Luke 20
Complete Jewish Bible
20 One day, as Yeshua was teaching the people at the Temple, making known the Good News, the head cohanim and the Torah-teachers, along with the elders, came up to him 2 and said, “Tell us, what s’mikhah do you have that authorizes you to do these things? Who gave you this s’mikhah?” 3 He answered, “I too will ask you a question. Tell me, 4 the immersion of Yochanan — was it from Heaven or from a human source?” 5 They discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From Heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From a human source,’ all the people will stone us, because they’re convinced that Yochanan was a prophet.” 7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it came from.” 8 Yeshua said to them, “Then I won’t tell you by what s’mikhah I do these things.”
9 Next Yeshua told the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to tenant-farmers and went away for a long time. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants to receive his share of the crop from the vineyard; but the tenants beat him up and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant; they beat him too, insulted him and sent him away empty-handed. 12 He sent yet a third; this one they wounded and threw out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What am I to do? I will send my son, whom I love; maybe they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours!’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and put an end to those tenants and give the vineyard to others!” When the people heard this, they said, “Heaven forbid!” 17 But Yeshua looked searchingly at them and said, “Then what is this which is written in the Tanakh,
‘The very rock which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?[a]
18 Whoever falls on that stone will be broken in pieces; but if it falls on him, he will be crushed to powder!”
19 The Torah-teachers and the head cohanim would have seized him at that very moment, because they knew that he had aimed this parable at them, but they were afraid of the people.
20 So they kept a close watch on the situation. They sent spies who hypocritically represented themselves as righteous, so that they might seize hold of something Yeshua said, as an excuse to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor. 21 They put to him this sh’eilah: “Rabbi, we know that you speak and teach straightforwardly, showing no partiality but really teaching what God’s way is. 22 Does Torah permit us to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor or not?” 23 But he, spotting their craftiness, said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius! Whose name and picture does it have?” “The Emperor’s,” they replied. 25 “Then,” he said to them, “give the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor. And give God what belongs to God!” 26 They were unable to trap him by anything he said publicly; indeed, amazed at his answer, they fell silent.
27 Some Tz’dukim, who say there is no resurrection, came to Yeshua 28 and put to him a sh’eilah: “Rabbi, Moshe wrote for us that if a man dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother must take the wife and have children to preserve the man’s family line.[b] 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless, 30 then the second 31 and third took her, and likewise all seven, but they all died without leaving children. 32 Lastly, the woman also died. 33 In the Resurrection, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven were married to her.”
34 Yeshua said to them, “In this age, men and women marry; 35 but those judged worthy of the age to come, and of resurrection from the dead, do not get married, 36 because they can no longer die. Being children of the Resurrection, they are like angels; indeed, they are children of God.
37 “But even Moshe showed that the dead are raised; for in the passage about the bush, he calls Adonai ‘the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov.’[c] 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living — to him all are alive.”
39 Some of the Torah-teachers answered, “Well spoken, Rabbi.” 40 For they no longer dared put to him a sh’eilah. 41 But he said to them, “How is it that people say the Messiah is David’s son?” 42 For David himself says in the book of Psalms,
43 ‘Adonai said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’[d]
44 David thus calls him ‘Lord.’ So how can he be David’s son?”
45 Within the hearing of all the people, Yeshua said to his talmidim, 46 “Watch out for the kind of Torah-teachers that like to walk around in robes and be greeted deferentially in the marketplaces, the kind that like to have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets, 47 the kind that swallow up widows’ houses while making a show of davvening at great length. Their punishment will be all the worse!”
Footnotes
- Luke 20:17 Psalm 118:22
- Luke 20:28 Deuteronomy 25:5
- Luke 20:37 Exodus 3:6
- Luke 20:43 Psalm 110:1
Luke 20
New King James Version
Jesus’ Authority Questioned(A)
20 Now (B)it happened on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, that the chief priests and the scribes, together with the elders, confronted Him 2 and spoke to Him, saying, “Tell us, (C)by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is he who gave You this authority?”
3 But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: 4 The (D)baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”
5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why [a]then did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, (E)for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers(F)
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: (G)“A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to [b]vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. 10 Now at [c]vintage-time he (H)sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ 14 But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the (I)heir. Come, (J)let us kill him, that the inheritance may be (K)ours.’ 15 So they cast him out of the vineyard and (L)killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to (M)others.”
And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”
17 Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
(N)‘The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone’?
18 Whoever falls on that stone will be (O)broken; but (P)on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”
19 And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they [d]feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.
The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?(Q)
20 (R)So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
21 Then they asked Him, saying, (S)“Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, [e]“Why do you test Me? 24 Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?”
They answered and said, “Caesar’s.”
25 And He said to them, (T)“Render[f] therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.
The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?(U)
27 (V)Then some of the Sadducees, (W)who deny that there is a resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 28 saying: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second [g]took her as wife, and he died childless. 31 Then the third took her, and in like manner the seven [h]also; and they left no children, and died. 32 Last of all the woman died also. 33 Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had her as wife.”
34 Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are (X)counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 nor can they die anymore, for (Y)they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, (Z)being sons of the resurrection. 37 But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord (AA)‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 38 For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for (AB)all live to Him.”
39 Then some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” 40 But after that they dared not question Him anymore.
Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?(AC)
41 And He said to them, (AD)“How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David? 42 Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms:
(AE)‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
43 Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’
44 Therefore David calls Him ‘Lord’; (AF)how is He then his Son?”
Beware of the Scribes(AG)
45 (AH)Then, in the hearing of all the people, He said to His disciples, 46 (AI)“Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, (AJ)love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, 47 (AK)who devour widows’ houses, and for a (AL)pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”
Footnotes
- Luke 20:5 NU, M omit then
- Luke 20:9 tenant farmers
- Luke 20:10 Lit. the season
- Luke 20:19 M were afraid—for
- Luke 20:23 NU omits Why do you test Me?
- Luke 20:25 Pay
- Luke 20:30 NU omits the rest of v. 30.
- Luke 20:31 NU, M also left no children
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
