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)

Jacob Meets Esau

33 Jacob looked up and there was Esau, coming with his four hundred men;^(A) so he divided the children among Leah, Rachel and the two female servants.^{(B) 2} He put the female servants and their children^(C) in front, Leah and her children next, and Rachel and Joseph^(D) in the rear. ³ He himself went on ahead and bowed down to the ground^(E) seven times^(F) as he approached his brother.

⁴ But Esau^(G) ran to meet Jacob and embraced him; he threw his arms around his neck and kissed him.^(H) And they wept.^{(I) 5} Then Esau looked up and saw the women and children. “Who are these with you?” he asked.

Jacob answered, “They are the children God has graciously given your servant.^(J)”

⁶ Then the female servants and their children^(K) approached and bowed down.^{(L) 7} Next, Leah and her children^(M) came and bowed down.^(N) Last of all came Joseph and Rachel,^(O) and they too bowed down.

⁸ Esau asked, “What’s the meaning of all these flocks and herds I met?”^(P)

“To find favor in your eyes, my lord,”^(Q) he said.

⁹ But Esau said, “I already have plenty,^(R) my brother. Keep what you have for yourself.”

¹⁰ “No, please!” said Jacob. “If I have found favor in your eyes,^(S) accept this gift^(T) from me. For to see your face is like seeing the face of God,^(U) now that you have received me favorably.^{(V) 11} Please accept the present^(W) that was brought to you, for God has been gracious to me^(X) and I have all I need.”^(Y) And because Jacob insisted,^(Z) Esau accepted it.

¹² Then Esau said, “Let us be on our way; I’ll accompany you.”

¹³ But Jacob said to him, “My lord^(AA) knows that the children are tender and that I must care for the ewes and cows that are nursing their young.^(AB) If they are driven hard just one day, all the animals will die. ¹⁴ So let my lord go on ahead of his servant, while I move along slowly at the pace of the flocks and herds^(AC) before me and the pace of the children, until I come to my lord in Seir.^(AD)”

¹⁵ Esau said, “Then let me leave some of my men with you.”

“But why do that?” Jacob asked. “Just let me find favor in the eyes of my lord.”^(AE)

¹⁶ So that day Esau started on his way back to Seir.^{(AF) 17} Jacob, however, went to Sukkoth,^(AG) where he built a place for himself and made shelters for his livestock. That is why the place is called Sukkoth.^[a]

¹⁸ After Jacob came from Paddan Aram,^[b](AH) he arrived safely at the city of Shechem^(AI) in Canaan and camped within sight of the city. ¹⁹ For a hundred pieces of silver,^[c] he bought from the sons of Hamor,^(AJ) the father of Shechem,^(AK) the plot of ground^(AL) where he pitched his tent.^{(AM) 20} There he set up an altar^(AN) and called it El Elohe Israel.^[d]

Dinah and the Shechemites

34 Now Dinah,^(AO) the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. ² When Shechem^(AP) son of Hamor^(AQ) the Hivite,^(AR) the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her.^{(AS) 3} His heart was drawn to Dinah^(AT) daughter of Jacob;^(AU) he loved^(AV) the young woman and spoke tenderly^(AW) to her. ⁴ And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”^(AX)

⁵ When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled,^(AY) his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

⁶ Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob.^{(AZ) 7} Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked^(BA) and furious,^(BB) because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in^[e] Israel^(BC) by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.^(BD)

⁸ But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife.^{(BE) 9} Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves.^{(BF) 10} You can settle among us;^(BG) the land is open to you.^(BH) Live in it, trade^[f] in it,^(BI) and acquire property in it.^(BJ)”

¹¹ Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes,^(BK) and I will give you whatever you ask. ¹² Make the price for the bride^(BL) and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

¹³ Because their sister Dinah had been defiled,^(BM) Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully^(BN) as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. ¹⁴ They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised.^(BO) That would be a disgrace to us. ¹⁵ We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition^(BP) only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males.^{(BQ) 16} Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves.^(BR) We’ll settle among you and become one people with you.^{(BS) 17} But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

¹⁸ Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. ¹⁹ The young man, who was the most honored^(BT) of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter.^{(BU) 20} So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city^(BV) to speak to the men of their city. ²¹ “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it;^(BW) the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours.^{(BX) 22} But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised,^(BY) as they themselves are. ²³ Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours?^(BZ) So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.^(CA)”

²⁴ All the men who went out of the city gate^(CB) agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

²⁵ Three days later, while all of them were still in pain,^(CC) two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon^(CD) and Levi,^(CE) Dinah’s brothers, took their swords^(CF) and attacked the unsuspecting city,^(CG) killing every male.^{(CH) 26} They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword^(CI) and took Dinah^(CJ) from Shechem’s house and left. ²⁷ The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city^(CK) where^[g] their sister had been defiled.^{(CL) 28} They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys^(CM) and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields.^{(CN) 29} They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children,^(CO) taking as plunder^(CP) everything in the houses.^(CQ)

³⁰ Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble^(CR) on me by making me obnoxious^(CS) to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land.^(CT) We are few in number,^(CU) and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

³¹ But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?^(CV)”

Jacob Returns to Bethel

35 Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel^(CW) and settle there, and build an altar^(CX) there to God,^(CY) who appeared to you^(CZ) when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”^(DA)

² So Jacob said to his household^(DB) and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods^(DC) you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.^{(DD) 3} Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God,^(DE) who answered me in the day of my distress^(DF) and who has been with me wherever I have gone.^(DG)” ⁴ So they gave Jacob all the foreign gods they had and the rings in their ears,^(DH) and Jacob buried them under the oak^(DI) at Shechem.^{(DJ) 5} Then they set out, and the terror of God^(DK) fell on the towns all around them so that no one pursued them.^(DL)

⁶ Jacob and all the people with him came to Luz^(DM) (that is, Bethel) in the land of Canaan.^{(DN) 7} There he built an altar,^(DO) and he called the place El Bethel,^[h](DP) because it was there that God revealed himself to him^(DQ) when he was fleeing from his brother.^(DR)

⁸ Now Deborah, Rebekah’s nurse,^(DS) died and was buried under the oak^(DT) outside Bethel.^(DU) So it was named Allon Bakuth.^[i]

⁹ After Jacob returned from Paddan Aram,^[j](DV) God appeared to him again and blessed him.^{(DW) 10} God said to him, “Your name is Jacob,^[k] but you will no longer be called Jacob; your name will be Israel.^[l]”^(DX) So he named him Israel.

¹¹ And God said to him, “I am God Almighty^[m];^(DY) be fruitful and increase in number.^(DZ) A nation^(EA) and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.^{(EB) 12} The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.^(EC)”^{(ED) 13} Then God went up from him^(EE) at the place where he had talked with him.

¹⁴ Jacob set up a stone pillar^(EF) at the place where God had talked with him, and he poured out a drink offering^(EG) on it; he also poured oil on it.^{(EH) 15} Jacob called the place where God had talked with him Bethel.^[n](EI)

The Deaths of Rachel and Isaac^(EJ)

¹⁶ Then they moved on from Bethel. While they were still some distance from Ephrath,^(EK) Rachel^(EL) began to give birth and had great difficulty. ¹⁷ And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife^(EM) said to her, “Don’t despair, for you have another son.”^{(EN) 18} As she breathed her last—for she was dying—she named her son Ben-Oni.^[o](EO) But his father named him Benjamin.^[p](EP)

¹⁹ So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath^(EQ) (that is, Bethlehem^(ER)). ²⁰ Over her tomb Jacob set up a pillar, and to this day^(ES) that pillar marks Rachel’s tomb.^(ET)

²¹ Israel moved on again and pitched his tent beyond Migdal Eder.^{(EU) 22} While Israel was living in that region, Reuben went in and slept with his father’s concubine^(EV) Bilhah,^(EW) and Israel heard of it.

Jacob had twelve sons:

These were the sons of Jacob,^(FI) who were born to him in Paddan Aram.^(FJ)

²⁷ Jacob came home to his father Isaac^(FK) in Mamre,^(FL) near Kiriath Arba^(FM) (that is, Hebron),^(FN) where Abraham and Isaac had stayed.^{(FO) 28} Isaac lived a hundred and eighty years.^{(FP) 29} Then he breathed his last and died and was gathered to his people,^(FQ) old and full of years.^(FR) And his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.^(FS)