Luke 20
English Standard Version
The Authority of Jesus Challenged
20 (A)One day, (B)as Jesus[a] was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, (C)the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us (D)by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John (E)from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, (F)‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was (G)a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
9 (H)And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted (I)a vineyard and (J)let it out to tenants and (K)went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant[b] to the tenants, so that (L)they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. (M)But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 (N)And (O)he sent another servant. But they also beat and (P)treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 (Q)And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my (R)beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, (S)‘This is the heir. (T)Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they (U)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 (V)He will (W)come and destroy those tenants and (X)give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he (Y)looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:
18 (AA)Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls (AB)on anyone, it will crush him.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
19 (AC)The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 (AD)So they (AE)watched him and sent spies, who (AF)pretended to be sincere, that they might (AG)catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of (AH)the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and (AI)show no partiality,[d] but truly teach (AJ)the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give (AK)tribute to (AL)Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their (AM)craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me (AN)a denarius.[e] Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar's.” 25 He said to them, “Then (AO)render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people (AP)to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.
Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
27 There came to him (AQ)some Sadducees, (AR)those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us (AS)that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man[f] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”
34 And Jesus said to them, (AT)“The sons of this age (AU)marry and (AV)are given in marriage, 35 but those who are (AW)considered worthy to attain to (AX)that age and to the resurrection from the dead (AY)neither marry (AZ)nor are given in marriage, 36 for (BA)they cannot die anymore, because they are (BB)equal to angels and (BC)are (BD)sons of God, being (BE)sons[g] of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, (BF)even Moses showed, in (BG)the passage about the bush, where he calls (BH)the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all (BI)live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes (BJ)answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For (BK)they no longer dared to ask him any question.
Whose Son Is the Christ?
41 (BL)But he said to them, “How can they say that (BM)the Christ is (BN)David's son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,
(BO)“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
43 until I make your enemies (BP)your footstool.”’
44 David thus calls him Lord, so (BQ)how is he his son?”
Beware of the Scribes
45 (BR)And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and (BS)the places of honor at feasts, 47 (BT)who devour widows' houses and (BU)for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”
Footnotes
- Luke 20:1 Greek he
- Luke 20:10 Or bondservant; also verse 11
- Luke 20:17 Greek the head of the corner
- Luke 20:21 Greek and do not receive a face
- Luke 20:24 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer
- Luke 20:28 Greek his brother
- Luke 20:36 Greek huioi; see Preface
Luke 20
International Standard Version
Jesus’ Authority is Challenged(A)
20 One day, while Jesus[a] was teaching the people in the Temple and telling them the good news, the high priests and the scribes came with the elders 2 and asked him, “Tell us: By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
3 He answered them, “I, too, will ask you a question.[b] Tell me: 4 Was John’s authority to baptize[c] from heaven or from humans?”
5 They discussed this among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From humans,’ all the people will stone us to death, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they didn’t know where it was from.
8 Then Jesus told them, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I’m doing these things.”
The Parable about the Tenant Farmers(B)
9 Then he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went abroad for a long time. 10 At the right time he sent a servant to the farmers in order to get his share of the produce of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him back empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, and they beat him, too, treated him shamefully, and sent him back empty-handed. 12 Then he sent a third, and they wounded him and threw him out, too.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son whom I love. Maybe they’ll respect him.’ 14 But when the farmers saw him, they talked it over among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so that the inheritance will be ours!’ 15 So 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 destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others.”
Those who heard him said, “That must never happen!”
17 But Jesus[d] looked at them and asked, “What does this text mean:
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’?[e]
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
19 When the scribes and the high priests realized that Jesus[f] had told this parable about them, they wanted to arrest him right then, but they were afraid of the crowd.
A Question about Paying Taxes(C)
20 So they watched him closely and sent spies who pretended to be honest men in order to trap him in what he would say. They wanted to hand him over to the jurisdiction[g] of the governor, 21 so they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you’re right in what you say and teach, and that you don’t favor any individual, but teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 But he discerned their craftiness and responded to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose face and name does it have?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 So he told them, “Then give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 So they couldn’t catch him before the people in what he said. Amazed at his answer, they became silent.
A Question about the Resurrection(D)
27 Now some Sadducees, who claim there is no resurrection, came to Jesus[h] 28 and asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, the man[i] should marry the widow and have children for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died childless. 30 Then the second 31 and the third married her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. 32 Finally, the woman died, too. 33 Now in the resurrection, whose wife will the woman be, since the seven had married her?”
34 Jesus told them, “Those who belong to this age marry and are married, 35 but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Nor can they die anymore, because they are like the angels and, since they share in the resurrection, are God’s children. 37 Even Moses demonstrated in the story about the bush that the dead are raised, when he calls the Lord, ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[j] 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, because he considers all people to be alive to him.”
39 Then some of the scribes replied, “Teacher, you have given a fine answer.” 40 Then they no longer dared to ask him another question.
A Question about David’s Son(E)
41 Then he asked them, “How can people[k] say that the Messiah[l] is David’s son? 42 Because David himself in the book of Psalms says,
‘The Lord[m] told my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
43 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’[n]
44 So David calls him ‘Lord.’ Then how can he be his son?”
Jesus Denounces the Scribes(F)
45 While all the people were listening, he told his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses[o] and say long prayers to cover it up. They will receive greater condemnation!”
Footnotes
- Luke 20:1 Lit. he
- Luke 20:3 Lit. word
- Luke 20:4 Lit. John’s baptism
- Luke 20:17 Lit. he
- Luke 20:17 Or capstone; cf. Ps 118:22
- Luke 20:19 Lit. he
- Luke 20:20 Lit. the power and authority
- Luke 20:27 Lit. him
- Luke 20:28 Lit. the brother
- Luke 20:37 Cf. Exod 3:6, 15, 16
- Luke 20:41 Lit. they
- Luke 20:41 Or Christ
- Luke 20:42 MT source citation reads Lord
- Luke 20:43 Cf. Ps 110:1
- Luke 20:47 I.e. rob widows by taking their houses
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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