Mark 12

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1. 1He began to speak to them in parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower. He rented it to tenant farmers and went to a distant country.
2. 2When harvest season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the vineyard's fruit.
3. 3But they grabbed the servant, beat him, and sent him back with nothing.
4. 4And again he sent another servant to them; they threw stones at him, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated.
5. 5He sent yet another servant, and they killed that one. He sent many more after that — some they beat, and some they killed.
6. 6Having one son left, his beloved, he sent him last to them, saying, 'They will reverence my son.'
7. 7But the tenants said to each other, 'This is the heir! Let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'
8. 8So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9. 9What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.
10. 10Haven't you read this Scripture: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
11. 11This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
12. 12They wanted to arrest him, but feared the people, because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
13. 13Later they sent some Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus, hoping to trap him with his own words.
14. 14They came to him and said, "Teacher, we know you are truthful and do not care about pleasing anyone. You do not show favoritism, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"
15. 15"Should we pay, or shouldn't we?" But Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy, said, "Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius so I can look at it."
16. 16They brought it to him. He asked them, "Whose image and inscription are on this?" They answered, "Caesar's."
17. 17Jesus replied, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and to God what belongs to God." They were amazed at him.
18. 18Next, some Sadducees came to him — these are the ones who say there's no resurrection — and they posed a question.
19. 19"Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, his brother must marry the widow and have children to carry on his brother's name.
20. 20Now, there were 7 brothers. The first one married a woman but died without having any children.
21. 21The second brother married her and also died without children. The same thing happened with the third.
22. 22In fact, all 7 brothers married her and died without leaving any children. Finally, the woman herself died too.
23. 23So here's our question: at the resurrection, when they all rise from the dead, whose wife will she be? After all, all 7 of them were married to her."
24. 24Jesus answered them, "Are you not mistaken because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?"
25. 25When people rise from the dead, they won't marry or be given in marriage. They'll be like the angels in heaven.
26. 26Now, concerning the dead, that they rise — have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?
27. 27He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken."
28. 28One of the scribes came, and after hearing them debating and realizing that he had answered them well, asked him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"
29. 29Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord.'"
30. 30Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
31. 31The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No commandment is greater than these."
32. 32The scribe said, "Well said, Teacher. You're absolutely right that God is one and there is no other besides him.
33. 33To love him with all the heart, all the understanding, all the soul, and all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
34. 34When Jesus saw how wisely the man answered, he told him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." After that, no one dared ask him any more questions.
35. 35While teaching in the temple, Jesus raised a question: "How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?
36. 36David himself, speaking through the Holy Spirit, said: 'The LORD said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'
37. 37If David himself calls him 'Lord,' then how is he his son? The large crowd listened to him with delight.
38. 38As he taught, he warned them, "Watch out for the scribes. They love to walk around in long, flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces.
39. 39They grab the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
40. 40They devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater damnation.
41. 41Jesus sat down across from the temple treasury and watched as people dropped in their money. Many wealthy people put in large amounts.
42. 42Then a poor widow came and dropped in two small copper coins, which make a farthing.
43. 43He called his disciples to him and said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury.”
44. 44All the others gave out of their wealth, but she, out of her poverty, gave everything she had — every last coin she had to live on."