Luke 20
King James Version
20 And it came to pass, that on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon him with the elders,
2 And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?
3 And he answered and said unto them, I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:
4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?
5 And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?
6 But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.
7 And they answered, that they could not tell whence it was.
8 And Jesus said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.
9 Then began he to speak to the people this parable; A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.
10 And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent him away empty.
11 And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12 And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast him out.
13 Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son: it may be they will reverence him when they see him.
14 But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir: come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.
15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?
16 He shall come and destroy these husbandmen, and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said, God forbid.
17 And he beheld them, and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?
18 Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.
19 And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.
20 And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.
21 And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly:
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar, or no?
23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said unto them, Why tempt ye me?
24 Shew me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it? They answered and said, Caesar's.
25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar's, and unto God the things which be God's.
26 And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace.
27 Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
31 And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
32 Last of all the woman died also.
33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
39 Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.
40 And after that they durst not ask him any question at all.
41 And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David's son?
42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
43 Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
44 David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son?
45 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples,
46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;
47 Which devour widows' houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
Luke 20
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
20 One day as Jesus was instructing the people in the temple [[a]porches] and preaching the good news (the Gospel), the chief priests and the scribes came up with the elders (members of the Sanhedrin)
2 And said to Him, Tell us by what [sort of] authority You are doing these things? Or who is it who gave You this authority?
3 He replied to them, I will also ask you a question. Now answer Me:
4 Was the baptism of John from heaven, or from men?
5 And they argued and discussed [it] and reasoned together [b]with themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven, He will say, Why then did you not believe him?
6 But if we answer, From men, all the people will stone us [c]to death, for they are [d]long since firmly convinced that John was a prophet.
7 So they replied that they did not know from where it came.
8 Then Jesus said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
9 Then He began to relate to the people this parable ([e]this story to figuratively portray what He had to say): A man planted a vineyard and leased it to some vinedressers and went into another country for a long stay.(A)
10 When the [right] season came, he sent a bond servant to the tenants, that they might give him [his part] of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat ([f]thrashed) him and sent him away empty-handed.
11 And he sent still another servant; him they also beat ([g]thrashed) and dishonored and insulted him [h]disgracefully and sent him away empty-handed.
12 And he sent yet a third; this one they wounded and threw out [of the vineyard].
13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it is [i]probable that they will respect him.
14 But when the tenants saw him, they argued among themselves, saying, This is the heir; let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.
15 So they drove him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16 He will come and [[j]utterly] put an end to those tenants and will give the vineyard to others. When they [the chief priests and the scribes and the elders] heard this, they said, May it never be!
17 But [Jesus] looked at them and said, What then is [the meaning of] this that is written: The [very] Stone which the builders rejected has become the chief Stone of the corner [Cornerstone]?(B)
18 Everyone who falls on that Stone will be broken [in pieces]; but upon whomever It falls, It will crush him [winnow him and [k]scatter him as dust].(C)
19 The scribes and the chief priests desired and tried to find a way to arrest Him at that very hour, but they were afraid of the people; for they discerned that He had related this parable against them.
20 So they watched [for an opportunity to ensnare] Him, and sent spies who pretended to be upright (honest and sincere), that they might lay hold of something He might say, so as to turn Him over to the control and authority of the governor.
21 They asked Him, Teacher, we know that You speak and teach what is right, and that You show no partiality to anyone but teach the way of God honestly and in truth.
22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar or not?
23 But He recognized and understood their cunning and [l]unscrupulousness and said to them,
24 Show Me a denarius (a coin)! Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered, Caesar’s.
25 He said to them, Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, [m]and to God the things that are God’s.
26 So they could not in the presence of the people take hold of anything He said to turn it against Him; but marveling at His reply, they were silent.
27 Also there came to Him some Sadducees, those who say that there is no resurrection.
28 And they asked Him a question, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law] that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife and no children, the man shall take the woman and raise up offspring for his brother.(D)
29 Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died without [having any] children.
30 And the second
31 And then the third took her, and in like manner all seven, and they died, leaving no children.
32 Last of all, the woman died also.
33 Now in the resurrection whose wife will the woman be? For the seven married her.
34 And Jesus said to them, The people of this world and present age marry and are given in marriage;
35 But those who are considered worthy to gain that other world and that future age and to attain to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage;
36 For they cannot die again, but they are [n]angel-like and [o]equal to angels. And being sons of and [p]sharers in the resurrection, they are sons of God.
37 But that the dead are raised [[q]from death]—even Moses made known and showed in the passage concerning the [burning] bush, where he calls the Lord, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.(E)
38 Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all men are alive [whether in the body or out of it] and they are alive [not dead] unto Him [in definite relationship to Him].
39 And some of the scribes replied, Teacher, you have spoken well and expertly [[r]so that there is no room for blame].
40 For they did not dare to question Him further.
41 But He asked them, How can people say that the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) is David’s Son?
42 For David himself says in [the] Book of Psalms, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand
43 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.(F)
44 So David calls Him Lord; how then is He his Son?
45 And with all the people listening, He said to His disciples,
46 Beware of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes and love to be saluted [with honor] in places where people congregate and love the front and best seats in the synagogues and places of distinction at feasts,
47 Who make away with and devour widows’ houses, and [to cover it up] with pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation (the heavier sentence, the severer punishment).
Footnotes
- Luke 20:1 Richard Trench, Synonyms of the New Testament.
- Luke 20:5 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Luke 20:6 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Luke 20:6 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Luke 20:9 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 20:10 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 20:11 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 20:11 Alexander Souter, Pocket Lexicon.
- Luke 20:13 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Luke 20:16 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 20:18 James Moulton and George Milligan, The Vocabulary.
- Luke 20:23 Marvin Vincent, Word Studies.
- Luke 20:25 A rebuke of emperor worship.
- Luke 20:36 Hermann Cremer, Biblico-Theological Lexicon.
- Luke 20:36 G. Abbott-Smith, Manual Greek Lexicon.
- Luke 20:36 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 20:37 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
- Luke 20:39 Joseph Thayer, A Greek-English Lexicon.
Luke 20
Living Bible
20 On one of those days when he was teaching and preaching the Good News in the Temple, he was confronted by the chief priests and other religious leaders and councilmen. 2 They demanded to know by what authority he had driven out the merchants from the Temple.
3 “I’ll ask you a question before I answer,” he replied. 4 “Was John sent by God, or was he merely acting under his own authority?”
5 They talked it over among themselves. “If we say his message was from heaven, then we are trapped because he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say John was not sent from God, the people will mob us, for they are convinced that he was a prophet.” 7 Finally they replied, “We don’t know!”
8 And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t answer your question either.”
9 Now he turned to the people again and told them this story: “A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to some farmers, and went away to a distant land to live for several years. 10 When harvest time came, he sent one of his men to the farm to collect his share of the crops. But the tenants beat him up and sent him back empty-handed. 11 Then he sent another, but the same thing happened; he was beaten up and insulted and sent away without collecting. 12 A third man was sent and the same thing happened. He, too, was wounded and chased away.
13 “‘What shall I do?’ the owner asked himself. ‘I know! I’ll send my cherished son. Surely they will show respect for him.’
14 “But when the tenants saw his son, they said, ‘This is our chance! This fellow will inherit all the land when his father dies. Come on. Let’s kill him, and then it will be ours.’ 15 So they dragged him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What do you think the owner will do? 16 I’ll tell you—he will come and kill them and rent the vineyard to others.”
“But they would never do a thing like that,” his listeners protested.
17 Jesus looked at them and said, “Then what does the Scripture mean where it says, ‘The Stone rejected by the builders was made the cornerstone’?” 18 And he added, “Whoever stumbles over that Stone shall be broken; and those on whom it falls will be crushed to dust.”
19 When the chief priests and religious leaders heard about this story he had told, they wanted him arrested immediately, for they realized that he was talking about them. They were the wicked tenants in his illustration. But they were afraid that if they themselves arrested him, there would be a riot. So they tried to get him to say something that could be reported to the Roman governor as reason to arrest him.
20 Watching their opportunity, they sent secret agents pretending to be honest men. 21 They said to Jesus, “Sir, we know what an honest teacher you are. You always tell the truth and don’t budge an inch in the face of what others think, but teach the ways of God. 22 Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?”
23 He saw through their trickery and said, 24 “Show me a coin. Whose portrait is this on it? And whose name?”
They replied, “Caesar’s—the Roman emperor’s.”
25 He said, “Then give the emperor all that is his—and give to God all that is his!”
26 Thus their attempt to outwit him before the people failed; and marveling at his answer, they were silent.
27 Then some Sadducees—men who believed that death is the end of existence, that there is no resurrection— 28 came to Jesus with this:
“The laws of Moses state that if a man dies without children, the man’s brother shall marry the widow, and their children will legally belong to the dead man, to carry on his name. 29 We know of a family of seven brothers. The oldest married and then died without any children. 30 His brother married the widow and he, too, died. Still no children. 31 And so it went, one after the other, until each of the seven had married her and died, leaving no children. 32 Finally the woman died also. 33 Now here is our question: Whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all of them were married to her!”
34-35 Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth, but when those who are counted worthy of being raised from the dead get to heaven, they do not marry. 36 And they never die again; in these respects they are like angels, and are sons of God, for they are raised up in new life from the dead.
37-38
39 “Well said, sir!” remarked some of the experts in the Jewish law who were standing there. 40 And that ended their questions, for they dared ask no more!
41 Then he presented them with a question. “Why is it,” he asked, “that Christ, the Messiah, is said to be a descendant of King David? 42-43 For David himself wrote in the book of Psalms: ‘God said to my Lord, the Messiah, “Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies beneath your feet.”’ 44 How can the Messiah be both David’s son and David’s God at the same time?”
45 Then, with the crowds listening, he turned to his disciples and said, 46 “Beware of these experts in religion, for they love to parade in dignified robes and to be bowed to by the people as they walk along the street. And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and at religious festivals! 47 But even while they are praying long prayers with great outward piety, they are planning schemes to cheat widows out of their property. Therefore God’s heaviest sentence awaits these men.”
Footnotes
- Luke 20:37 that the Lord is some person’s God. Otherwise the statement would be, “that he had been that person’s God.”
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