Matthew 22:15-22  New International Version - UK

Paying the poll-tax to Caesar

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. ‘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 poll-tax^[a] 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, and to God what is God’s.’

²² When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.