Beginning
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
22 Jesus spoke[a] to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his slaves[b] to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. 4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready.[c] My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’ 5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The[d] rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The[e] king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death[f] and set their city[g] on fire. 8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. 9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ 10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he had nothing to say.[h] 13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness,[i] where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ 14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
15 Then the Pharisees[j] went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words.[k] 16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians,[l] saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.[m] You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality.[n] 17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right[o] to pay taxes[p] to Caesar[q] or not?”
18 But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me? 19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” So[r] they brought him a denarius.[s] 20 Jesus[t] said to them, “Whose image[u] is this, and whose inscription?” 21 They replied,[v] “Caesar’s.” He said to them,[w] “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”[x] 22 Now when they heard this they were stunned,[y] and they left him and went away.
Marriage and the Resurrection
23 The same day Sadducees[z] (who say there is no resurrection)[aa] came to him and asked him,[ab] 24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children[ac] for his brother.’[ad] 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 second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh. 27 Last[ae] of all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”[af] 29 Jesus[ag] answered them, “You are deceived,[ah] 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 angels[ai] in heaven. 31 Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God,[aj] 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?[ak] He is not the God of the dead but of the living!”[al] 33 When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.
The Greatest Commandment
34 Now when the Pharisees[am] heard that he had silenced the Sadducees,[an] they assembled together.[ao] 35 And one of them, an expert in religious law,[ap] asked him a question to test[aq] him: 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”[ar] 37 Jesus[as] said to him, “‘Love[at] the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’[au] 38 This is the first and greatest[av] commandment. 39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[aw] 40 All the law and the prophets depend[ax] on these two commandments.”
The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord
41 While[ay] the Pharisees[az] were assembled, Jesus asked them a question:[ba] 42 “What do you think about the Christ?[bb] Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.”[bc] 43 He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying,
44 ‘The Lord said to my lord,[bd]
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?[be]
45 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”[bf] 46 No one[bg] was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.
Seven Woes
23 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The[bh] experts in the law[bi] and the Pharisees[bj] sit on Moses’ seat. 3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.[bk] 4 They[bl] tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. 5 They[bm] do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries[bn] wide and their tassels[bo] long. 6 They[bp] love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues[bq] 7 and elaborate greetings[br] in the marketplaces,[bs] and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ 8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. 9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.[bt] 11 The[bu] greatest among you will be your servant. 12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13 “But woe to you, experts in the law[bv] and you Pharisees, hypocrites![bw] You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven![bx] For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.[by]
15 “Woe to you, experts in the law[bz] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert,[ca] and when you get one,[cb] you make him twice as much a child of hell[cc] as yourselves!
16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing.[cd] But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’ 17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing.[ce] But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’ 19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it. 22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23 “Woe to you, experts in the law[cf] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth[cg] of mint, dill, and cumin,[ch] yet you neglect what is more important in the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You[ci] should have done these things without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel![cj]
25 “Woe to you, experts in the law[ck] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup,[cl] so that the outside may become clean too!
27 “Woe to you, experts in the law[cm] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs[cn] that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, experts in the law[co] and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You[cp] build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves[cq] of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,[cr] we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors! 33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?[cs]
34 “For this reason I[ct] am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law,[cu] some of whom you will kill and crucify,[cv] and some you will flog[cw] in your synagogues[cx] and pursue from town to town, 35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah,[cy] whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 I tell you the truth,[cz] this generation will be held responsible for all these things![da]
Judgment on Israel
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem,[db] you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you![dc] How often I have longed[dd] to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but[de] you would have none of it![df] 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate! 39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”[dg]
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