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Luke 20
New International Version
Luke 20
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)
3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me: 4 John’s baptism(E)—was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people(F) will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”(G)
7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.”
8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Parable of the Tenants(H)
9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,(I) rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.(J) 10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12 He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love;(K) perhaps they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and kill those tenants(L) and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”(N)
19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him(O) immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.(P)
Paying Taxes to Caesar(Q)
20 Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said,(R) so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.(S) 21 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.(T) 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 He saw through their duplicity and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
25 He said to them, “Then give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s,(U) and to God what is God’s.”
26 They were unable to trap him in what he had said there in public. And astonished by his answer, they became silent.
The Resurrection and Marriage(V)
27 Some of the Sadducees,(W) who say there is no resurrection,(X) came to Jesus with a question. 28 “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.(Y) 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come(Z) and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children,(AA) since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[b](AB) 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”
39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.(AC)
Whose Son Is the Messiah?(AD)
41 Then Jesus said to them, “Why is it said that the Messiah is the son of David?(AE) 42 David himself declares 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.”’[c](AF)
44 David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”
Warning Against the Teachers of the Law
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.(AG) 47 They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”
Footnotes
- Luke 20:17 Psalm 118:22
- Luke 20:37 Exodus 3:6
- Luke 20:43 Psalm 110:1
Luke 20
Evangelical Heritage Version
Luke 20
Evangelical Heritage Version
Jesus’ Authority Is Questioned
20 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and preaching the good news, the chief priests and experts in the law came to him with the elders. 2 They asked him, “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things. Or who is the one who gave you this authority?”
3 He answered them, “I will also ask you one question. Tell me: 4 the baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?”
5 They discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 Jesus said to them, “Neither am I going to tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
9 He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to some tenant farmers, and went away on a journey for a long time. 10 When it was the right time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed. 11 The man went ahead and sent yet another servant, but they also beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 He then sent yet a third. They also wounded him and threw him out. 13 The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my son, whom I love. Perhaps they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they talked it over with one another. They said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.’ 15 They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. So what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.”
When they heard this, they said, “May it never be!”
17 But he looked at them and said, “Then what about this that is written:
The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone?[a]
18 “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush the one on whom it falls.”
19 That very hour the chief priests and the experts in the law began looking for a way to lay hands on him, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.
Paying Taxes to Caesar
20 They watched him carefully and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, so that they could trap Jesus in something he said, and then deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor. 21 They questioned him, “Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right and show no partiality to anyone, but you teach the way of God on the basis of the truth. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
23 But he was aware of their deceit and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius.[b] Whose image and inscription are on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they answered.
25 He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
26 They were not able to trap him in what he said in the presence of the people. They were amazed at his answer and became silent.
The God of the Living
27 Some of the Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to him. 28 They asked him a question, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies leaving a wife but no children, his brother should take the wife and raise up children for his brother.[c] 29 So there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless. 30 The second took her as a wife,[d] 31 and so did the third, and in the same way the seven died and left no children. 32 Finally the woman died too. 33 So in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”
34 Jesus said to them, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy to experience that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 In fact, they cannot die any more, for they are like the angels. They are sons of God, because they are sons of the resurrection.
37 “Even Moses showed in the account about the burning bush that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord: ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[e] 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
39 Some of the experts in the law answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 Then they no longer dared to ask him anything.
David’s Son and David’s Lord
41 Jesus said to them, “How is it that they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 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 under your feet.”[f]
44 “So David calls him ‘Lord.’ Then how is he his son?”
Beware
45 While all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the experts in the law, who like to walk around in long robes and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets. 47 They devour widows’ houses and offer long prayers to look good. They will receive greater condemnation.”
Footnotes
- Luke 20:17 Psalm 118:22
- Luke 20:24 A denarius was worth about one day’s wage.
- Luke 20:28 Deuteronomy 25:5
- Luke 20:30 Some witnesses to the text add and this one died childless.
- Luke 20:37 Exodus 3:6
- Luke 20:43 Psalm 110:1
Luke 20
New King James Version
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
Luke 20
English Standard Version
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
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.
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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.