The Parable of the Sower^(A)

13 On the same day Jesus went out of the house ^(B)and sat by the sea. ^2 (C)And great multitudes were gathered together to Him, so that ^(D)He got into a boat and sat; and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

³ Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: ^(E)“Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴ And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. ⁵ Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. ⁶ But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. ⁷ And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up and choked them. ⁸ But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some ^(F)a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. ^9 (G)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”

The Purpose of Parables^(H)

¹⁰ And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”

¹¹ He answered and said to them, “Because ^(I)it has been given to you to know the ^[a]mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. ^12 (J)For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ¹³ Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. ¹⁴ And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:

¹⁶ But ^(P)blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; ¹⁷ for assuredly, I say to you ^(Q)that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

The Parable of the Sower Explained^(R)

^18 (S)“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: ¹⁹ When anyone hears the word ^(T)of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. ²⁰ But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately ^(U)receives it with joy; ²¹ yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when ^(V)tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately ^(W)he stumbles. ²² Now ^(X)he who received seed ^(Y)among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful. ²³ But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears ^(Z)fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

²⁴ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; ²⁵ but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. ²⁶ But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. ²⁷ So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ ²⁸ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ ²⁹ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. ³⁰ Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but ^(AA)gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

The Parable of the Mustard Seed^(AB)

³¹ Another parable He put forth to them, saying: ^(AC)“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, ³² which indeed is the least of all the seeds; but when it is grown it is greater than the herbs and becomes a ^(AD)tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.”

The Parable of the Leaven^(AE)

^33 (AF)Another parable He spoke to them: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three ^[c]measures of meal till ^(AG)it was all leavened.”

Prophecy and the Parables

^34 (AH)All these things Jesus spoke to the multitude in parables; and without a parable He did not speak to them, ³⁵ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

The Parable of the Tares Explained

³⁶ Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”

³⁷ He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. ^38 (AK)The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are ^(AL)the sons of the wicked one. ³⁹ The enemy who sowed them is the devil, ^(AM)the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. ⁴⁰ Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send out His angels, ^(AN)and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, ^42 (AO)and will cast them into the furnace of fire. ^(AP)There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. ^43 (AQ)Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. ^(AR)He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure

⁴⁴ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and ^(AS)sells all that he has and ^(AT)buys that field.

The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

⁴⁵ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, ⁴⁶ who, when he had found ^(AU)one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

The Parable of the Dragnet

⁴⁷ “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and ^(AV)gathered some of every kind, ⁴⁸ which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. ⁴⁹ So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, ^(AW)separate the wicked from among the just, ⁵⁰ and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”

^51 [d]Jesus said to them, “Have you understood all these things?”

They said to Him, “Yes, ^[e]Lord.”

⁵² Then He said to them, “Therefore every ^[f]scribe instructed ^[g]concerning the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who brings out of his treasure ^(AX)things new and old.”

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth^(AY)

⁵³ Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these parables, that He departed from there. ^54 (AZ)When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, “Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? ^55 (BA)Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not His mother called Mary? And ^(BB)His brothers ^(BC)James, ^[h]Joses, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶ And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?” ⁵⁷ So they ^(BD)were offended at Him.

But Jesus said to them, ^(BE)“A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house.” ⁵⁸ Now ^(BF)He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

Who Is the Greatest?^(A)

18 At ^(B)that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

² Then Jesus called a little ^(C)child to Him, set him in the midst of them, ³ and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(D)unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. ^4 (E)Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ^5 (F)Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

Jesus Warns of Offenses^(G)

^6 (H)“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea. ⁷ Woe to the world because of ^[a]offenses! For ^(I)offenses must come, but ^(J)woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

^8 (K)“If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into ^[b]hell fire.

The Parable of the Lost Sheep^(L)

¹⁰ “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven ^(M)their angels always ^(N)see the face of My Father who is in heaven. ^11 (O)For^[c] the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.

^12 (P)“What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them goes astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine and go to the mountains to seek the one that is straying? ¹³ And if he should find it, assuredly, I say to you, he rejoices more over that sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. ¹⁴ Even so it is not the ^(Q)will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

Dealing with a Sinning Brother

¹⁵ “Moreover ^(R)if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, ^(S)you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that ^(T)‘by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.’ ¹⁷ And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a ^(U)heathen and a tax collector.

¹⁸ “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(V)whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.

^19 (W)“Again^[d] I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, ^(X)it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three are gathered ^(Y)together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? ^(Z)Up to seven times?”

²² Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, ^(AA)up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. ²³ Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. ²⁵ But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded ^(AB)that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. ²⁶ The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ ²⁷ Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.

²⁸ “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ ²⁹ So his fellow servant fell down ^[e]at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you ^[f]all.’ ³⁰ And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. ³¹ So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. ³² Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you ^(AC)all that debt because you begged me. ³³ Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ ³⁴ And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him.

^35 (AD)“So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother ^[g]his trespasses.”

Marriage and Divorce^(AE)

19 Now it came to pass, ^(AF)when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. ^2 (AG)And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

³ The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”

⁴ And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who ^[h]made them at the beginning ^(AH)‘made them male and female,’ ⁵ and said, ^(AI)‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and ^(AJ)the two shall become one flesh’? ⁶ So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

⁷ They said to Him, ^(AK)“Why then did Moses command to give a certificate of divorce, and to put her away?”

⁸ He said to them, “Moses, because of the ^(AL)hardness of your hearts, permitted you to divorce your ^(AM)wives, but from the beginning it was not so. ^9 (AN)And I say to you, whoever divorces his wife, except for ^[i]sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery; and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.”

¹⁰ His disciples said to Him, ^(AO)“If such is the case of the man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

Jesus Teaches on Celibacy

¹¹ But He said to them, ^(AP)“All cannot accept this saying, but only those to whom it has been given: ¹² For there are ^[j]eunuchs who were born thus from their mother’s womb, and ^(AQ)there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven’s sake. He who is able to accept it, let him accept it.”

Jesus Blesses Little Children^(AR)

^13 (AS)Then little children were brought to Him that He might put His hands on them and pray, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴ But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for ^(AT)of such is the kingdom of heaven.” ¹⁵ And He laid His hands on them and departed from there.

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler^(AU)

^16 (AV)Now behold, one came and said to Him, ^(AW)“Good^[k] Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?”

¹⁷ So He said to him, ^[l]“Why do you call Me good? ^[m]No one is ^(AX)good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, ^(AY)keep the commandments.”

¹⁸ He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, ^(AZ)“‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ^19 (BA)‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ^(BB)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ”

²⁰ The young man said to Him, “All these things I have ^(BC)kept ^[n]from my youth. What do I still lack?”

²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, ^(BD)go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”

²² But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

With God All Things Are Possible^(BE)

²³ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Assuredly, I say to you that ^(BF)it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. ²⁴ And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

²⁵ When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁶ But Jesus looked at them and said to them, “With men this is impossible, but ^(BG)with God all things are possible.”

²⁷ Then Peter answered and said to Him, “See, ^(BH)we have left all and followed You. Therefore what shall we have?”

²⁸ So Jesus said to them, “Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, ^(BI)you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ^29 (BJ)And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[o]or wife or children or ^[p]lands, for My name’s sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life. ^30 (BK)But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing ^[q]idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷ They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, ^[r]and whatever is right you will receive.’

⁸ “So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ ⁹ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they ^[s]complained against the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ ¹³ But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ^15 (BL)Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or ^(BM)is your eye evil because I am good?’ ^16 (BN)So the last will be first, and the first last. ^(BO)For^[t] many are called, but few chosen.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(BP)

^17 (BQ)Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ^18 (BR)“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, ^19 (BS)and deliver Him to the Gentiles to ^(BT)mock and to ^(BU)scourge and to ^(BV)crucify. And the third day He will ^(BW)rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving^(BX)

^20 (BY)Then the mother of ^(BZ)Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

²¹ And He said to her, “What do you wish?”

She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine ^(CA)may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

²² But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink ^(CB)the cup that I am about to drink, ^[u]and be baptized with ^(CC)the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

²³ So He said to them, ^(CD)“You will indeed drink My cup, ^[v]and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

^24 (CE)And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. ²⁶ Yet ^(CF)it shall not be so among you; but ^(CG)whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ^27 (CH)And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— ^28 (CI)just as the ^(CJ)Son of Man did not come to be served, ^(CK)but to serve, and ^(CL)to give His life a ransom ^(CM)for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight^(CN)

^29 (CO)Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. ³⁰ And behold, ^(CP)two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, ^(CQ)Son of David!”

³¹ Then the multitude ^(CR)warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

³² So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³³ They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” ³⁴ So Jesus had ^(CS)compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

The Triumphal Entry^(CT)

21 Now ^(CU)when they drew near Jerusalem, and came to ^[w]Bethphage, at ^(CV)the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them to Me. ³ And if anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord has need of them,’ and immediately he will send them.”

^4 [x]All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying:

^6 (CX)So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt, ^(CY)laid their clothes on them, ^[y]and set Him on them. ⁸ And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; ^(CZ)others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

^10 (DB)And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, “Who is this?”

¹¹ So the multitudes said, “This is Jesus, ^(DC)the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Jesus Cleanses the Temple^(DD)

^12 (DE)Then Jesus went into the temple ^[z]of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the ^(DF)money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹³ And He said to them, “It is written, ^(DG)‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ^(DH)‘den of thieves.’ ”

¹⁴ Then the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. ¹⁵ But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, “Hosanna to the ^(DI)Son of David!” they were ^[aa]indignant ¹⁶ and said to Him, “Do You hear what these are saying?”

And Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read,

¹⁷ Then He left them and ^(DK)went out of the city to Bethany, and He lodged there.

The Fig Tree Withered^(DL)

^18 (DM)Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. ^19 (DN)And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree^(DO)

^20 (DP)And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, “How did the fig tree wither away so soon?”

²¹ So Jesus answered and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you, ^(DQ)if you have faith and ^(DR)do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, ^(DS)but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And ^(DT)whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

Jesus’ Authority Questioned^(DU)

^23 (DV)Now when He came into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching, and ^(DW)said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”

²⁴ But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, which if you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things: ²⁵ The ^(DX)baptism of ^(DY)John—where was it from? From heaven or from men?”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ²⁶ But if we say, ‘From men,’ we ^(DZ)fear the multitude, ^(EA)for all count John as a prophet.” ²⁷ So they answered Jesus and said, “We do not know.”

And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

²⁸ “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my ^(EB)vineyard.’ ²⁹ He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. ³⁰ Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said to Him, “The first.”

Jesus said to them, ^(EC)“Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. ³² For ^(ED)John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; ^(EE)but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward ^[ab]relent and believe him.

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers^(EF)

³³ “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner ^(EG)who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vinedressers and ^(EH)went into a far country. ³⁴ Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit. ^35 (EI)And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them. ³⁷ Then last of all he sent his ^(EJ)son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ^(EK)‘This is the heir. ^(EL)Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ^39 (EM)So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

^41 (EN)They said to Him, ^(EO)“He will destroy those wicked men miserably, ^(EP)and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will ^[ac]render to him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ “Therefore I say to you, ^(ER)the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it. ⁴⁴ And ^(ES)whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, ^(ET)it will grind him to powder.”

⁴⁵ Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they ^[ad]perceived that He was speaking of them. ⁴⁶ But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they ^(EU)feared the multitudes, because ^(EV)they took Him for a prophet.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast^(EW)

22 And Jesus answered ^(EX)and spoke to them again by parables and said: ² “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, ³ and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. ⁴ Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; ^(EY)my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ ⁵ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. ⁶ And the rest seized his servants, treated them ^[ae]spitefully, and killed them. ⁷ But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out ^(EZ)his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. ⁸ Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not ^(FA)worthy. ⁹ Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.’ ¹⁰ So those servants went out into the highways and ^(FB)gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

¹¹ “But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there ^(FC)who did not have on a wedding garment. ¹² So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?’ And he was ^(FD)speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, ^[af]take him away, and cast him ^(FE)into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

^14 (FF)“For many are called, but few are chosen.”

The Pharisees: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar?^(FG)

^15 (FH)Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. ¹⁶ And they sent to Him their disciples with the ^(FI)Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not ^[ag]regard the person of men. ¹⁷ Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”

¹⁸ But Jesus ^[ah]perceived their wickedness, and said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show Me the tax money.”

So they brought Him a denarius.

²⁰ And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

²¹ They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

And He said to them, ^(FJ)“Render^[ai] therefore to Caesar the things that are ^(FK)Caesar’s, and to God the things that are ^(FL)God’s.” ²² When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?^(FM)

^23 (FN)The same day the Sadducees, ^(FO)who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, ²⁴ saying: “Teacher, ^(FP)Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁵ Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. ²⁷ Last of all the woman died also. ²⁸ Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.”

²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, “You are ^[aj]mistaken, ^(FQ)not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. ³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but ^(FR)are like angels ^[ak]of God in heaven. ³¹ But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ^32 (FS)‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” ³³ And when the multitudes heard this, ^(FT)they were astonished at His teaching.

The Scribes: Which Is the First Commandment of All?^(FU)

^34 (FV)But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. ³⁵ Then one of them, ^(FW)a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

³⁷ Jesus said to him, ^(FX)“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ^(FY)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ^40 (FZ)On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord?^(GA)

^41 (GB)While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, ⁴² saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”

They said to Him, “The ^(GC)Son of David.”

⁴³ He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying:

⁴⁵ If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” ^46 (GE)And no one was able to answer Him a word, ^(GF)nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet ^(A)the bridegroom. ^2 (B)Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ But while the bridegroom was delayed, ^(C)they all slumbered and slept.

⁶ “And at midnight ^(D)a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom ^[a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins arose and ^(E)trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and ^(F)the door was shut.

¹¹ “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ^(G)‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ ¹² But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, ^(H)I do not know you.’

^13 (I)“Watch therefore, for you ^(J)know neither the day nor the hour ^[b]in which the Son of Man is coming.

The Parable of the Talents^(K)

^14 (L)“For the kingdom of heaven is ^(M)like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. ¹⁵ And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, ^(N)to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. ¹⁶ Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. ¹⁷ And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. ¹⁸ But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. ¹⁹ After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

²⁰ “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ ²¹ His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were ^(O)faithful over a few things, ^(P)I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into ^(Q)the joy of your lord.’ ²² He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ ²³ His lord said to him, ^(R)‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into ^(S)the joy of your lord.’

²⁴ “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You ^(T)wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. ²⁷ So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

^29 (U)‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And cast the unprofitable servant ^(V)into the outer darkness. ^(W)There will be weeping and ^(X)gnashing of teeth.’

The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

^31 (Y)“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the ^[c]holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. ^32 (Z)All the nations will be gathered before Him, and ^(AA)He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ³³ And He will set the ^(AB)sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, ^(AC)inherit the kingdom ^(AD)prepared for you from the foundation of the world: ^35 (AE)for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; ^(AF)I was a stranger and you took Me in; ³⁶ I was ^(AG)naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; ^(AH)I was in prison and you came to Me.’

³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? ³⁸ When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? ³⁹ Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, ^(AI)inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

⁴¹ “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ^(AJ)‘Depart from Me, you cursed, ^(AK)into the everlasting fire prepared for ^(AL)the devil and his angels: ⁴² for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

⁴⁴ “Then they also will answer ^[d]Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, ^(AM)inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ ⁴⁶ And ^(AN)these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”