Matthew 22
Worldwide English (New Testament)
22 Jesus told them other stories.
2 He said, `The kingdom of heaven is like this. A king made a wedding for his son.
3 The king sent his servants to call the people who had been asked to the wedding. But they would not come.
4 `He sent other servants to call them. He said, "Tell those who were asked to the wedding that my dinner is cooked. The cows and bullocks have been killed. Everything is ready. Come now to the wedding."
5 `The people did not listen, but went away. One went to his farm. One went to his business.
6 The others caught his servants, treated them very badly, and killed them.
7 `The king was very angry. He sent his soldiers to kill the men who had killed his servants. And he burned their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready. But those who were asked to come were not good enough.
9 Go out on the roads. Call all the people you find to come to the wedding."
10 `So those servants went out on the roads. They brought all the people they could find, both bad and good people. Then the room was full of people for the wedding.
11 `The king came in to look at the people. He saw one man there who was not wearing the right clothes for a wedding.
12 The king said to him, "My friend, why did you come here without putting on the right clothes for a wedding?" The man did not answer.
13 Then the king said to his servants, "Tie his hands and his feet. Put him in a dark place outside. People there will cry and grind [make a noise with] their teeth."
14 `Many people are asked to come, but only a few are chosen.'
15 Then the Pharisees went away. They planned how to make Jesus say something wrong.
16 They sent their disciples to him with some of Herod's people. They said, `Teacher, we know that you are true. We know that you teach the true way of God. You do not fear any person, or care how great he is.
17 So tell us. What do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or is it not?'
18 Jesus knew they were trying to get him into trouble. So he said to them, `Why are you trying to get me to do wrong? You are not true to yourselves!
19 Show me a piece of money used for tax.' They brought him a piece of money.
20 `Whose picture and name is this?' he asked.
21 They said, `Caesar's'. Then he said to them, `Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give to God what belongs to God.'
22 When they heard that, they were surprised. They left him and went away.
23 The same day some of the Sadducees came to Jesus. They say that people do not rise from death.
24 They came to ask him a question. They said, `Teacher, Moses gave us this law: "If a man dies and has no children, then his brother must marry the wife and raise a family for his brother."
25 There were seven brothers among us. The first one married. He died and left no children. So his brother married the wife.
26 The same thing happened to the second brother, and the third one, and all seven of them.
27 Last of all, the woman died.
28 Now then, when people rise from death, which of the seven brothers will have her for his wife? They all married her.'
29 Jesus answered, `You are wrong! You do not know what the holy writings say. And you do not know what power God has.
30 When people rise from death, men and women do not marry. But they are like angels in heaven.
31 People do rise from death! Have you never read what God said to you?
32 He said, "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." He is not the God of dead people, but of living people.'
33 When the people heard this, they were surprised at his teaching.
34 The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees could not answer Jesus. So they got together.
35 One of them was a man who taught God's law. He asked Jesus a question to try him out.
36 `Teacher,' he said, `which law is the greatest law of all?'
37 Jesus said, ` "Love the Lord your God with all your heart. Love him with all your soul, and love him with all your mind."
38 This is the first and greatest law.
39 The second law of God is like it. "Love your neighbour as you love yourself."
40 All that is written in the books of the law and the books of the prophets is about these two laws.'
41 While the Pharisees were still there, Jesus asked them a question.
42 He said, `What do you think about Christ? Whose son is he?' They said, `He is David's son.'
43 Jesus asked, `Then how can David call him "Lord"? He said, by the Spirit,
44 "The Lord said to my Lord, `Sit beside me until I make you master over your enemies.' "
45 David calls Christ his Lord. How can Christ be David's son?'
46 No one could answer him a word. And after that day, everyone feared to ask him any more questions.
Matthew 22
New King James Version
The Parable of the Wedding Feast(A)
22 And Jesus answered (B)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; (C)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 [a]spitefully, and killed them. 7 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. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not (E)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 (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
- Matthew 22:6 insolently
- Matthew 22:13 NU omits take him away, and
- Matthew 22:16 Lit. look at the face of
- Matthew 22:18 knew
- Matthew 22:21 Pay
- Matthew 22:29 deceived
- Matthew 22:30 NU omits of God
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
