⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

¹⁷ Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay ^(A)taxes to ^(B)Caesar, or not?” ¹⁸ But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why ^(C)put me to the test, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius.^{[a] 20} And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” ²¹ They said, “Caesar's.” Then he said to them, ^(D)“Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.”

² And they began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man ^(A)misleading our nation and ^(B)forbidding us to give tribute to ^(C)Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, ^(D)a king.”

²¹ So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and ^(A)show no partiality,^[a] but truly teach ^(B)the way of God. ²² Is it lawful for us to give ^(C)tribute to ^(D)Caesar, or not?” ²³ But he perceived their ^(E)craftiness, and said to them, ²⁴ “Show me ^(F)a denarius.^[b] Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar's.” ²⁵ He said to them, “Then ^(G)render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” ²⁶ And they were not able in the presence of the people ^(H)to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

¹⁴ And they came and said to him, “Teacher, ^(A)we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For ^(B)you are not swayed by appearances,^[a] but truly teach ^(C)the way of God. Is it lawful to pay ^(D)taxes to ^(E)Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” ¹⁵ But, knowing ^(F)their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why ^(G)put me to the test? Bring me ^(H)a denarius^[b] and let me look at it.” ¹⁶ And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” ¹⁷ Jesus said to them, ^(I)“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.

The Temple Tax

^24 (A)When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of ^(B)the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” ²⁵ He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, ^(C)“What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or ^(D)tax? From their sons or from others?” ²⁶ And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. ²⁷ However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel.^[a] Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.”

David's Administration

¹⁴ So David reigned over all Israel, and he administered justice and equity to all his people.

⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; ^(A)the one who leads,^[a] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with ^(B)cheerfulness.