Matthew 22
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus tells a story about a meal at a marriage
22 Jesus continued to teach the people with stories. 2 He said, ‘This is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A king prepared a special meal for his son's marriage. 3 He asked many people to come. When the meal was ready, he sent his servants out to tell those people to come. But they refused to come.
4 So the king then sent out other servants. He said to them, “Tell this message to all those people that I have asked to come. Tell them that the master says, ‘My servants have prepared the meal. They have killed my large oxen and some fat young cows to eat. Everything is ready. Now come to the marriage party!’ ”
5 But the people did not think that the king's message was important. They went away to do their own work. One man went to his farm and another man went to his business. 6 Other people took hold of the king's servants. They hurt them and then they killed them. 7 The king was very angry. He sent his soldiers to the city where those people lived. They killed the people who killed the king's servants. They destroyed their city with fire.
8 Then the king said to his other servants, “The meal for my son's marriage is ready. But the people that I had asked to come did not deserve to come. 9 So go out now to the town's streets where people meet together. Ask all the people that you find there to come to the marriage party.” 10 Then those servants went out into the streets. They brought to the king's house all the people that they met. Some were good people and some were bad people. Very many people came. The room for the marriage was full!
11 Then the king came into the room to see all the people. He saw one man who was not wearing the right clothes for a marriage.[a] 12 The king said to the man, “How did you come in here, my friend? You are not wearing the right clothes for a marriage.” The man could not answer the king.
13 The king said to his servants, “Tie his hands and his feet. Take him and throw him into the dark place outside. There, people will cry and they will bite their teeth together.”
14 God asks many people to come to him. But he only chooses a few people to be there with him.’
The Pharisees ask Jesus about taxes
15 After the Pharisees heard this, they thought about what they could do. They wanted to ask Jesus difficult questions. They wanted to make him say something wrong about the Roman ruler. 16 So the Pharisees sent their own disciples to Jesus. They also sent people who were friends of King Herod. They said to Jesus, ‘Teacher, we know that you only say true things. You teach us what God wants us to do. It does not matter to you what other people think. If someone is important, you do not change your answers to make them happy. 17 So tell us your answer to this question: Should we pay our taxes to the Roman ruler, Caesar? Is it right to give that money to him, or not?’
18 Jesus knew that these men wanted to do bad things to him. So he said to them, ‘You are asking that question to cause trouble for me. You are not being honest! 19 Now, show me the coin that you use for the tax.’ So they brought a coin to him. 20 Then Jesus asked them, ‘Whose picture is on this coin? Whose name is on it?’
21 They replied, ‘It is Caesar's picture and Caesar's name.’
Jesus said to them, ‘So you should give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar. And give to God the things that belong to God.’
22 When they heard Jesus' answer, they were very surprised. So they left him and they went away.
The Sadducees ask Jesus a question
23 On that day, some Sadducees also came to Jesus. Sadducees do not believe that anyone becomes alive again after they die. They wanted to ask Jesus a question.[b]
24 ‘Teacher,’ they said to him, ‘Moses said in the Bible: A man may die and leave behind a wife but no children. Then that man's brother must marry the woman. Then their children will be called the children of the brother who died. 25 Once, there were seven brothers who lived here. The oldest brother married a woman. Then he died before they had any children. So the second brother married the woman. 26 But then he also died with no children. So a third brother married this woman. And the same thing happened to all the brothers down to the seventh brother. They all died before the woman had any children. 27 After all this, the woman also died. 28 You teach that one day dead people will become alive again. On that day, whose wife will that woman be? She had married all seven of those brothers.’
29 Jesus said to the Sadducees, ‘You are wrong. This is because you do not know the Bible. And you do not know how powerful God is. 30 One day, God will raise people up after they have died. They will become alive again. But then men and women will not marry. They will not have husbands or wives. Instead, they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 It is true that one day dead people will become alive again. You have read in the Bible about what God said to you: 32 “I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.” God is not the God of people who are dead. He is the God of people who are alive.’[c]
33 The crowd heard this. They were very surprised about what Jesus was teaching.
Jesus teaches the Pharisees about the most important Law
34 The Pharisees heard that Jesus had said these things to the Sadducees. Now the Sadducees could not say anything more to him. So the Pharisees met together. They decided what they would say to Jesus.
35 One of the Pharisees had studied God's Law very well. He asked Jesus a question to see how he would answer. 36 He said, ‘Teacher, which of God's Laws is the most important rule for us to obey?’
37 Jesus replied to him, ‘You should love the Lord your God completely: Love him with all your mind. Love him with all that you are. Love him in all that you think. 38 This is the greatest rule and the most important of all God's Laws. 39 The second rule is also important, like the first one. You should love other people as much as you love yourself. 40 All God's Laws that Moses gave us come from these two rules. All the things that the prophets wrote also come from them.’
Jesus teaches people about the Messiah
41 While the Pharisees met together with Jesus, he asked them, 42 ‘What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?’
The Pharisees replied, ‘He will be King David's son.’
43 Jesus said to them, ‘So think about this: God's Holy Spirit helped King David to call the Messiah his Lord. David said, 44 “The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit at my right side until I win against your enemies.
Then you will be able to put your feet on them.”
45 We know that King David calls the Messiah his Lord. So can you really say that the Messiah is David's son?’ 46 Nobody could answer the question that Jesus asked. After this, everyone was afraid to ask Jesus any more questions.
Footnotes
- 22:11 At that time, a man asked his friends to a special meal when he got married. He also gave them special clothes to wear. They wore these clothes when they came in to the meal. In the story, people came in from the streets, so they were not wearing special clothes. One person had not accepted the special clothes that the king gave to him. The special clothes are like what God gives us because of Jesus. Each person must accept what God gives. A person cannot save himself. That is what Jesus is teaching in this story.
- 22:23 The Sadducees were a group of Jewish leaders.
- 22:32 See Exodus 3:6.
Matthew 22
Christian Standard Bible Anglicised
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
22 Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables: 2 ‘The kingdom of heaven(A) is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.(B) 3 He sent his servants to summon those invited to the banquet,(C) but they didn’t want to come. 4 Again, he sent out other servants and said, “Tell those who are invited: See, I’ve prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”(D)
5 ‘But they paid no attention and went away, one to his own farm, another to his business, 6 while the rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king[a] was enraged, and he sent out his troops, killed those murderers, and burned down their city.
8 ‘Then he told his servants, “The banquet is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.(E) 9 Go then to where the roads exit the city and invite everyone you find to the banquet.”(F) 10 So those servants went out on the roads and gathered everyone they found, both evil and good. The wedding banquet was filled with guests.[b] 11 When the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who was not dressed for a wedding.(G) 12 So he said to him, “Friend,(H) how did you get in here without wedding clothes? ” The man was speechless.
13 ‘Then the king told the attendants, “Tie him up hand and foot,[c] and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
14 ‘For many are invited, but few are chosen.’(I)
God and Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees went and plotted how to trap him by what he said.[d](J) 16 So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians.(K) ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know that you are truthful and teach truthfully the way of God. You don’t care what anyone thinks nor do you show partiality.[e](L) 17 Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar(M) or not? ’
18 Perceiving their malicious intent, Jesus said, ‘Why are you testing me, hypocrites? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.’ They brought him a denarius.[f] 20 ‘Whose image and inscription is this? ’ he asked them.
21 ‘Caesar’s,’ they said to him.
Then he said to them, ‘Give, then, to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’(N) 22 When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
The Sadducees and the Resurrection
23 That same day some Sadducees,(O) who say there is no resurrection, came up to him and questioned him:(P) 24 ‘Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.[g](Q) 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second also, and the third, and so on to all seven. 27 Last of all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.’[h]
29 Jesus answered them, ‘You are mistaken, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like[i] angels in heaven.(R) 31 Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: 32 I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?(S)[j] He[k] is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’
33 And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
The Primary Commands
34 When(T) the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him:(U) 36 ‘Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest? ’
37 He said to him, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.[l](V) 38 This is the greatest and most important[m] command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbour as yourself.[n](W) 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend[o] on these two commands.’(X)
The Question about the Messiah
41 While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them,(Y) 42 ‘What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he? ’
They replied, ‘David’s.’
43 He asked them, ‘How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit,[p] calls him “Lord”(Z):
44 The Lord declared to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet”?[q](AA)[r]
45 ‘If David calls him “Lord,” how, then, can he be his son? ’ 46 No one was able to answer him at all,[s] and from that day on no one dared to question him any more.(AB)
Footnotes
- 22:7 Other mss read But when the (that) king heard about it he
- 22:10 Lit those reclining (to eat)
- 22:13 Other mss add take him away
- 22:15 Lit trap him in a word
- 22:16 Lit don’t look on the face of men
- 22:19 A denarius = one day’s wage
- 22:24 Dt 25:5
- 22:28 Lit all had her
- 22:30 Other mss add God’s
- 22:32 Ex 3:6,15–16
- 22:32 Other mss read God
- 22:37 Dt 6:5
- 22:38 Lit and first
- 22:39 Lv 19:18
- 22:40 Or hang
- 22:43 Lit David in Spirit
- 22:44 Other mss read until I make your enemies your footstool’
- 22:44 Ps 110:1
- 22:46 Lit answer him a word
Mattheüs 22
Het Boek
Gelijkenissen van Jezus
22 Opnieuw richtte Jezus zich tot hen met gelijkenissen. 2 ‘Het Koninkrijk van de hemelen lijkt op een koning die de bruiloft van zijn zoon voorbereidde. 3 Hij stuurde zijn knechten erop uit om de gasten te gaan uitnodigen, maar niemand wilde komen. 4 Daarom stuurde hij andere knechten erop uit om te zeggen: “Alles staat klaar. Het mestvee is geslacht en klaargemaakt, kom vlug naar het huwelijksfeest!” 5 Maar de mensen die uitgenodigd waren, haalden hun schouders op en gingen aan hun werk. De één naar zijn boerderij, de ander naar zijn zaak. 6 Weer anderen grepen de knechten van de koning en mishandelden hen. Sommigen zo erg dat ze stierven. 7 De koning was woedend. Hij stuurde zijn leger erop uit om de moordenaars te doden en hun stad plat te branden. 8 Daarna zei hij tegen zijn knechten: “Het feestmaal is klaar. Maar de mensen die ik had uitgenodigd, waren het niet waard. 9 Ga nu naar de drukste wegen en nodig iedereen uit die je daar ziet.” 10 De knechten gingen de straat op en brachten alle mensen binnen die zij konden vinden, zowel goede als slechte. Al gauw zat de feestzaal vol gasten. 11 De koning kwam binnen om de gasten te begroeten. Ineens zag hij iemand die geen feestkleding droeg. 12 “Beste vriend,” zei hij, “Hoe is het mogelijk dat u hier zonder feestkleding zit?” Maar de man had geen antwoord.
13 De koning zei tegen zijn dienaren: “Bind hem vast en gooi hem buiten in de diepste duisternis. Daar zal hij vergaan van wroeging en verdriet.” 14 Velen zijn geroepen, maar weinigen zijn uitgekozen.’
15 De Farizeeën gingen weg om te overleggen hoe zij Jezus op een woord zouden kunnen vangen. 16 Zij kwamen tot een besluit en stuurden een paar van hun leerlingen met enkele aanhangers van Herodes naar Hem toe met een vraag. ‘Meester, wij weten dat U eerlijk bent. U vertelt de waarheid over de weg naar God. Het maakt u niet uit wie U voor U hebt. 17 Nu hebben wij een vraag: is het toegestaan de keizer belasting te betalen of niet?’ 18 Maar Jezus had hen wel door. ‘Stelletje huichelaars!’ zei Hij. ‘Waarom proberen jullie altijd Mij erin te laten lopen? 19 Geef Mij eens een geldstuk.’ Zij gaven Hem er één. 20 Hij vroeg hun: ‘Wiens portret en opschrift staan erop?’ 21 ‘Van de keizer,’ antwoordden zij. ‘Wel,’ zei Hij, ‘geef dan aan de keizer wat van de keizer is en aan God wat van God is.’ 22 Daar hadden zij niet van terug. Ze lieten hem met rust en gingen weg.
23 Nog diezelfde dag kwamen er enkele Sadduceeën naar Hem toe. De Sadduceeën beweerden dat de doden niet meer levend worden. 24 Zij zeiden: ‘Meester, in een van de boeken van Mozes staat dat als een man sterft zonder kinderen na te laten, zijn broer met de weduwe moet trouwen. Die kan er dan voor zorgen dat zijn overleden broer toch nageslacht krijgt. 25 Nu waren er bij ons eens zeven broers. De oudste broer trouwde en stierf. Omdat er geen kinderen waren, trouwde de tweede broer met de weduwe. Maar die stierf ook zonder kinderen. 26 Dus trouwde de volgende broer met de weduwe. En zo ging het verder, tot de vrouw ten slotte met ieder van de zeven broers getrouwd was geweest. 27 Ten slotte stierf zij ook. 28 Hoe is het nu als de doden weer levend worden? Wie zal dan haar man zijn? Want zij is toch met alle zeven broers getrouwd geweest.’ 29 Jezus antwoordde: ‘U denkt verkeerd. Dat komt omdat u de boeken van Mozes en de kracht van God niet kent. 30 Want als de doden weer levend worden, is er geen sprake meer van trouwen. Dan zijn de mensen als engelen in de hemel. 31 En wat het terugkomen uit de dood betreft, hebt u niet gelezen wat door God tegen u gezegd is, toen Hij zei: 32 “Ik ben de God van Abraham, de God van Isaak en de God van Jakob!” Daaruit blijkt dat Hij niet een God van doden is, maar van levenden.’ 33 Iedereen was diep onder de indruk van zijn inzicht.
34 Toen de Farizeeën hoorden dat Hij de Sadduceeën de mond had gesnoerd, kwamen zij met een nieuwe strikvraag. 35 Een van hen, een bijbelgeleerde, nam het woord. 36 ‘Meester, wat is het belangrijkste gebod in de wet van Mozes?’ 37 Jezus antwoordde: ‘Heb de Here, uw God, lief met heel uw hart, met heel uw ziel en met heel uw verstand. 38 Dit gebod is het eerste en het belangrijkste. 39 Het tweede gebod komt op hetzelfde neer: “Heb uw naaste net zo lief als uzelf.” 40 Deze twee geboden zijn de basis van de hele wet en de profeten.’
41 Er stonden verschillende Farizeeën om Jezus heen. Hij vroeg hun: 42 ‘Hoe staat het met de Christus? Van wie is Hij een zoon?’ ‘Van David,’ antwoordden zij. 43 ‘Hoe kan David hem dan Here noemen?’ vroeg Jezus. ‘Want hij heeft gezegd: 44 “God zei tegen mijn Here: Kom naast Mij zitten, aan mijn rechterhand, totdat Ik uw vijanden aan U onderworpen heb.” Dat was hem ingegeven door de Heilige Geest. 45 Als David hem Here noemt, hoe kan de Christus dan zijn Zoon zijn?’ 46 Ze hadden daar geen antwoord op. En van die dag af durfde niemand meer met zoʼn vraag bij Hem te komen.
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