1 He taught them with illustrations: »A man had a vineyard planted. He built a wall around it. He prepared a place for crushing out the wine and put up a tower. Then he rented it out to field workers, and went into another country.

2 »During the season he sent a servant to the field workers that he might receive the fruits of the vineyard.

3 »They beat him and sent him away empty.

4 »Again he sent another servant and they treated him shamefully and wounded him in the head.

5 »He sent another and they killed him. He sent many others and some were beaten and some were killed.

6 »Last of all he sent his son saying: ‘They will respect my son.’

7 »But those field workers said among themselves: This is the heir let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours.

8 »They captured him and killed him. Then they cast his body out of the vineyard.

9 »What will the lord of the vineyard do? He will destroy the field workers and give the vineyard to others.

10 »Have you not read this Scripture: ‘The stone the builders rejected was made the chief corner stone.’ (Psalm 118:22, 23)

11 »This was from Jehovah and it is marvelous in our eyes?« (Psalm 118:23)

12 They tried to capture him but feared the crowd. They perceived that he spoke the illustration against them. So they left him and went away.

13 Pharisees and Herodians went to him that they might catch him in talk.

14 »Teacher,« they said, »we know that you are truthful, and not concerned about what other people think. You truthfully teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?

15 »Should we pay or should we not pay?« Knowing their hypocrisy he said to them:« Why do you test me? Show me a denarius.«

16 And they brought it. He said to them: »Whose is this image and superscription?« They said: »Caesar’s.«

17 Jesus said: »Pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.« They greatly marveled at him.

18 Sadducees say that there is no resurrection. They came to him to ask a question:

19 »Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man’s brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed for his brother.

20 »There were seven brothers the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.

21 »The second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him. The third also died without leaving a seed.

22 »The seven left no seed. The woman also died.

23 »In the resurrection whose wife shall she be of them? For each of the seven had her as wife.«

24 Jesus replied: »Is it not for this cause that you err? You do not know the scriptures or the power of God.

25 »For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as angels in heaven.

26 »It is a fact that the dead will be raised again. Have you not read the account of the burning bush in the book of Moses? Did you notice how God spoke to him, saying: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?

27 »He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are greatly mistaken.«

28 One of the other scribes came to him with a question: »What commandment is the first of all?«

29 Jesus answered: »The first is, Hear, O Israel; Jehovah our God is one God Jehovah.

30 »You should love Jehovah your God with all your heart, and with all your being with every breath you takeyour life, with your entire mind and with all your strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4)

31 »The second is you should love your neighbor as yourself. No other commandment is greater than these.« (Leviticus 19:18)

32 The scribe said to him: »It is true teacher you’ve said it well that he is one and there is no one else besides him.

33 »To love him with all the heart, and with all understanding, and with total strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is much more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.«

34 When Jesus saw that he answered intelligently he said to him: »You are not far from the kingdom of God. No man dared ask any questions after that.«

35 Still teaching in the temple Jesus said: »Do the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

36 »Inspired by Holy Spirit David said: ‘Jehovah said to my Lord sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.’ (Psalm 110:1)

37 »David called him Lord. How is it that he is his son?« The people were pleased with what he said.

38 He said: »Beware of the scribes, who desire to walk in long robes, and to have greetings in the marketplaces.

39 »They demand the front seats in the synagogues and prominent places at feasts.

40 »They devour widows’ houses and for pretence make long prayers. These shall receive greater condemnation.«

41 He sat down near the collection boxes and observed how the crowd dropped money into the boxes. Many that were rich dropped in much.

42 A poor widow came along and dropped in two mites.

43 He told his disciples: »Truly I tell you this poor widow gave more then all the others who gave to the collection box.

44 »They all gave out of their surplus. She gave out of her poverty. She gave all that she owned, all her living.«