The Parable of the Tenants^(A)

12 Jesus then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.^(B) He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place. ² At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵ He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

⁶ “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all,^(C) saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷ “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s 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 those tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:

¹² Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd;^(F) so they left him and went away.^(G)

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar^(H)

¹³ Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians^(I) to Jesus to catch him^(J) in his words. 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^[b] 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.”^(K)

And they were amazed at him.

Marriage at the Resurrection^(L)

¹⁸ Then the Sadducees,^(M) who say there is no resurrection,^(N) came to him with a question. ¹⁹ “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.^{(O) 20} Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. ²¹ The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²² In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ At the resurrection^[c] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

²⁴ Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures^(P) or the power of God? ²⁵ When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.^{(Q) 26} Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^[d]?^{(R) 27} He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment^(S)

²⁸ One of the teachers of the law^(T) came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹ “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[e] 30} Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^{[f](U) 31} The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^[g](V) There is no commandment greater than these.”

³² “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.^{(W) 33} To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^(X)

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^(Y) And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.^(Z)

Whose Son Is the Messiah?^(AA)(AB)

³⁵ While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts,^(AC) he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?^{(AD) 36} David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit,^(AE) declared:

³⁷ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd^(AG) listened to him with delight.

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law

³⁸ As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.^{(AH) 40} They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.”

The Widow’s Offering^(AI)

⁴¹ Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put^(AJ) and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴² But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

⁴³ Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴ They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”^(AK)

Psalm 31^[a](A)

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Stages in Israel’s Journey

33 Here are the stages in the journey^(A) of the Israelites when they came out of Egypt^(B) by divisions under the leadership of Moses and Aaron.^{(C) 2} At the Lord’s command Moses recorded^(D) the stages in their journey^(E). This is their journey by stages:

⁵⁰ On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho^(AZ) the Lord said to Moses, ⁵¹ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(BA) 52} drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.^{(BB) 53} Take possession of the land and settle in it, for I have given you the land to possess.^{(BC) 54} Distribute the land by lot,^(BD) according to your clans.^(BE) To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one.^(BF) Whatever falls to them by lot will be theirs. Distribute it according to your ancestral tribes.^(BG)

⁵⁵ “‘But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns^(BH) in your sides. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live. ⁵⁶ And then I will do to you what I plan to do to them.^(BI)’”

Boundaries of Canaan

34 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you enter Canaan,^(BJ) the land that will be allotted to you as an inheritance^(BK) is to have these boundaries:^(BL)

³ “‘Your southern side will include some of the Desert of Zin^(BM) along the border of Edom. Your southern boundary will start in the east from the southern end of the Dead Sea,^{(BN) 4} cross south of Scorpion Pass,^(BO) continue on to Zin and go south of Kadesh Barnea.^(BP) Then it will go to Hazar Addar and over to Azmon,^{(BQ) 5} where it will turn, join the Wadi of Egypt^(BR) and end at the Mediterranean Sea.

⁶ “‘Your western boundary will be the coast of the Mediterranean Sea.^(BS) This will be your boundary on the west.^(BT)

⁷ “‘For your northern boundary,^(BU) run a line from the Mediterranean Sea to Mount Hor^{(BV) 8} and from Mount Hor to Lebo Hamath.^(BW) Then the boundary will go to Zedad, ⁹ continue to Ziphron and end at Hazar Enan. This will be your boundary on the north.

¹⁰ “‘For your eastern boundary,^(BX) run a line from Hazar Enan to Shepham. ¹¹ The boundary will go down from Shepham to Riblah^(BY) on the east side of Ain^(BZ) and continue along the slopes east of the Sea of Galilee.^{[c](CA) 12} Then the boundary will go down along the Jordan and end at the Dead Sea.

“‘This will be your land, with its boundaries on every side.’”

¹³ Moses commanded the Israelites: “Assign this land by lot^(CB) as an inheritance.^(CC) The Lord has ordered that it be given to the nine and a half tribes, ¹⁴ because the families of the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.^{(CD) 15} These two and a half tribes have received their inheritance east of the Jordan across from Jericho, toward the sunrise.”

¹⁶ The Lord said to Moses, ¹⁷ “These are the names of the men who are to assign the land for you as an inheritance: Eleazar the priest and Joshua^(CE) son of Nun. ¹⁸ And appoint one leader from each tribe to help^(CF) assign the land.^{(CG) 19} These are their names:^(CH)

²⁹ These are the men the Lord commanded to assign the inheritance to the Israelites in the land of Canaan.^(CQ)

Towns for the Levites

35 On the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho,^(CR) the Lord said to Moses, ² “Command the Israelites to give the Levites towns to live in^(CS) from the inheritance the Israelites will possess. And give them pasturelands^(CT) around the towns. ³ Then they will have towns to live in and pasturelands for the cattle they own and all their other animals.^(CU)

⁴ “The pasturelands around the towns that you give the Levites will extend a thousand cubits^[d] from the town wall. ⁵ Outside the town, measure two thousand cubits^[e](CV) on the east side, two thousand on the south side, two thousand on the west and two thousand on the north, with the town in the center. They will have this area as pastureland for the towns.^(CW)

Cities of Refuge^(CX)

⁶ “Six of the towns you give the Levites will be cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone may flee.^(CY) In addition, give them forty-two other towns. ⁷ In all you must give the Levites forty-eight towns, together with their pasturelands. ⁸ The towns you give the Levites from the land the Israelites possess are to be given in proportion to the inheritance of each tribe: Take many towns from a tribe that has many, but few from one that has few.”^(CZ)

⁹ Then the Lord said to Moses: ¹⁰ “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When you cross the Jordan into Canaan,^{(DA) 11} select some towns to be your cities of refuge, to which a person who has killed someone^(DB) accidentally^(DC) may flee. ¹² They will be places of refuge from the avenger,^(DD) so that anyone accused of murder^(DE) may not die before they stand trial before the assembly.^{(DF) 13} These six towns you give will be your cities of refuge.^{(DG) 14} Give three on this side of the Jordan and three in Canaan as cities of refuge. ¹⁵ These six towns will be a place of refuge for Israelites and for foreigners residing among them, so that anyone who has killed another accidentally can flee there.

¹⁶ “‘If anyone strikes someone a fatal blow with an iron object, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death.^{(DH) 17} Or if anyone is holding a stone and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁸ Or if anyone is holding a wooden object and strikes someone a fatal blow with it, that person is a murderer; the murderer is to be put to death. ¹⁹ The avenger of blood^(DI) shall put the murderer to death; when the avenger comes upon the murderer, the avenger shall put the murderer to death.^{(DJ) 20} If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something at them intentionally^(DK) so that they die ²¹ or if out of enmity one person hits another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to death;^(DL) that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood^(DM) shall put the murderer to death when they meet.

²² “‘But if without enmity someone suddenly pushes another or throws something at them unintentionally^{(DN) 23} or, without seeing them, drops on them a stone heavy enough to kill them, and they die, then since that other person was not an enemy and no harm was intended, ²⁴ the assembly^(DO) must judge between the accused and the avenger of blood according to these regulations. ²⁵ The assembly must protect the one accused of murder from the avenger of blood and send the accused back to the city of refuge to which they fled. The accused must stay there until the death of the high priest,^(DP) who was anointed^(DQ) with the holy oil.^(DR)

²⁶ “‘But if the accused ever goes outside the limits of the city of refuge to which they fled ²⁷ and the avenger of blood finds them outside the city, the avenger of blood may kill the accused without being guilty of murder. ²⁸ The accused must stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest; only after the death of the high priest may they return to their own property.

²⁹ “‘This is to have the force of law^(DS) for you throughout the generations to come,^(DT) wherever you live.^(DU)

³⁰ “‘Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer only on the testimony of witnesses. But no one is to be put to death on the testimony of only one witness.^(DV)

³¹ “‘Do not accept a ransom^(DW) for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. They are to be put to death.

³² “‘Do not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a city of refuge and so allow them to go back and live on their own land before the death of the high priest.

³³ “‘Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land,^(DX) and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. ³⁴ Do not defile the land^(DY) where you live and where I dwell,^(DZ) for I, the Lord, dwell among the Israelites.’”

Inheritance of Zelophehad’s Daughters^(EA)

36 The family heads of the clan of Gilead^(EB) son of Makir,^(EC) the son of Manasseh, who were from the clans of the descendants of Joseph,^(ED) came and spoke before Moses and the leaders,^(EE) the heads of the Israelite families. ² They said, “When the Lord commanded my lord to give the land as an inheritance to the Israelites by lot,^(EF) he ordered you to give the inheritance of our brother Zelophehad^(EG) to his daughters. ³ Now suppose they marry men from other Israelite tribes; then their inheritance will be taken from our ancestral inheritance and added to that of the tribe they marry into. And so part of the inheritance allotted to us will be taken away. ⁴ When the Year of Jubilee^(EH) for the Israelites comes, their inheritance will be added to that of the tribe into which they marry, and their property will be taken from the tribal inheritance of our ancestors.”

⁵ Then at the Lord’s command Moses gave this order to the Israelites: “What the tribe of the descendants of Joseph is saying is right. ⁶ This is what the Lord commands for Zelophehad’s daughters: They may marry anyone they please as long as they marry within their father’s tribal clan. ⁷ No inheritance^(EI) in Israel is to pass from one tribe to another, for every Israelite shall keep the tribal inheritance of their ancestors. ⁸ Every daughter who inherits land in any Israelite tribe must marry someone in her father’s tribal clan,^(EJ) so that every Israelite will possess the inheritance of their ancestors. ⁹ No inheritance may pass from one tribe to another, for each Israelite tribe is to keep the land it inherits.”

¹⁰ So Zelophehad’s daughters did as the Lord commanded Moses. ¹¹ Zelophehad’s daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah^(EK)—married their cousins on their father’s side. ¹² They married within the clans of the descendants of Manasseh son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in their father’s tribe and clan.^(EL)

¹³ These are the commands and regulations the Lord gave through Moses^(EM) to the Israelites on the plains of Moab by the Jordan across from Jericho.^(EN)