the Fourth Week of Advent
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Murdock Translation
Mark 12
1 And he began to discourse with them in similitudes. A certain man planted a vineyard, and inclosed it with a hedge, and dug in it a wine vat, and built a tower in it, and put it into the hands of husbandmen, and removed to a distance.2 And at the proper time, he sent his servant to the husbandmen, to receive of the fruits of the vineyard.3 And they beat him, and sent him away empty.4 And again he sent to them another servant; and him also they stoned, and wounded, and sent him away under indignities.5 And again he sent another; and him they killed. And he sent many other servants, some of whom they beat, and some they killed.6 At last, having an only and dear son, he sent him to them; for he said, Perhaps they will respect my son.7 But those husbandmen said among themselves: This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.8 And they took him, and slew [fn] , and cast [fn] out of the vineyard. 9 What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those husbandmen, and transfer the vineyard to others.10 And have ye not read this scripture, The stone which the builders rejected, hath become the head of the corner:11 From the Lord, was this; and it is wonderful in our eyes?12 And they sought to apprehend him, but were afraid of the people; for they knew that he spoke this similitude against them. And they left him, and went away.
13 And they sent to him some of the Scribes and of the household of Herod, to ensnare him in discourse.14 And these came, and asked him: Teacher; we know that thou art veracious, and hast no fear of man; for thou regardest not the face of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give capitation money to Caesar; or not? Shall we give, or not give?15 And he knew their wile, and said to them: Why tempt ye me? Bring me a denarius, that I may see it.16 And they brought [fn] to him. And he said to them: Whose is this image and inscription? They said to him: Caesar's. 17 17 Jesus said to them: What is Caesar's, give to Caesar; and what is God's, [fn] to God. And they wondered at him.
18 Then came to him Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection; and they asked him, and said:19 Teacher; Moses wrote to us, that if a man's brother die, and leave a widow, but leave no children, his brother shall take his widow, and raise up seed to his brother.20 There were seven brothers: and the first took a wife, and died, and left no seed.21 And the second took her, and died, and he also left no seed: and the third in like manner.22 And the seven took her, and left no seed. Last of all, the woman also died.23 In the resurrection, therefore, of which of them will she be the wife? For all the seven took her.24 Jesus said to them: Is it not on this account that ye err, because ye understand not the scriptures, nor the power of God?25 For when they rise from the dead, they do not take wives, nor are wives given to husbands; but they are as the angels that are in heaven.26 But concerning the dead, that they rise, have ye not read in a book of Moses, how God said to him from the bush: 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. Ye, therefore, do err greatly.
28 And one of the Scribes came, and heard them as they discussed, and he saw that he gave them an excellent answer; and he asked him, Which is the first of all the commandments?29 Jesus said to him: The first of all the commandments [fn] : Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord: 30 and thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy might. This is the first commandment.31 And the second, which is like it, [fn] : Thou shalt love thy neighbor, as thyself. There is no other commandment greater than these. 32 The Scribe said to him: Excellently ! Rabbi; thou hast spoken the truth; for he is one [fn] , and there is no other beside him. 33 And for a man to love him, with all the heart, and with all the mind, and with all the soul, and with all the might; and to love his neighbor, as himself; is better than all holocausts and sacrifices.34 And Jesus perceived that he replied wisely; and he answered, and said to him: Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no one dared again to question him.
35 And as Jesus was teaching in the temple, he answered and said: How can the Scribes say, that Messiah is the son of David?36 For David himself saith, by the Holy Spirit: The Lord said to my Lord; Seat thyself on my right hand, until I place thy enemies as a footstool beneath thy feet.37 David therefore calleth him " My Lord;" and how is he his son? And all the multitude heard him with pleasure.38 And he said to them in his teaching: Beware of the Scribes, who choose to walk in long robes, and love the salutation in the streets,39 and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the chief couches at feasts.40 They devour the houses of widows, under pretence that they prolong their prayers. These shall receive a greater condemnation.
41 And as Jesus sat over against the treasury-room, he saw how the multitude cast money into the treasury. And many rich ones cast in much.42 And a poor widow came, and cast in two mites, which are a brass farthing.43 And Jesus called his disciples, and said to them: Verily I say to you, That this poor widow hath cast into the treasury more than all they that cast in.44 For they all cast in of that which abounded to them, but she, of her poverty, hath cast in all that she possessed, the whole of her property.
