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Mark 12:13-17
New International Version
Mark 12:13-17
New International Version
Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar(A)
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians(B) to Jesus to catch him(C) 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[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.”(D)
And they were amazed at him.
Footnotes
- Mark 12:14 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens
Mark 12:13-17
New American Standard Bible
Mark 12:13-17
New American Standard Bible
Jesus Answers the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Scribes
13 (A)Then they *sent some of the Pharisees and (B)Herodians to Him in order to (C)trap Him in a statement. 14 They came and *said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and [a]do not care what anyone thinks; for You [b]are not partial to anyone, but You teach the way of God in truth. Is it [c]permissible to pay a [d]poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15 Are we to pay, or not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a [e]denarius to look at.” 16 And they brought one. And He *said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 And Jesus said to them, “(D)Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at Him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Mark 12:14 Lit it is not a concern to You about anyone
- Mark 12:14 Lit do not look at the face of people
- Mark 12:14 I.e., by Jewish law and tradition
- Mark 12:14 I.e., a tax on each person in the census
- Mark 12:15 The denarius was a day’s wages for a laborer
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New American Standard Bible (NASB) 
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