Mark 12
Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Vineyard Owner
12 He(A) began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard,(B) put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away. 2 At harvest time he sent(C) a servant(D) to the farmers to collect some of the fruit(E) of the vineyard from them. 3 But they took him, beat(F) him, and sent him away empty-handed.(G) 4 Again he sent another servant to them, and they[a] hit him on the head and treated him shamefully.[b] 5 Then he sent another, and they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed. 6 He still had one to send, a beloved(H) son. Finally(I) he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What then will the owner[c](J) of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others. 10 Haven’t you read this Scripture:(K)
The(L) stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.(M)
11 This came about from the Lord(N)
and is wonderful in our eyes?”[d]
12 They were looking for a way to arrest him but feared the crowd because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. So they left him and went away.
God and Caesar
13 Then(O) they sent some of the Pharisees(P) and the Herodians(Q) to Jesus to trap him in his words.(R) 14 When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality(S) but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes(T) to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
15 But knowing their hypocrisy,(U) he said to them, “Why are you testing(V) me? Bring me a denarius[e](W) to look at.” 16 They brought a coin. “Whose image(X) and inscription(Y) is this?” he asked them.
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”(Z) And they were utterly amazed(AA) at him.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
18 Sadducees,(AB) who say there is no resurrection,(AC) came to him and questioned him: 19 “Teacher,(AD) Moses(AE) wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife behind but no child,(AF) that man should take the wife(AG) and raise up offspring for his brother.[f](AH) 20 There were seven brothers. The first married a woman, and dying, left no offspring. 21 The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 None of the seven[g] left offspring. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise,[h] whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?”
24 Jesus spoke to them, “Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures(AI) or the power(AJ) of God?(AK) 25 For when they rise(AL) from the dead,(AM) they neither marry nor are given in marriage(AN) but are like angels(AO) in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised—haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God said to him: I(AP) am the God of Abraham(AQ) and the God of Isaac(AR) and the God of Jacob?[i](AS) 27 He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”
The Primary Commands
28 One(AT) of the scribes(AU) approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”
29 Jesus answered, “The most important[j] is Listen, Israel! The Lord(AV) our God, the Lord(AW) is one.[k] 30 Love(AX) the Lord your God(AY) with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,(AZ) and with all your strength.[l][m](BA) 31 The second is, Love your neighbor(BB) as yourself.[n](BC) There is no other command(BD) greater than these.”
32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one(BE) else except him.(BF) 33 And to love(BG) him with all your heart, with all your understanding,[o] and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(BH)
34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”(BI) And no one dared(BJ) to question him any longer.
The Question about the Messiah
35 While(BK) Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked,(BL) “How can the scribes(BM) say that the Messiah(BN) is the son of David?(BO) 36 David(BP) himself says by the Holy Spirit: (BQ)
The Lord(BR) declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand(BS)
until I put your enemies under your feet.’[p](BT)
37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How, then, can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.
Warning against the Scribes
38 He(BU) also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes(BV) and who want greetings in the marketplaces,(BW) 39 the best seats(BX) in the synagogues,(BY) and the places of honor(BZ) at banquets.(CA) 40 They devour(CB) widows’(CC) houses and say long prayers(CD) just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”
The Widow’s Gift
41 Sitting(CE) across from the temple treasury,(CF) he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich(CG) people were putting in large sums. 42 Then a poor(CH) widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. 43 Summoning his disciples,(CI) he said to them, “Truly I tell you,(CJ) this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.(CK) 44 For they all gave out of their surplus,(CL) but she out of her poverty(CM) has put in everything she had(CN) —all she had to live on.”(CO)
Footnotes
- 12:4 Other mss add threw stones and
- 12:4 Other mss add and sent him off
- 12:9 Or lord
- 12:10–11 Ps 118:22–23
- 12:15 A denarius = one day’s wage
- 12:19 Gn 38:8; Dt 25:5
- 12:22 Other mss add had taken her and
- 12:23 Other mss omit when they rise
- 12:26 Ex 3:6,15–16
- 12:29 Other mss add of all the commands
- 12:29 Or the Lord our God is Lord alone.
- 12:30 Other mss add This is the first commandment.
- 12:30 Dt 6:4–5; Jos 22:5
- 12:31 Lv 19:18
- 12:33 Other mss add with all your soul
- 12:36 Ps 110:1
Mark 12
New Living Translation
Parable of the Evil Farmers
12 Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country. 2 At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop. 3 But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed. 4 The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head. 5 The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed, 6 until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’
7 “But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’ 8 So they grabbed him and murdered him and threw his body out of the vineyard.
9 “What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” Jesus asked. “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. 10 Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?
‘The stone that the builders rejected
has now become the cornerstone.
11 This is the Lord’s doing,
and it is wonderful to see.’[a]”
12 The religious leaders[b] wanted to arrest Jesus because they realized he was telling the story against them—they were the wicked farmers. But they were afraid of the crowd, so they left him and went away.
Taxes for Caesar
13 Later the leaders sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”
Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin,[c] and I’ll tell you.” 16 When they handed it to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
His reply completely amazed them.
Discussion about Resurrection
18 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 19 “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.[d] 20 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 21 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. 22 This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. 23 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”
24 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 25 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.
26 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses,[e] ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[f] 27 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.”
The Most Important Commandment
28 One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’[g] 31 The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[h] No other commandment is greater than these.”
32 The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. 33 And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.”
34 Realizing how much the man understood, Jesus said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
35 Later, as Jesus was teaching the people in the Temple, he asked, “Why do the teachers of religious law claim that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 For David himself, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said,
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’[i]
37 Since David himself called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?” The large crowd listened to him with great delight.
38 Jesus also taught: “Beware of these teachers of religious law! For they like to parade around in flowing robes and receive respectful greetings as they walk in the marketplaces. 39 And how they love the seats of honor in the synagogues and the head table at banquets. 40 Yet they shamelessly cheat widows out of their property and then pretend to be pious by making long prayers in public. Because of this, they will be more severely punished.”
The Widow’s Offering
41 Jesus sat down near the collection box in the Temple and watched as the crowds dropped in their money. Many rich people put in large amounts. 42 Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small coins.[j]
43 Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has given more than all the others who are making contributions. 44 For they gave a tiny part of their surplus, but she, poor as she is, has given everything she had to live on.”
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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