, who considered Jesus to be a prophet.
Parable of the Great Feast
22 Jesus also told them other parables. He said, 2 “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. 3 When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!
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!’ 5 But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.
7 “The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. 8 And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. 9 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ 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 meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the proper clothes for a wedding. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 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.’
14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Taxes for Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16 They 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. 17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin,[n] 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.
Discussion about Resurrection
23 That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 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.’[o] 25 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. 26 But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. 27 Last of all, the woman also died. 28 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”
29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 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.
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,[p] 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[q] So he is the God of the living, not the dead.”
33 When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching.
The Most Important Commandment
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[r] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[s] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
41 Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
They replied, “He is the son of David.”
43 Jesus 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 in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’[t]
45 Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”
46 No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Footnotes
- 20:2 Greek a denarius, the payment for a full day’s labor; similarly in 20:9, 10, 13.
- 20:18 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself.
- 20:19 Greek the Gentiles.
- 21:5a Greek Tell the daughter of Zion. Isa 62:11.
- 21:5b Zech 9:9.
- 21:7 Greek over them, and he sat on them.
- 21:9a Greek Hosanna, an exclamation of praise that literally means “save now”; also in 21:9b, 15.
- 21:9b Pss 118:25-26; 148:1.
- 21:13 Isa 56:7; Jer 7:11.
- 21:16 Ps 8:2 (Greek version).
- 21:29-31 Other manuscripts read “The second.” In still other manuscripts the first son says “Yes” but does nothing, the second son says “No” but then repents and goes, and the answer to Jesus’ question is that the second son obeyed his father.
- 21:42 Ps 118:22-23.
- 21:44 This verse is not included in some early manuscripts. Compare Luke 20:18.
- 22:19 Greek a denarius.
- 22:24 Deut 25:5-6.
- 22:31 Greek read about this? God said.
- 22:32 Exod 3:6.
- 22:37 Deut 6:5.
- 22:39 Lev 19:18.
- 22:44 Ps 110:1.
Matthew 20-22
New American Standard Bible
Laborers in the Vineyard
20 “For (A)the kingdom of heaven is like [a]a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his (B)vineyard. 2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a [b]denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the [c]third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace; 4 and to those he said, ‘You go into the vineyard also, and whatever is right, I will give you.’ And so they went. 5 Again he went out about the [d]sixth and the ninth hour, and did [e]the same thing. 6 And about the [f]eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he *said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day long?’ 7 They *said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He *said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
8 “Now when (C)evening came, the [g]owner of the vineyard *said to his (D)foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, starting with the last group to the first.’ 9 When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a [h]denarius. 10 And so when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; [i]but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, 12 saying, ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day’s work and the (E)scorching heat.’ 13 But he answered and said to one of them, ‘(F)Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what is yours and go; but I want to give to this last person the same as to you. 15 Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with what is my own? Or is your (G)eye [j]envious because I am [k]generous?’ 16 So (H)the last shall be first, and the first, last.”
Death, Resurrection Foretold
17 (I)As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the road He said to them, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man (J)will be [l]handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, 19 and they (K)will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify, and on (L)the third day He will be raised up.”
Request for Preferred Treatment
20 (M)Then the mother of (N)the [m]sons of Zebedee came to [n]Jesus with her sons, (O)bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you desire?” She *said to Him, “Say that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine (P)shall sit, one at Your right, and one at Your left.” 22 But Jesus replied, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able (Q)to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” 23 He *said to them, “(R)My cup you shall drink; but to sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, (S)but it is for those for whom it has been (T)prepared by My Father.”
24 And after hearing this, the other ten disciples became indignant with the two brothers. 25 (U)But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles domineer over them, and [o]those in high position exercise authority over them. 26 It [p]is not this way among you, (V)but whoever wants to become [q]prominent among you shall be your servant, 27 and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your slave; 28 just as (W)the Son of Man (X)did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His [r]life as a ransom for many.”
Sight for Those Who Are Blind
29 (Y)As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 And two people who were blind, sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, (Z)have mercy on us, (AA)Son of David!” 31 But the crowd sternly warned them to be quiet; yet they cried out all the more, “Lord, (AB)Son of David, have mercy on us!” 32 And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They *said to Him, “Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.
The Triumphal Entry
21 (AC)When they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage, at (AD)the Mount of Olives, Jesus then sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with it. Untie them and bring them to Me. 3 And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them on immediately.” 4 Now (AE)this [s]took place so that what was spoken through [t]the prophet would be fulfilled:
5 “(AF)Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold your King is coming to you,
Humble, and mounted on a donkey,
Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
6 The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7 and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their cloaks on them; and He sat on [u]the cloaks. 8 Most of the crowd (AG)spread their cloaks on the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them on the road. 9 Now the crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting,
“[v]Hosanna to the (AH)Son of David;
(AI)Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord;
[w]Hosanna (AJ)in the highest!”
10 When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, “Who is this?” 11 And the crowds were saying, “This is (AK)Jesus the prophet, from (AL)Nazareth in Galilee.”
Cleansing the Temple
12 (AM)And Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the (AN)money changers and the seats of those who were selling (AO)doves. 13 And He *said to them, “It is written: ‘(AP)My house will be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a (AQ)den of robbers.”
14 And those who were blind and those who limped came to Him in the temple area, and (AR)He healed them. 15 But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple area, “[x]Hosanna to the (AS)Son of David,” they became indignant, 16 and they said to Him, “Do You hear what these children are saying?” And Jesus *said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘(AT)From the mouths of infants and nursing babies You have prepared praise for Yourself’?” 17 And He left them and went out of the city to (AU)Bethany, and spent the night there.
The Barren Fig Tree
18 (AV)Now in the early morning, when He was returning to the city, He became hungry. 19 And seeing a lone (AW)fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it except leaves alone; and He *said to it, “No longer shall there ever be any fruit from you.” And at once the fig tree withered.
20 Seeing this, the disciples were amazed and [y]asked, “How did the fig tree wither all at once?” 21 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Truly I say to you, (AX)if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ it will happen. 22 And (AY)whatever you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive it all.”
Authority Challenged
23 (AZ)When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him (BA)while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24 But Jesus responded and said to them, “I will also ask you one [z]question, which, if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John was from what source: from heaven or from men?” And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the [aa]people; for they all regard John as (BB)a prophet.” 27 And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.
Parable of Two Sons
28 “But what do you think? A man had two [ab]sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘[ac]Son, go work today in the (BC)vineyard.’ 29 But he replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went. 30 And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They *said, “The first.” Jesus *said to them, “Truly I say to you that (BD)the tax collectors and prostitutes [ad]will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but (BE)the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even [ae]have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him.
Parable of the Landowner
33 “Listen to another parable. (BF)There was a [af]landowner who (BG)planted a (BH)vineyard and put a [ag]fence around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and he leased it to [ah]vine-growers and (BI)went on a journey. 34 And when the [ai]harvest time approached, he (BJ)sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit. 35 And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again, he (BK)sent other slaves, more than the first; and they did the same things to them. 37 But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him and take possession of his inheritance!’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Therefore, when the [aj]owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41 They *said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and (BL)lease the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the fruit in the proper seasons.”
42 Jesus *said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,
‘(BM)A stone which the builders rejected,
This has become the [ak]chief cornerstone;
This came about from the Lord,
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a [al]people producing its fruit. 44 And (BN)the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46 And although they sought to arrest Him, they (BO)feared the crowds, since they considered Him to be a (BP)prophet.
Parable of the Marriage Feast
22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying, 2 “(BQ)The kingdom of heaven [am]is like [an]a king who [ao]held a (BR)wedding feast for his son. 3 And he (BS)sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast, and they were unwilling to come. 4 Again he (BT)sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened cattle are all butchered and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast!”’ 5 But they paid no attention and went their separate ways, one to his own [ap]farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his slaves and treated them abusively, and then killed them. 7 Now the king was angry, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire. 8 Then he *said to his slaves, ‘The wedding feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy. 9 So go to (BU)the main roads, and invite whomever you find there to the wedding feast.’ 10 Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good; and the wedding hall was filled with [aq]dinner guests.
11 “But when the king came in to look over the [ar]dinner guests, he saw (BV)a man there who was not dressed in wedding clothes, 12 and he *said to him, ‘(BW)Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ And the man was speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie his hands and feet, and throw him into (BX)the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place.’ 14 For many are [as](BY)called, but few are (BZ)chosen.”
Poll-tax to Caesar
15 (CA)Then the Pharisees went and [at]plotted together how they might trap Him [au]in what He said. 16 And they *sent their disciples to Him, along with the (CB)Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and [av]do not care what anyone thinks; for You [aw]are not partial to anyone. 17 Tell us then, what do You think? Is it [ax]permissible to pay a [ay](CC)poll-tax to (CD)Caesar, or not?” 18 But Jesus perceived their [az]malice, and said, “Why are you testing Me, you hypocrites? 19 Show Me the (CE)coin used for the poll-tax.” And they brought Him a [ba]denarius. 20 And He *said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” 21 They *said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He *said to them, “(CF)Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” 22 And hearing this, they were amazed; and (CG)they left Him and went away.
Jesus Answers the Sadducees
23 (CH)On that day some (CI)Sadducees (who say (CJ)there is no resurrection) came to [bb]Jesus and questioned Him, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘(CK)If a man dies having no children, his brother as next of kin shall marry his wife, and raise up [bc]children for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us; and the first married and died, and having no [bd]children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 It was the same also with the second brother, and the third, down to the seventh. 27 Last of all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her in marriage.”
29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, (CL)since you do not [be]understand the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither (CM)marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 32 ‘(CN)I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, (CO)they were astonished at His teaching.
34 (CP)But when the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced (CQ)the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 And one of them, [bf](CR)a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him: 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘(CS)You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and [bg]foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘(CT)You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 (CU)Upon these two commandments [bh]hang the whole Law and the Prophets.”
41 (CV)Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the [bi]Christ? Whose son is He?” They *said to Him, “(CW)The son of David.” 43 He *said to them, “Then [bj]how does David [bk](CX)in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,
44 ‘(CY)The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Until I put Your enemies under Your feet”’?
45 Therefore, if David calls Him ‘Lord,’ [bl]how is He his son?” 46 (CZ)No one was able to offer Him a word in answer, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him any more questions.
Footnotes
- Matthew 20:1 Lit a man, a landowner
- Matthew 20:2 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Matthew 20:3 I.e., 9 a.m.
- Matthew 20:5 I.e., noon and 3 p.m.
- Matthew 20:5 Lit similarly
- Matthew 20:6 I.e., 5 p.m.
- Matthew 20:8 Or lord
- Matthew 20:9 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Matthew 20:10 Lit each one a denarius
- Matthew 20:15 Lit evil
- Matthew 20:15 Lit good
- Matthew 20:18 Or betrayed
- Matthew 20:20 I.e., the apostles James and John
- Matthew 20:20 Lit Him
- Matthew 20:25 Lit the great ones
- Matthew 20:26 One early ms shall not be
- Matthew 20:26 Lit great
- Matthew 20:28 Or soul
- Matthew 21:4 Lit has happened
- Matthew 21:4 I.e., Zechariah
- Matthew 21:7 Lit them
- Matthew 21:9 Aramaic for Save, we pray
- Matthew 21:9 Aramaic for Save, we pray
- Matthew 21:15 Aramaic for Save, we pray
- Matthew 21:20 Lit said
- Matthew 21:24 Lit word
- Matthew 21:26 Lit crowd
- Matthew 21:28 Lit children
- Matthew 21:28 Lit Child
- Matthew 21:31 Lit are getting into
- Matthew 21:32 Or change your minds
- Matthew 21:33 Lit a man, head of a household
- Matthew 21:33 Or hedge
- Matthew 21:33 Or tenant farmers, also vv 34, 35, 38, 40
- Matthew 21:34 Lit the fruit season
- Matthew 21:40 Lit lord
- Matthew 21:42 Lit head of the corner
- Matthew 21:43 Lit nation
- Matthew 22:2 Lit has been compared to
- Matthew 22:2 Lit a man, a king
- Matthew 22:2 Lit made
- Matthew 22:5 Or field
- Matthew 22:10 Lit those reclining at the table
- Matthew 22:11 Lit those reclining at the table
- Matthew 22:14 Or invited
- Matthew 22:15 Lit took counsel
- Matthew 22:15 Lit in word
- Matthew 22:16 Lit it is not a concern to You about anyone;
- Matthew 22:16 Lit do not look at the face of people
- Matthew 22:17 Or lawful; i.e., by Jewish law and tradition
- Matthew 22:17 I.e., a tax on each person in the census
- Matthew 22:18 Or wickedness
- Matthew 22:19 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
- Matthew 22:23 Lit Him
- Matthew 22:24 Lit seed
- Matthew 22:25 Lit seed
- Matthew 22:29 Or know
- Matthew 22:35 I.e., an expert in the Mosaic Law
- Matthew 22:38 Or first
- Matthew 22:40 I.e., completely depend
- Matthew 22:42 I.e., Messiah
- Matthew 22:43 Or in what sense does
- Matthew 22:43 I.e., by inspiration
- Matthew 22:45 Or in what sense is
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.
