Luke 20

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

1  a One day b as Jesus ▼
▼ Greek he
 was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel d the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us e by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John f from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say g ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was h a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

9  i And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted j a vineyard and k let it out to tenants and l went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant ▼
▼ Greek bondservant; also verse 11
 to the tenants, so that n they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. o But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11  p And q he sent another servant. But they also beat and r treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12  s And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my t beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves u ‘This is the heir. v Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they w threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16  x He will y come and destroy those tenants and z give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he aa looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

ab “‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone’? ▼
▼ Greek  the head of the corner

18  ad Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls ae on anyone, it will crush him.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

19  af The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20  ag So they ah watched him and sent spies, who ai pretended to be sincere, that they might aj catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of ak the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and al show no partiality ▼
▼ Greek  and do not receive a face
 but truly teach an the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give ao tribute to ap Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their aq craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me ar a denarius. ▼
▼ A  denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer
 Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then at render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people au to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

27 There came to him av some Sadducees aw those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us ax that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man ▼
▼ Greek his brother
 must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

34 And Jesus said to them, az “The sons of this age ba marry and bb are given in marriage, 35 but those who are bc considered worthy to attain to bd that age and to the resurrection from the dead be neither marry bf nor are given in marriage, 36 for bg they cannot die anymore, because they are bh equal to angels and bi are bj sons of God, being bk sons ▼
▼ Greek huioi; see Preface
 of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised bm even Moses showed, in bn the passage about the bush, where he calls bo the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all bp live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes bq answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For br they no longer dared to ask him any question.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41  bs But he said to them, “How can they say that bt the Christ is bu David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms,

bv “‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
 43 until I make your enemies bw your footstool.”’

44 David thus calls him Lord, so bx how is he his son?”

Beware of the Scribes

45  by And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and bz the places of honor at feasts, 47  ca who devour widows’ houses and cb for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

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