¹⁴ They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[a] to Caesar or not? ¹⁵ Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷ Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”^(A)

And they were amazed at him.

Woe to Those Who Rely on Egypt

³⁶ So if the Son sets you free,^(A) you will be free indeed. ³⁷ I know that you are Abraham’s descendants. Yet you are looking for a way to kill me,^(B) because you have no room for my word. ³⁸ I am telling you what I have seen in the Father’s presence,^(C) and you are doing what you have heard from your father.^[a]”^(D)

³⁹ “Abraham is our father,” they answered.

“If you were Abraham’s children,”^(E) said Jesus, “then you would^[b] do what Abraham did. ⁴⁰ As it is, you are looking for a way to kill me,^(F) a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.^(G) Abraham did not do such things. ⁴¹ You are doing the works of your own father.”^(H)

“We are not illegitimate children,” they protested. “The only Father we have is God himself.”^(I)

⁴² Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,^(J) for I have come here from God.^(K) I have not come on my own;^(L) God sent me.^{(M) 43} Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. ⁴⁴ You belong to your father, the devil,^(N) and you want to carry out your father’s desires.^(O) He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.^(P)

¹⁹ since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.^{(A) 20} For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made,^(B) so that people are without excuse.^(C)