Mark 12:13-17
English Standard Version
Paying Taxes to Caesar
13 (A)And they sent to him some of (B)the Pharisees and some of (C)the Herodians, to (D)trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, (E)we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For (F)you are not swayed by appearances,[a] but truly teach (G)the way of God. Is it lawful to pay (H)taxes to (I)Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing (J)their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why (K)put me to the test? Bring me (L)a denarius[b] and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” 17 Jesus said to them, (M)“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 12:14 Greek you do not look at people's faces
- Mark 12:15 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer
Mark 12:38-44
English Standard Version
Beware of the Scribes
38 (A)And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and (B)the places of honor at feasts, 40 (C)who devour widows' houses and (D)for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
The Widow's Offering
41 (E)And he sat down opposite (F)the treasury and watched the people (G)putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two (H)small copper coins, which make a penny.[a] 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, (I)this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her (J)poverty has put in everything she had, all (K)she had to live on.”
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 12:42 Greek two lepta, which make a kodrantes; a kodrantes (Latin quadrans) was a Roman copper coin worth about 1/64 of a denarius (which was a day's wage for a laborer)
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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