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Matthew 22
Easy-to-Read Version
Matthew 22
Easy-to-Read Version
A Story About People Invited to a Dinner(A)
22 Jesus used some more stories to teach the people. He said, 2 “God’s kingdom is like a king who prepared a wedding feast for his son. 3 He invited some people to the feast. When it was ready, the king sent his servants to tell the people to come. But they refused to come to the king’s feast.
4 “Then the king sent some more servants. He said to them, ‘I have already invited the people. So tell them that my feast is ready. I have killed my best bulls and calves to be eaten. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.’
5 “But when the servants told the people to come, they refused to listen. They all went to do other things. One went to work in his field, and another went to his business. 6 Some of the other people grabbed the servants, beat them, and killed them. 7 The king was very angry. He sent his army to kill those who murdered his servants. And the army burned their city.
8 “After that the king said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready. I invited those people, but they were not good enough to come to my feast. 9 So go to the street corners and invite everyone you see. Tell them to come to my feast.’ 10 So the servants went into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, good and bad alike, and brought them to where the wedding feast was ready. And the place was filled with guests.
11 “When the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed in the right clothes for a wedding. 12 The king said, ‘Friend, how were you allowed to come in here? You are not wearing the right clothes.’ But the man said nothing. 13 So the king told some servants, ‘Tie this man’s hands and feet. Throw him out into the darkness, where people are crying and grinding their teeth with pain.’
14 “Yes, many people are invited. But only a few are chosen.”
The Jewish Leaders Try to Trick Jesus(B)
15 Then the Pharisees left the place where Jesus was teaching. They made plans to catch him saying something wrong. 16 They sent some men to Jesus. They were some of their own followers and some from the group called Herodians. They said, “Teacher, we know you are an honest man. We know you teach the truth about God’s way. You are not afraid of what others think about you. All people are the same to you. 17 So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. So he said, “You hypocrites! Why are you trying to catch me saying something wrong? 19 Show me a coin used for paying the tax.” They showed Jesus a silver coin. 20 Then he asked, “Whose picture is on the coin? And whose name is written on the coin?”
21 They answered, “It is Caesar’s picture and Caesar’s name.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
22 When they heard what Jesus said, they were amazed. They left him and went away.
Some Sadducees Try to Trick Jesus(C)
23 That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no one will rise from death.) The Sadducees asked Jesus a question. 24 They said, “Teacher, Moses told us that if a married man dies and had no children, his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother.[a] 25 There were seven brothers among us. The first brother married but died. He had no children. So his brother married the woman. 26 Then the second brother also died. The same thing happened to the third brother and all the other brothers. 27 The woman was the last to die. 28 But all seven men had married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will she be?”
29 Jesus answered, “You are so wrong! You don’t know what the Scriptures say. And you don’t know anything about God’s power. 30 At the time when people rise from death, there will be no marriage. People will not be married to each other. Everyone will be like the angels in heaven. 31 Surely you have read what God said to you about people rising from death. 32 God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[b] So they were not still dead, because he is the God only of living people.”
33 When the people heard this, they were amazed at Jesus’ teaching.
Which Command Is the Most Important?(D)
34 The Pharisees learned that Jesus had made the Sadducees look so foolish that they stopped trying to argue with him. So the Pharisees had a meeting. 35 Then one of them, an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus a question to test him. 36 He said, “Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?”
37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and most important command. 39 And the second command is like the first: ‘Love your neighbor[d] the same as you love yourself.’[e] 40 All of the law and the writings of the prophets take their meaning from these two commands.”
Is the Messiah David’s Son or David’s Lord?(E)
41 So while the Pharisees were together, Jesus asked them a question. 42 He said, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
The Pharisees answered, “The Messiah is the Son of David.”
43 Jesus said to them, “Then why did David call him ‘Lord’? David was speaking by the power of the Spirit. He said,
44 ‘The Lord God said to my Lord:
Sit by me at my right side,
and I will put your enemies under your control.[f]’ (F)
45 David calls the Messiah ‘Lord.’ So how can he be David’s son?”
46 None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus’ question. And after that day, no one was brave enough to ask him any more questions.
Footnotes
- Matthew 22:24 if … dead brother See Deut. 25:5, 6.
- Matthew 22:32
Quote from Ex. 3:6. - Matthew 22:37
Quote from Deut. 6:5. - Matthew 22:39 your neighbor Or “others.” Jesus’ teaching in Lk. 10:25-37 makes clear that this includes anyone in need.
- Matthew 22:39
Quote from Lev. 19:18. - Matthew 22:44 control Literally, “feet.”
Matthew 22
New International Version
Matthew 22
New International Version
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet(A)
22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like(B) a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants(C) to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.
4 “Then he sent some more servants(D) and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’
5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers(E) and burned their city.
8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners(F) and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good,(G) and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11 “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend(H)?’ The man was speechless.
13 “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’(I)
14 “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”(J)
Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar(K)
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words. 16 They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians.(L) “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. 17 Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a](M) to Caesar or not?”
18 But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, “You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? 19 Show me the coin used for paying the tax.” They brought him a denarius, 20 and 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,(N) and to God what is God’s.”
22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.(O)
Marriage at the Resurrection(P)
23 That same day the Sadducees,(Q) who say there is no resurrection,(R) came to him with a question. 24 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him.(S) 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?”
29 Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures(T) or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage;(U) they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[b]?(V) He is not the God of the dead but of the living.”
33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.(W)
The Greatest Commandment(X)
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,(Y) the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law,(Z) tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c](AA) 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d](AB) 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”(AC)
Whose Son Is the Messiah?(AD)
41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,”(AE) they replied.
43 He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,
44 “‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your feet.”’[e](AF)
45 If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” 46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.(AG)
Footnotes
- Matthew 22:17 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens
- Matthew 22:32 Exodus 3:6
- Matthew 22:37 Deut. 6:5
- Matthew 22:39 Lev. 19:18
- Matthew 22:44 Psalm 110:1
Mateyu 22
Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero
Mateyu 22
Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero
Fanizo la Phwando la Ukwati
22 Yesu anayankhula nawonso mʼmafanizo, nati, 2 “Ufumu wakumwamba uli ngati mfumu imene inakonzera phwando mwana wake wamwamuna. 3 Anatumiza antchito ake kwa amene anayitanidwa kuphwando koma anakana kubwera.
4 “Kenaka anatumiza antchito ena nati, ‘Awuzeni oyitanidwa kuti phwando lakonzedwa: ndapha ngʼombe yayimuna ndi nyama zina zonenepa ndipo zonse zakonzedwa. Bwerani ku phwando laukwati.’
5 “Koma iwo sanalabadire ndipo anachoka; wina anapita ku munda wake ndi wina ku malonda ake. 6 Ndipo otsalawo anagwira antchito ake, nawazunza ndi kuwapha. 7 Mfumu inakwiya. Inatumiza asilikali ake ndipo anawononga opha anzawowo ndi kutentha mzinda wawo.
8 “Pamenepo anati kwa antchito ake, ‘Phwando laukwati lakonzedwa, koma amene ndinawayitana sanali oyenera. 9 Pitani ku mphambano za misewu ndipo kayitaneni aliyense amene mukamupeze kuti abwere ku phwando.’ 10 Pamenepo antchitowo anapita ku misewu nakasonkhanitsa anthu onse amene anakawapeza, abwino ndi oyipa omwe, ndipo nyumba ya madyerero inadzaza ndi oyitanidwa.
11 “Koma pamene mfumu inabwera kudzaona oyitanidwawo, inaona munthu amene sanavale zovala zaukwati. 12 Inamufunsa kuti, ‘Bwenzi walowa bwanji muno wopanda zovala zaukwati?’ Munthuyo anakhala chete.
13 “Pamenepo mfumuyo inawuza otumikira kuti, ‘Mʼmangeni manja ndi miyendo, ndipo muponyeni kunja, ku mdima kumene kudzakhale kulira ndi kukuta mano.’
14 “Popeza oyitanidwa ndi ambiri koma osankhidwa ndi ochepa.”
Za Kupereka Msonkho
15 Kenaka Afarisi anatuluka nakakonza njira zomupezera zifukwa Yesu mʼmawu ake. 16 Anatumiza ophunzira awo kwa Iye pamodzi ndi Aherodia. Anati, “Aphunzitsi, tidziwa kuti ndinu wangwiro ndi kuti mumaphunzitsa mawu a Mulungu monga mwa choonadi. Simutekeseka ndi anthu, popeza simusamala kuti kodi ndi ndani? 17 Tiwuzeni tsono maganizo anu ndi otani, kodi nʼkololedwa kupereka msonkho kwa Kaisara kapena ayi?”
18 Koma Yesu podziwa maganizo awo oyipa anati, “Inu achiphamaso, bwanji mufuna kundipezera chifukwa? 19 Onetseni ndalama imene mumapereka msonkho.” Iwo anabweretsa dinari, 20 ndipo anawafunsa kuti, “Kodi chithunzi ichi ndi malemba awa ndi za ndani?”
21 Iwo anayankha kuti, “Ndi za Kaisara.”
Pamenepo anawawuza kuti, “Perekani kwa Kaisara zake za Kaisara, ndi kwa Mulungu zake za Mulungu.”
22 Atamva izi, anadabwa, ndipo anamusiya Iye, nachoka.
Ukwati ndi za Kuuka kwa Akufa
23 Tsiku lomwelo Asaduki amene amati kulibe za kuukanso, anabwera kwa Iye ndi funso. 24 Iwo anati, “Aphunzitsi, Mose anatiwuza kuti munthu akamwalira wosasiya ana, mʼbale wake akuyenera kukwatira mkazi wamasiyeyo kuti amuberekere ana mʼbale wakeyo. 25 Tsopano panali abale asanu ndi awiri pakati pathu. Woyambayo anakwatira ndipo anamwalira, ndipo popeza analibe ana, mʼbale wake analowa chokolo. 26 Izi zinachitikiranso mʼbale wa chiwiri ndi wachitatu mpaka wachisanu ndi chiwiri. 27 Pa mapeto pake mkaziyo anamwaliranso. 28 Tsopano, kodi akadzaukitsidwa adzakhala mkazi wa ndani mwa asanu ndi awiriwa popeza aliyense anamukwatirapo?”
29 Yesu anayankha kuti, “Inu mukulakwitsa chifukwa simukudziwa malemba kapena mphamvu ya Mulungu. 30 Anthu akadzaukitsidwa, sadzakwatira kapena kukwatiwa; adzakhala ngati angelo kumwamba. 31 Koma za kuukitsidwa kwa akufa, kodi simunawerenge zimene Mulungu ananena kwa inu kuti, 32 ‘Ine ndine Mulungu wa Abrahamu, Mulungu wa Isake ndi Mulungu wa Yakobo?’ Iyeyo si Mulungu wa akufa koma wa amoyo.”
33 Magulu a anthu atamva zimenezi, anazizwa ndi chiphunzitso chake.
Lamulo Lalikulu Koposa
34 Pakumva kuti Yesu anawakhalitsa chete Asaduki, Afarisi anasonkhana pamodzi. 35 Mmodzi wa iwo, katswiri wa malamulo anamuyesa Iye ndi funso ndipo anati, 36 “Aphunzitsi, kodi lamulo lalikulu koposa mu malamulo ndi liti?” 37 Yesu anayankha kuti, “Uzikonda Yehova Mulungu wako ndi mtima wako wonse ndi moyo wako wonse ndi nzeru zako zonse. 38 Ili ndi lamulo loyamba ndi loposa onse. 39 Ndipo lachiwiri ndi lofanana nalo: ‘Konda mnansi wako monga iwe mwini.’ 40 Malamulo onse ndi aneneri zakhazikika pa malamulo awiriwa.”
Kodi Khristu ndi Mwana wa Ndani?
41 Afarisi atasonkhana pamodzi, Yesu anawafunsa kuti, 42 “Kodi mukuganiza bwanji za Khristu? Ndi Mwana wa ndani?”
Iwo anayankha kuti, “Mwana wa Davide.”
43 Iye anawawuza kuti, “Nanga zikutheka bwanji kuti Davide poyankhula mwa Mzimu Woyera amatchula Iye ‘Ambuye?’ Pakuti akuti,
44 “Ambuye anati kwa Ambuye wanga:
‘Khala pa dzanja langa lamanja
mpaka ndiyike adani ako
pansi pa mapazi ako.’
45 Ngati tsono Davide amamutchula ‘Ambuye,’ zingatheke bwanji kukhala mwana wake?” 46 Panalibe wina anatha kuyankha, ndipo kuchokera pamenepo, panalibe wina anayerekeza kumufunsa funso.
Matthew 22
Living Bible
Matthew 22
Living Bible
22 1-2 Jesus told several other stories to show what the Kingdom of Heaven is like.
“For instance,” he said, “it can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding dinner for his son. 3 Many guests were invited, and when the banquet was ready, he sent messengers to notify everyone that it was time to come. But all refused! 4 So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘Everything is ready and the roast is in the oven. Hurry!’
5 “But the guests he had invited merely laughed and went on about their business, one to his farm, another to his store; 6 others beat up his messengers and treated them shamefully, even killing some of them.
7 “Then the angry king sent out his army and destroyed the murderers and burned their city. 8 And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. 9 Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’
10 “So the servants did, and brought in all they could find, good and bad alike; and the banquet hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn’t wearing the wedding robe provided for him.[a]
12 “‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how does it happen that you are here without a wedding robe?’ And the man had no reply.
13 “Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
15 Then the Pharisees met together to try to think of some way to trap Jesus into saying something for which they could arrest him. 16 They decided to send some of their men along with the Herodians[b] to ask him this question: “Sir, we know you are very honest and teach the truth regardless of the consequences, without fear or favor. 17 Now tell us, is it right to pay taxes to the Roman government or not?”
18 But Jesus saw what they were after. “You hypocrites!” he exclaimed. “Who are you trying to fool with your trick questions? 19 Here, show me a coin.” And they handed him a penny.
20 “Whose picture is stamped on it?” he asked them. “And whose name is this beneath the picture?”
21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.
“Well, then,” he said, “give it to Caesar if it is his, and give God everything that belongs to God.”
22 His reply surprised and baffled them, and they went away.
23 But that same day some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection after death, came to him and asked, 24 “Sir, Moses said that if a man died without children, his brother should marry the widow and their children would get all the dead man’s property. 25 Well, we had among us a family of seven brothers. The first of these men married and then died, without children, so his widow became the second brother’s wife. 26 This brother also died without children, and the wife was passed to the next brother, and so on until she had been the wife of each of them. 27 And then she also died. 28 So whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For she was the wife of all seven of them!”
29 But Jesus said, “Your error is caused by your ignorance of the Scriptures and of God’s power! 30 For in the resurrection there is no marriage; everyone is as the angels in heaven. 31 But now, as to whether there is a resurrection of the dead—don’t you ever read the Scriptures? Don’t you realize that God was speaking directly to you when he said, 32
33 The crowds were profoundly impressed by his answers— 34-35 but not the Pharisees! When they heard that he had routed the Sadducees with his reply, they thought up a fresh question of their own to ask him. One of them, a lawyer, spoke up: 36 “Sir, which is the most important command in the laws of Moses?”
37 Jesus replied, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’ 38-39 This is the first and greatest commandment. The second most important is similar: ‘Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.’ 40 All the other commandments and all the demands of the prophets stem from these two laws and are fulfilled if you obey them. Keep only these and you will find that you are obeying all the others.”
41 Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, he asked them a question: 42 “What about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
43 “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, call him ‘Lord’?” Jesus asked. “For David said,
44 ‘God said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies beneath your feet.’
45 Since David called him ‘Lord,’ how can he be merely his son?”
46 They had no answer. And after that no one dared ask him any more questions.
Footnotes
- Matthew 22:11 provided for him, implied.
- Matthew 22:16 the Herodians were a Jewish political party.
- Matthew 22:32 of the living, i.e., if Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, long dead, were not alive in the presence of God, then God would have said, “I was the God of Abraham, etc.”
Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)
Copyright © 2006 by Bible League International
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero (CCL)
The Word of God in Contemporary Chichewa Copyright © 2002, 2016 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide. Mawu a Mulungu mu Chichewa Chalero Mwini © 2002, 2016 ndi Biblica, Inc.® Kugwiritsa ntchito mwachilolezo. Umwini ndi otetezedwa pa dziko lonse.
Living Bible (TLB)
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.