The Parable of the Wedding Banquet(A)

22 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like(B) a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants(C) to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

“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.’

“But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers(E) and burned their city.

“Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 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

  1. Matthew 22:17 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens
  2. Matthew 22:32 Exodus 3:6
  3. Matthew 22:37 Deut. 6:5
  4. Matthew 22:39 Lev. 19:18
  5. Matthew 22:44 Psalm 110:1

22 And, in reply, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach again spoke in meshalim (parables) to them, saying,

The Malchut HaShomayim is like a man, a Melech (King), who prepared a feast for the chasunoh (wedding) of Bno.

And the Melech sent out his servants to summon the Bnei HaChuppah (wedding invitees—Mt 9:15) to the chasunoh, and they did not want to come.

Again, the Melech sent out other servants, saying, Tell the Bnei HaChuppah, the wedding invitees, Hinei! My Seudah I have prepared, my oxen and fattened calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready: Come to the chasunoh!

But the Bnei HaChuppah, the chasunoh invitees, having treated it all as a mere trifle, departed, one to his farmer’s field, one to his business.

Meanwhile, the others seized the Mesharetim HaMelech (Ministers of the King) and abused them and killed them.

So the Melech was angry and, having sent his armies, the King destroyed those ratzchaniyot (murderers), and their city he burned.

Then the King says to his ministers, The chasunoh is ready, but the invited ones were not worthy.

Therefore, go to the intersections of the streets, and, whoever you find, invite as muzmanim (guests) to the chasunoh.

10 And having gone out to the highways, those ministers congregated everyone they found, rah and tov, and the chasunoh was filled with muzmanim (guests).

11 And the Melech, having entered to see the ones sitting bimesibba (reclining at tish), spotted there a man lacking the attire proper for the chasunoh [see Yn 3:3,5].

12 And the Melech says to him, Chaver, how did you get in here, not having the attire proper for the chasunoh? But the man had nothing to say.

13 Then the King said to the servants, Bind him feet and hands and expel him into the outer choshech, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

14 For the invited ones are many, but the nivcharim (chosen ones) are few.

15 Then, having departed, the Perushim took counsel together so that they might entrap Yehoshua in his own words.

16 And they are sending to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach their talmidim with the Herodians, saying, Rabbi, we know that you are an ehrliche Yid (a good Jew) and of the Derech Hashem you give Divrei Torah in Emes, and you show no deference to flesh, for you are impartial toward Bnei Adam.

17 Therefore, tell us what to you seems right: is it mutar (permissible) to pay poll tax to Caesar or not?

18 But he, having known their rah (evil), said to them, Why do you test me, tzevuim?

19 Show me the coin of the poll tax. And they brought to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach a denarius.

20 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Whose image is this and whose title?

21 They say to him, Caesar’s. Then Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach says to them, Give, therefore, unto Caesar the things of Caesar, and the things of Hashem, give unto Hashem.

22 And having heard this, they were amazed and, having left Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, they went away.

23 On that day some Tzedukim (Sadducees) approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, saying, There is no Techiyas HaMesim! And they interrogated Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach,

24 Saying, Rabbi, Moshe Rabbenu said that if someone dies, not having banim, his brother shall marry his isha (wife) to raise up zera (seed) for his brother.

25 Now there were among us shiva achim (seven brothers), and the first, having married, died. And not having zera (offspring), left his isha to his brother.

26 Likewise, also the second brother, and the third, up to the seventh.

27 And last of all, the isha died.

28 In the Techiyas HaMesim, therefore, she will be the wife of which of the seven? For all had her.

29 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply to them, You are in error, not having known the Kitvei Hakodesh or the gevurat Hashem (power of G-d).

30 For in the Techiyas HaMesim they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the malachim in Shomayim.

31 But concerning the Techiyas HaMesim, have you not read the thing spoken to you by Hashem, saying,

32 ANOCHI ELOHEI AVRAHAM ELOHEI YITZCHAK VEELOHEI YAAKOV (I am the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchak, and the G-d of Yaakov, [SHEMOT 3:6])? Hashem is not the G-d of the Mesim (dead ones) but the G-d of the Chayyim (living).

33 And having heard this, the multitudes were amazed at Moshiach’s torah (teaching).

34 But the Perushim, having heard that he silenced the Tzedukim, assembled together,

35 And one of them, a Baal Torah (learned Torah scholar, a Ben Torah), tried to trip up Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach with a she’elah (question):

36 Rabbi, which mitzvah is gedolah (great) in the Torah?

37 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach gave this teshuva (answer) to the Baal Torah, VAHAVTAH ES ADONOI ELOHECHA BCHOL LEVAVCHA UVCHOL NAFSHECHA UVCHOL MODECHA (And thou shalt love the L-rd thy G-d with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy might [DEVARIM 6:5]).

38 This is the gedolah and rishonah mitzvah.

39 And the second mitzvah is like it: VAHAVTAH LREIACHA KAMOCHA (And thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, [VAYIKRA 19:18]).

40 On these two mitzvot hang the entire Torah and the Neviim.

41 And, the Perushim, having been assembled, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach confronted with this she’elah,

42 Saying, What do you think concerning the Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach? Whose Ben is he? The Perushim gave this teshuva (answer) to him: Ben Dovid.

43 Moshiach says to them, How then can Dovid, in the Ruach Hakodesh, call Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach Adon?... saying

44 NEUM HASHEM LAADONI, SHEV LIMINI AD ASHIT OYVECHA HADOM LERAGLECHA (Utterance of Hashem to my L-rd, Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet TEHILLIM 110:1).

45 Therefore, if Dovid calls him Adon [i.e., Adoneinu], how is Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach [merely] Ben Dovid? [cf. MALACHI 3:1; ZECHARYAH 4:14]

46 And no one was able to give an answer to him, nor did anyone dare to pose another she’elah (question) to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach from that day on.

Parable of the Great Feast

22 Jesus also told them other parables. He said, “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son. When the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify those who were invited. But they all refused to come!

“So he sent other servants to tell them, ‘The feast has been prepared. The bulls and fattened cattle have been killed, and everything is ready. Come to the banquet!’ But the guests he had invited ignored them and went their own way, one to his farm, another to his business. Others seized his messengers and insulted them and killed them.

“The king was furious, and he sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their town. And he said to his servants, ‘The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren’t worthy of the honor. Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.’ 10 So the servants brought in everyone 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 proper clothes for a wedding. 12 ‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?’ But the man had no reply. 13 Then the king said to his aides, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Taxes for Caesar

15 Then the Pharisees met together to plot how to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested. 16 They sent some of their disciples, along with the supporters of Herod, to meet with him. “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You teach the way of God truthfully. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. 17 Now tell us what you think about this: Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

18 But Jesus knew their evil motives. “You hypocrites!” he said. “Why are you trying to trap me? 19 Here, show me the coin used for the tax.” When they handed him a Roman coin,[a] 20 he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?”

21 “Caesar’s,” they replied.

“Well, then,” he said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”

22 His reply amazed them, and they went away.

Discussion about Resurrection

23 That same day Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question: 24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.’[b] 25 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children, so his brother married the widow. 26 But the second brother also died, and the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them. 27 Last of all, the woman also died. 28 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”

29 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 30 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven.

31 “But now, as to whether there will be a resurrection of the dead—haven’t you ever read about this in the Scriptures? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said,[c] 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[d] So he is the God of the living, not the dead.”

33 When the crowds heard him, they were astounded at his teaching.

The Most Important Commandment

34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35 One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’[e] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[f] 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

Whose Son Is the Messiah?

41 Then, surrounded by the Pharisees, Jesus asked them a question: 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”

They replied, “He is the son of David.”

43 Jesus responded, “Then why does David, speaking under the inspiration of the Spirit, call the Messiah ‘my Lord’? For David said,

44 ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
    until I humble your enemies beneath your feet.’[g]

45 Since David called the Messiah ‘my Lord,’ how can the Messiah be his son?”

46 No one could answer him. And after that, no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Footnotes

  1. 22:19 Greek a denarius.
  2. 22:24 Deut 25:5-6.
  3. 22:31 Greek read about this? God said.
  4. 22:32 Exod 3:6.
  5. 22:37 Deut 6:5.
  6. 22:39 Lev 19:18.
  7. 22:44 Ps 110:1.

The Parable of the Wedding Feast(A)

22 And Jesus answered (B)and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. Again, he sent out other servants, saying, ‘Tell those who are invited, “See, I have prepared my dinner; (C)my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.” ’ But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. And the rest seized his servants, treated them [a]spitefully, and killed them. But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out (D)his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not (E)worthy. 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 (F)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 (G)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 (H)speechless. 13 Then the king said to the servants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, [b]take him away, and cast him (I)into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

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

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

15 (L)Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. 16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the (M)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 [c]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 [d]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, (N)“Render[e] therefore to Caesar the things that are (O)Caesar’s, and to God the things that are (P)God’s.” 22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

The Sadducees: What About the Resurrection?(Q)

23 (R)The same day the Sadducees, (S)who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, 24 saying: “Teacher, (T)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 [f]mistaken, (U)not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but (V)are like angels [g]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 (W)‘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, (X)they were astonished at His teaching.

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

34 (Z)But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, (AA)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, (AB)“‘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: (AC)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 (AD)On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

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

41 (AF)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 (AG)Son of David.”

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

44 ‘The(AH) Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool” ’?

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

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 22:6 insolently
  2. Matthew 22:13 NU omits take him away, and
  3. Matthew 22:16 Lit. look at the face of
  4. Matthew 22:18 knew
  5. Matthew 22:21 Pay
  6. Matthew 22:29 deceived
  7. Matthew 22:30 NU omits of God