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¹ And it came to pass, on one of those days, as He is teaching the people in the temple, and proclaiming good news, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came on [Him],² and spoke to Him, saying, "Tell us by what authority You do these things? Or who is he that gave to You this authority?"³ And He answering said to them, "I will question you—I also—one thing, and tell Me:⁴ the immersion of John, was it from Heaven, or from men?"⁵ And they reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we may say, From Heaven, He will say, Why, then, did you not believe him?⁶ And if we may say, From men, all the people will stone us, for they are having been persuaded John to be a prophet."⁷ And they answered that they did not know from where [it was],⁸ and Jesus said to them, "Neither do I say to you by what authority I do these things."

⁹ And He began to speak to the people this allegory: "A certain man planted a vineyard, and gave it out to farmers, and went abroad for a long time,¹⁰ and at the season he sent a servant to the farmers, that they may give to him from the fruit of the vineyard, but the farmers having beat him, sent [him] away empty.¹¹ And he added to send another servant, and they also having beaten and dishonored that one, sent [him] away empty;¹² and he added to send a third, and this one also, having wounded, they cast out.¹³ And the owner of the vineyard said, What will I do? I will send my son, the beloved, perhaps having seen this one, they will respect [him];¹⁴ and having seen him, the farmers reasoned among themselves, saying, This is the heir; come, we may kill him, that the inheritance may become ours;¹⁵ and having cast him outside of the vineyard, they killed [him]; what, then, will the owner of the vineyard do to them?¹⁶ He will come, and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others." And having heard, they said, "Let it not be!"¹⁷ And He, having looked on them, said, "What, then, is this that has been written: A stone that the builders rejected—this became head of a corner?¹⁸ Everyone who has fallen on that stone will be broken, and on whom it may fall, it will crush him to pieces."¹⁹ And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on Him in that hour, and they feared the people, for they knew that He spoke this allegory against them.

²⁰ And having watched [Him], they sent forth ones lying in wait, feigning themselves to be righteous, that they might take hold of His word, to deliver Him up to the rule and to the authority of the governor,²¹ and they questioned Him, saying, "Teacher, we have known that You say and teach correctly, and do not receive a person, but in truth teach the way of God.²² Is it lawful to us to give tribute to Caesar or not?"²³ And He, having perceived their craftiness, said to them, "Why do you tempt Me?²⁴ Show Me a denarius; of whom does it have an image and inscription?" And they answering said, "Of Caesar":²⁵ and He said to them, "Give back, therefore, the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God";²⁶ and they were not able to take hold on His saying before the people, and having wondered at His answer, they were silent.

²⁷ And certain of the Sadducees, who are denying that there is a resurrection, having come near, questioned Him,²⁸ saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us if anyone's brother may die, having a wife, and he may die childless—that his brother may take the wife, and may raise up seed to his brother.²⁹ There were, then, seven brothers, and the first having taken a wife, died childless,³⁰ and the second took the wife, and he died childless,³¹ and the third took her, and in like manner also the seven—they left no children, and they died;³² and last of all the woman also died:³³ in the resurrection, then, of which of them does she become wife? For the seven had her as wife."³⁴ And Jesus answering said to them, "The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,³⁵ but those accounted worthy to obtain that age, and the resurrection that is out of the dead, neither marry, nor are they given in marriage;³⁶ for neither are they able to die anymore—for they are like messengers—and they are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.³⁷ And that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the Bush, since he calls the LORD the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;³⁸ and He is not a God of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him."

³⁹ And certain of the scribes answering said, "Teacher, You said well";⁴⁰ and they no longer dared question Him anything.⁴¹ And He said to them, "How do they say the Christ is [the] son of David,⁴² and David himself says in [the] Scroll of Psalms, The LORD said to my Lord, || Sit on My right hand,⁴³ Until I will make Your enemies Your footstool;⁴⁴ David, then, calls Him Lord, and how is He his son?"⁴⁵ And all the people hearing, He said to His disciples,⁴⁶ "Take heed of the scribes, who are wishing to walk in long robes, and are cherishing salutations in the markets, and first seats in the synagogues, and first couches at the banquets,⁴⁷ who devour the houses of the widows, and make long prayers for a pretense, these will receive more abundant judgment."