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Chapter 12

Parable of the Tenants.[a] He began to speak to them in parables.(A) “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and left on a journey.(B) At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants to obtain from them some of the produce of the vineyard. But they seized him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent them another servant. And that one they beat over the head and treated shamefully. He sent yet another whom they killed. So, too, many others; some they beat, others they killed. He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ So they seized him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. What [then] will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put the tenants to death, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture passage:(C)

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;
11 by the Lord has this been done,
    and it is wonderful in our eyes’?”

12 They were seeking to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they realized that he had addressed the parable to them. So they left him and went away.

Paying Taxes to the Emperor. 13 [b]They sent some Pharisees(D) and Herodians to him to ensnare him(E) in his speech.[c] 14 They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion. You do not regard a person’s status but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay or should we not pay?” 15 Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.” 16 They brought one to him and he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They replied to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 So Jesus said to them, “Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.” They were utterly amazed at him.(F)

The Question About the Resurrection.[d] 18 Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and put this question to him, 19 saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.’(G) 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died, leaving no descendants. 21 So the second married her and died, leaving no descendants, and the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no descendants. Last of all the woman also died. 23 At the resurrection [when they arise] whose wife will she be? For all seven had been married to her.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Are you not misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God? 25 When they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. 26 As for the dead being raised, have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God told him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, [the] God of Isaac, and [the] God of Jacob’?(H) 27 He is not God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly misled.”

The Greatest Commandment.[e] 28 One of the scribes,(I) when he came forward and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, “Which is the first of all the commandments?” 29 Jesus replied, “The first is this: ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! 30 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’(J) 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”(K) 32 The scribe said to him, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying, ‘He is One and there is no other than he.’ 33 And ‘to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself’ is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(L) 34 And when Jesus saw that [he] answered with understanding, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.(M)

The Question About David’s Son.[f] 35 As Jesus was teaching in the temple area he said,(N) “How do the scribes claim that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself, inspired by the holy Spirit, said:

‘The Lord said to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand
    until I place your enemies under your feet.”’(O)

37 David himself calls him ‘lord’; so how is he his son?” [The] great crowd heard this with delight.

Denunciation of the Scribes.[g] 38 In the course of his teaching he said,(P) “Beware of the scribes, who like to go around in long robes and accept greetings in the marketplaces, 39 seats of honor in synagogues, and places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour the houses of widows and, as a pretext, recite lengthy prayers. They will receive a very severe condemnation.”

The Poor Widow’s Contribution.[h] 41 He sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury.(Q) Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. 43 Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, “Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. 44 For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood.”

Footnotes

  1. 12:1–12 The vineyard denotes Israel (Is 5:1–7). The tenant farmers are the religious leaders of Israel. God is the owner of the vineyard. His servants are his messengers, the prophets. The beloved son is Jesus (Mk 1:11; 9:7; Mt 3:17; 17:5; Lk 3:22; 9:35). The punishment of the tenants refers to the religious leaders, and the transfer of the vineyard to others refers to the people of the new Israel.
  2. 12:13–34 In the ensuing conflicts (cf. also Mk 2:1–3:6) Jesus vanquishes his adversaries by his responses to their questions and reduces them to silence (Mk 12:34).
  3. 12:13–17 See note on Mt 22:15–22.
  4. 12:18–27 See note on Mt 22:23–33.
  5. 12:28–34 See note on Mt 22:34–40.
  6. 12:35–37 Jesus questions the claim of the scribes about the Davidic descent of the Messiah, not to deny it (Mt 1:1; Acts 2:20, 34; Rom 1:3; 2 Tm 2:8) but to imply that he is more than this. His superiority derives from his transcendent origin, to which David himself attested when he spoke of the Messiah with the name “Lord” (Ps 110:1). See also note on Mt 22:41–46.
  7. 12:38–40 See notes on Mk 7:1–23 and Mt 23:1–39.
  8. 12:41–44 See note on Lk 21:1–4.

佃户的比喻(A)

12 耶稣又用比喻对他们说:“有一个人栽种了一个葡萄园,四面围上篱笆,挖了一个压酒池,盖了一座瞭望台,然后租给佃户,就远行去了。 到了时候,园主派了一个仆人到佃户那里,向佃户收取葡萄园一部分的果子。 佃户抓住他,打了他,放他空手回去。 园主再派另外一个仆人到他们那里,他们打伤了他的头,并且侮辱他。 园主又派另一个去,他们就把他杀了。后来又派去许多仆人,有的给他们打了,有的给他们杀了。 还有一个,就是园主的爱子,最后园主派他到那里去,说:‘他们必尊敬我的儿子。’ 那些佃户却彼此说:‘这是继承产业的;来,我们杀了他,产业就是我们的了。’ 于是抓住他,把他杀了,扔在葡萄园外。 这样,葡萄园的主人要怎么办呢?他要来除掉那些佃户,把葡萄园租给别人。 10 你们没有念过这段圣经吗:

‘建筑工人所弃的石头,

成了房角的主要石头;

11 这是主所作的,

在我们眼中看为希奇。’”

12 他们知道他这比喻是针对他们说的,就想要捉拿他,但因为害怕群众,只好离开他走了。

以纳税的事问难耶稣(B)

13 后来,他们派了几个法利赛人和希律党的人到耶稣那里去,要找他的把柄来陷害他。 14 他们来到了,就对他说:“老师,我们知道你为人诚实,不顾忌任何人,因为你不徇情面,只照着真理把 神的道教导人。请问纳税给凯撒可以不可以?我们该纳不该纳呢?” 15 耶稣看出他们的假意,就对他们说:“你们为甚么试探我呢?拿一个银币来给我,让我看看。” 16 他们就拿来了。耶稣问他们:“这是谁的像,谁的名号?”他们回答他:“凯撒的。” 17 耶稣说:“凯撒的应当归给凯撒, 神的应当归给 神。”他们就对他十分惊奇。

人复活后不娶不嫁(C)

18 撒都该人向来认为没有复活的事,他们来到耶稣那里,问他: 19 “老师,摩西曾写给我们说:‘如果一个人死了,留下妻子,没有儿女,他的弟弟就应当娶他的妻子,为哥哥立后。’ 20 从前有兄弟七人,头一个娶了妻子,死了,没有留下孩子; 21 第二个娶了她,也没有留下孩子,就死了;第三个也是这样。 22 那七个人都没有留下孩子,最后那女人也死了。 23 到了复活的时候,他们都要复活,她是哪一个的妻子呢?因为七个人都娶过她。” 24 耶稣对他们说:“你们错了,不正是因为你们不明白圣经,也不晓得 神的能力吗? 25 因为人从死里复活以后,也不娶,也不嫁,而是像天上的天使一样。 26 关于死人复活的事,摩西的经卷中荆棘篇上, 神怎样对他说:‘我是亚伯拉罕的 神,以撒的 神,雅各的 神’,你们没有念过吗? 27 他不是死人的 神,而是活人的 神。你们是大错特错了!”

最重要的诫命(D)

28 有一个经学家,听到他们的辩论,觉得耶稣回答得好,就来问他:“诫命中哪一条是第一重要的呢?” 29 耶稣回答:“第一重要的是:‘以色列啊,你要听!主我们的 神是独一的主。 30 你要全心、全性、全意、全力,爱主你的 神。’ 31 其次是:‘要爱人如己。’再没有别的诫命比这两条更重要的了。” 32 那经学家对耶稣说:“老师,是的,你说的很对, 神是独一的,除了他以外再没有别的 神。 33 我们要用全心、全意、全力去爱他,并且要爱人如己,这就比一切燔祭和各样祭物好得多了。” 34 耶稣见他回答得有智慧,就对他说:“你距离 神的国不远了。”从此再也没有人敢问他了。

大卫称基督为主(E)

35 耶稣在殿里教训人,说:“经学家怎么说基督是大卫的子孙呢? 36 大卫自己被圣灵感动却说:

‘主对我的主说:

你坐在我的右边,

等我把你的仇敌放在你的脚下(有些抄本作“等我使你的仇敌作你的脚凳”)。’

37 大卫自己既然称他为主,他又怎么会是大卫的子孙呢?”群众都喜欢听他。

耶稣叫人提防经学家(F)

38 耶稣教导人的时候,说:“你们要提防经学家,他们喜欢穿长袍走来走去,喜欢人在市中心向他们问安, 39 又喜欢会堂里的高位,筵席上的首座。 40 他们吞没了寡妇的房产,又假装作冗长的祷告。这些人必受更重的刑罚。”

穷寡妇的奉献(G)

41 耶稣面对银库坐着,看着大家怎样把钱投入库中。许多有钱的人投入很多的钱。 42 后来,有一个穷寡妇来投入了两个小钱,就是一个铜钱。 43 耶稣把门徒叫过来,对他们说:“我实在告诉你们,这穷寡妇投入库里的,比众人投的更多。 44 因为他们都是把自己剩余的投入,这寡妇是自己不足,却把她一切所有的,就是全部养生的,都投进去了。”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

12 And 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 wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture:

‘The very 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 tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away.

The Question about Paying Taxes

13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Hero′di-ans, to entrap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true, and care for no man; for you do not regard the position of men, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 15 Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why put me to the test? Bring me a coin,[a] and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to 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

18 And Sad′ducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man[b] must take the wife, and raise up children for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no children; 21 and the second took her, and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; 22 and the seven left no children. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”

24 Jesus said to them, “Is not this why you are wrong, that you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.”

The First Commandment

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the first of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one; 30 and 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.’ 31 The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher; you have truly said that he is one, and there is no other but he; 33 and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any question.

The Question about David’s Son

35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, inspired by[c] the Holy Spirit, declared,

‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit at my right hand,
till I put thy enemies under thy feet.’

37 David himself calls him Lord; so how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.

Jesus Denounces the Scribes

38 And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes, and to have salutations in the market places 39 and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 40 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Offering

41 And he sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the multitude putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came, and put in two copper coins, which make a penny. 43 And 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 For they all contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, her whole living.”

Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:15 Greek a denarius
  2. Mark 12:19 Greek his brother
  3. Mark 12:36 Or himself, in