Luke 20:1-8

Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition

20 And it came to pass, that on one of the days, as he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes, with the ancients, met together,

²And spoke to him, saying: Tell us, by what authority dost thou these things? or, Who is he that hath given thee this authority?

³And Jesus answering, said to them: I will also ask you one thing. Answer me:

⁴The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?

⁵But they thought within themselves, saying: If we shall say, From heaven: he will say: Why then did you not believe him?

⁶But if we say, Of men, the whole people will stone us: for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.

⁷And they answered, that they knew not whence it was.

⁸And Jesus said to them: Neither do I tell thee by what authority I do these things.

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Luke 20:1-8

New International Version

The Authority of Jesus Questioned^(A)

20 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts^(B) and proclaiming the good news,^(C) the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. ²“Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?”^(D)

³He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: ⁴John’s baptism^(E)—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”

⁵They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people^(F) will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”^(G)

⁷So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”

⁸Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

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