Matthew 22:15-22

New International Version

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar^(A)

¹⁵Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. ¹⁶They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.^(B) “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are. ¹⁷Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax^[a]^(C) to Caesar or not?”

¹⁸But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? ¹⁹Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, ²⁰and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

²¹“Caesar’s,” they replied.

Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s,^(D) and to God what is God’s.”

²²When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.^(E)

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Footnotes

Matthew 22:17 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens

Psalm 50:16-23

New International Version

¹⁶But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant^(A) on your lips?^(B)
¹⁷You hate^(C) my instruction
    and cast my words behind^(D) you.
¹⁸When you see a thief, you join^(E) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.^(F)
¹⁹You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.^(G)
²⁰You sit and testify against your brother^(H)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
²¹When you did these things and I kept silent,^(I)
    you thought I was exactly^[a] like you.
But I now arraign^(J) you
    and set my accusations^(K) before you.

²²“Consider this, you who forget God,^(L)
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:^(M)
²³Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless^[b] I will show my salvation.^(N)”

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Footnotes

Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.