Mark 12
Modern English Version
The Parable of the Vineyard and the Vinedressers(A)
12 He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, and rented it to vinedressers, and went to a far country. 2 At harvest time he sent a servant to the vinedressers to receive from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Then he sent another servant to them. They threw stones at him, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. 5 Still he sent another, and they killed him. And there were many others. Some they beat, and some they killed.
6 “Having yet his one well-beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will revere my son.’
7 “But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the vinedressers and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone.
11 This was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’[a]?”
12 Then they tried to seize Him, but feared the people, for they knew that He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went their way.
The Question of Paying Taxes(B)
13 They sent to Him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians to trap Him in His words. 14 When they came to Him, they said, “Teacher, we know that You are true and swayed by no man. For You do not regard the person of men, but truthfully teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Should we pay, or should we not pay?”
But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” 16 They brought it, and He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”
They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”
17 Then Jesus answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
And they were amazed at Him.
The Question About the Resurrection(C)
18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves his wife behind, but leaves no children, that man must take the wife and raise up children for his brother.[b] 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and when he died, he left no children. 21 The second took her and died, leaving no children, and the third likewise. 22 The seven had her and left no children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”
24 Jesus answered them, “Do you not err, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 Now concerning the dead rising, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob’[c]? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You therefore do greatly err.”
The Great Commandment(D)
28 One of the scribes came and heard them reasoning together. Perceiving that Jesus had answered them well, he asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. 30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’[d] This is the first commandment. 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’[e] There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32 The scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, that there is one God and there is no other but Him. 33 To love Him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one dared to ask Him any question.
The Question About David’s Son(E)
35 While Jesus taught in the temple, He said, “How can the scribes say that Christ is the Son of David? 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit, declared:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
until I put Your enemies
under Your feet.” ’[f]
37 David himself calls Him ‘Lord.’ How then is He his Son?”
And the large crowd heard him gladly.
The Denouncing of the Scribes(F)
38 He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who love to go about in long robes and love greetings in the marketplaces, 39 and the prominent seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive greater condemnation.”
The Widow’s Offering(G)
41 Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. Many who were rich put in much. 42 But a certain poor widow came and put in two mites, which make a farthing.[g]
43 He called His disciples to Him and said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 They all contributed out of their abundance. But she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had, her entire livelihood.”
Footnotes
- Mark 12:11 Ps 118:22–23.
- Mark 12:19 Dt 25:5.
- Mark 12:26 Ex 3:6.
- Mark 12:30 Dt 6:4–5.
- Mark 12:31 Lev 19:18.
- Mark 12:36 Ps 110:1.
- Mark 12:42 Gk. 2 lepta. A lepton, meaning “small” or “thin,” was a fraction of a penny and the smallest coin circulated.
Mark 12
21st Century King James Version
12 And He began to speak unto them by parables: “A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and dug a place for the wine vat, and built a watchtower; and he leased it out to husbandmen and went into a far country.
2 And at the harvest season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.
3 And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
4 And again he sent unto them another servant, and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
5 And again he sent another, and him they killed, and many others, beating some and killing some.
6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, ‘They will reverence my son.’
7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.’
8 And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.
9 What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.
10 And have ye not read this Scripture? ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner;
11 this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.’”
12 And they sought to lay hold on Him, but they feared the people, for they knew that He had spoken the parable against them. And they left Him, and went their way.
13 And they sent unto Him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to catch Him in His words.
14 And when they had come, they said unto Him, “Master, we know that thou art true and carest for no man; for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
15 Shall we give, or shall we not give?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, “Why tempt ye Me? Bring Me a penny, that I may see it.”
16 And they brought it, and He said unto them, “Whose image and superscription is this?” And they said unto Him, “Caesar’s.”
17 And Jesus answering, said unto them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him.
18 Then came unto Him the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked Him, saying,
19 “Master, Moses wrote unto us that if a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, then his brother should take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.
20 Now there were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and dying, left no seed.
21 And the second took her and died, neither leaving any seed. And the third likewise.
22 So the seven had her and left no seed. Last of all the woman died also.
23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be, for all seven had her for a wife?”
24 And Jesus answering, said unto them, “Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels who are in Heaven.
26 And concerning the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke unto him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Ye therefore do greatly err.”
28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”
29 And Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength;’ this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this: ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
32 And the scribe said unto Him, “Well, Master, thou hast said the truth, for there is one God, and there is none other than He.
33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, “Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God.” And no man after that dared ask Him any question.
35 And Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, “How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?
36 For David himself said by the Holy Ghost: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool.”’
37 David therefore himself calleth Him ‘Lord’; and whence is He then his son?” And the common people heard Him gladly.
38 And He said unto them in His doctrine, “Beware of the scribes, who love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
39 and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts,
40 who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.”
41 And Jesus sat opposite the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury. And many who were rich cast in much.
42 And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43 And He called unto Him His disciples and said unto them, “Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they that have cast into the treasury;
44 for they all cast in of their abundance, but she of her want cast in all that she had, even all her living.”
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
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