Font Size
Mark 12
English Standard Version
Mark 12
English Standard Version
The Parable of the Tenants
12 (A)And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted (B)a vineyard (C)and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and (D)leased it to tenants and (E)went into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant[a] to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 (F)And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 (G)Again (H)he sent to them another servant, and (I)they struck him on the head and (J)treated him shamefully. 5 (K)And he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, (L)a beloved son. (M)Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, (N)‘This is the heir. Come, (O)let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and (P)threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? (Q)He will (R)come and destroy the tenants and (S)give the vineyard to others. 10 (T)Have you not read (U)this Scripture:
(V)“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;[b]
11 this was the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 And (W)they were seeking to arrest him (X)but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they (Y)left him and went away.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
13 (Z)And they sent to him some of (AA)the Pharisees and some of (AB)the Herodians, to (AC)trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, (AD)we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For (AE)you are not swayed by appearances,[c] but truly teach (AF)the way of God. Is it lawful to pay (AG)taxes to (AH)Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing (AI)their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why (AJ)put me to the test? Bring me (AK)a denarius[d] 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, (AL)“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.
The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
18 And (AM)Sadducees came to him, (AN)who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that (AO)if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man[e] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”
24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because (AP)you know neither the Scriptures nor (AQ)the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither (AR)marry nor (AS)are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, (AT)have you not read in (AU)the book of Moses, in (AV)the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, (AW)‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
The Great Commandment
28 (AX)And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, (AY)‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, (AZ)the Lord is one. 30 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 (BA)The second is this: (BB)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment (BC)greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that (BD)he is one, and (BE)there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all (BF)the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, (BG)is much more than all (BH)whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (BI)And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Whose Son Is the Christ?
35 (BJ)And as (BK)Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that (BL)the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, (BM)in the Holy Spirit, declared,
(BN)“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies (BO)under your feet.”’
37 David himself calls him Lord. So (BP)how is he his son?” And the great throng (BQ)heard him gladly.
Beware of the Scribes
38 (BR)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 (BS)the places of honor at feasts, 40 (BT)who devour widows' houses and (BU)for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
The Widow's Offering
41 (BV)And he sat down opposite (BW)the treasury and watched the people (BX)putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two (BY)small copper coins, which make a penny.[f] 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, (BZ)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 (CA)poverty has put in everything she had, all (CB)she had to live on.”
Footnotes
- Mark 12:2 Or bondservant; also verse 4
- Mark 12:10 Greek the head of the corner
- 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 12:19 Greek his brother
- 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)
Mark 12
1599 Geneva Bible
Mark 12
1599 Geneva Bible
12 Of the vineyard. 10 Christ the stone refused of the Jews. 12 Of tribute to be given to Caesar. 18 The Sadducees denying the resurrection. 28 The first commandment. 31 To love God and the neighbor is better than sacrifices. 36 Christ David’s son. 38 To beware of the Scribes and Pharisees. 42 The poor widow.
1 And [a]he began to speak unto them in [b]parables, (A)A certain man planted a vineyard, and compassed it with an hedge, and dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower in it, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a strange country.
2 [c]And at the time, he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive of the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
3 But they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
4 And again he sent unto them another servant, and at him they cast stones, and brake his head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
5 And again he sent another, and him they slew, and many others, beating some, and killing some.
6 Yet had he one son, his dear beloved: him also he sent the last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son.
7 But the husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.
8 So they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 What shall then the Lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and give the vineyard to others.
10 Have ye not read so much as this Scripture, (B)The stone which the builders did refuse, is made the head of the corner.
11 This was done of the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes.
12 Then they [d]went about to take him, but they feared the people: for they perceived that he spake that parable against them: therefore they left him, and went their way.
13 ¶ (C)[e]And they sent unto him certain of the Pharisees, and of the Herodians, that they might take him in his talk.
14 And when they came, they said unto him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou [f]considerest not the person of men, but teachest the [g]way of God truly, Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
15 Should we give it, or should we not give it? but he knew their hypocrisy, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me? Bring me a penny, that I may see it.
16 So they brought it, and he said unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? and they said unto him, Caesar’s.
17 Then Jesus answered, and said unto them, (D)Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, those that are God’s: and they marveled at him.
18 ¶ (E)[h]Then came the Sadducees unto him, (which say, there is no resurrection) and they asked him, saying,
19 Master, (F)Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, and leave his wife, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
20 There were seven brethren, and the first took a wife, and when he died, left no issue.
21 Then the second took her, and he died, neither did he yet leave issue, and the third likewise:
22 So these seven had her, and left no issue: last of all the wife died also.
23 In the resurrection then, when they shall rise again, whose wife shall she be of them? for seven had her to wife.
24 Then Jesus answered, and said unto them, Are ye not therefore deceived, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 For when they shall rise again from the dead, neither men marry, nor wives are married, but are as the Angels which are in heaven.
26 And as touching the dead, that they shall rise again, have ye not read in the book of Moses how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I (G)am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
27 God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Ye are therefore greatly deceived.
28 ¶ (H)[i]Then came one of the Scribes that had heard them disputing together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, he asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29 Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, (I)Hear, Israel, The Lord our God is the only Lord.
30 Thou shalt therefore love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, that is, (J)Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
32 Then that Scribe said unto him, Well, Master, thou hast said the truth, that there is one God, and that there is none but he,
33 And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34 Then when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that durst ask him any question.
35 ¶ (K)[j]And Jesus answered and said teaching in the Temple, How say the Scribes that Christ is the son of David?
36 For David himself said by [k]the holy Ghost, (L)The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
37 Then David himself calleth him Lord: by what means is he then his son? and much people heard him gladly.
38 (M)[l]Moreover he said unto them in [m]his doctrine, Beware of the Scribes which love to go in [n]long robes, and love salutations in the markets,
39 And the chief seats in the Synagogues, and the first rooms at feasts,
40 Which (N)devour widows’ houses, even under a color of long prayers. These shall receive the greater damnation.
41 (O)[o]And as Jesus sat over against the treasury, he beheld how the people [p]cast money into the treasury, and many rich men cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a quadrin.
43 Then he called unto him his disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury.
44 For they all did cast in of their superfluity: but she of her poverty did cast in all that she had, even all her living.
Footnotes
- Mark 12:1 The calling of God is not tied either to place, person, or time, without exception.
- Mark 12:1 This word Parable, which the Evangelists use, doth not only signify a comparing of things together, but also dark speeches and allegories.
- Mark 12:2 When the fruits of the ground used to be gathered.
- Mark 12:12 They were greedy and very desirous.
- Mark 12:13 The Gospel joineth the authority of the Magistrate with the service of God.
- Mark 12:14 Thou dost not so judge by outward appearance, that the truth is thereby darkened any whit at all.
- Mark 12:14 The way whereby we come to God.
- Mark 12:18 The resurrection of the body is avouched against the foolish ignorance and malice of the Sadducees.
- Mark 12:28 Sacrifices and outward worship, never pleased God, unless such necessary duties as we owe to God and our neighbors went afore.
- Mark 12:35 Christ proveth his Godhead even out of David himself, of whom he came according to the flesh.
- Mark 12:36 Word for word, in the holy Ghost, and there is a great force in this kind of speech, whereby is meant that it was not so much David, as the holy Ghost that spake, who did in a manner possess David.
- Mark 12:38 The manners of ministers are not rashly to be followed as an example.
- Mark 12:38 While he taught them.
- Mark 12:38 The word is a stole, which is a kind of woman’s garment, long even down to the heels, and is taken generally, for any garment made for comeliness, but in this place it seemeth to signify that fringed garment mentioned in Deut. 22:11.
- Mark 12:41 The doing of our duties, which God alloweth, is not esteemed according to the outward value, but to the inward affects of the heart.
- Mark 12:41 Money of any kind of metal, as the Romans used, who in the beginning did stamp or coin brass, and after used it for current money.
Mark 12
New International Version
Mark 12
New International Version
The Parable of the Tenants(A)
12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.(B) He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.
6 “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all,(C) saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:
“‘The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;(D)
11 the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?”(E)
12 Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd;(F) so they left him and went away.(G)
Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar(H)
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians(I) to Jesus to catch him(J) in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[b] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”(K)
And they were amazed at him.
Marriage at the Resurrection(L)
18 Then the Sadducees,(M) who say there is no resurrection,(N) came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.(O) 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection[c] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures(P) or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.(Q) 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[d]?(R) 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”
The Greatest Commandment(S)
28 One of the teachers of the law(T) came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[e] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[f](U) 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[g](V) There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.(W) 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(X)
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”(Y) And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.(Z)
Whose Son Is the Messiah?(AA)(AB)
35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts,(AC) he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?(AD) 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit,(AE) declared:
37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”
The large crowd(AG) listened to him with delight.
Warning Against the Teachers of the Law
38 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.(AH) 40 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
The Widow’s Offering(AI)
41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put(AJ) and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”(AK)
Footnotes
- Mark 12:11 Psalm 118:22,23
- Mark 12:14 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens
- Mark 12:23 Some manuscripts resurrection, when people rise from the dead,
- Mark 12:26 Exodus 3:6
- Mark 12:29 Or The Lord our God is one Lord
- Mark 12:30 Deut. 6:4,5
- Mark 12:31 Lev. 19:18
- Mark 12:36 Psalm 110:1
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV) 
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.