Mark 12
1 He began speaking to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away.
2 At the proper time, he sent a servant to the farmers to receive from them a share of the vineyard’s fruit.
3 But they seized him, beat him, and sent him back empty-handed.
4 Again he sent them another servant; they struck him on the head and treated him with contempt.
5 He sent another, and they killed him; and many others, beating some and killing others.
6 He still had one left: his beloved son. Last of all, he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7 But those farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8 They seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, put an end to the farmers, and give the vineyard to others.
10 Have you never read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;
11 this came from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”
12 They were trying to arrest him, but they feared the crowd, for they understood that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.
13 They sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to him to catch him in something he said.
14 They came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and don’t care about anyone’s opinion, for you don’t look at people’s status but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay the tax to Caesar or not? Should we pay it or not?”
15 But he knew their hypocrisy and said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius so I can see it.”
16 They brought one. And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription are these?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”
17 Jesus said to them, “Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and God what belongs to God.” And they were greatly amazed at him.
18 Some Sadducees came to him, who say there is no resurrection, and asked him:
19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if someone’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and provide offspring for his brother.
20 There were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died, leaving no offspring;
21 the second took her and died without leaving offspring; and the third did the same;
22 and the seven left no offspring. Last of all, the woman also died.
23 At the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as their wife.”
24 Jesus said to them, “Isn’t this why you are mistaken: you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?
25 For when people rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.
26 And concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?
27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”
28 One of the scribes, who had heard them debating, came up and, seeing that Jesus had answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is first of all?”
29 Jesus answered, “The first is: ‘Hear, Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one;
30 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your understanding, and with all your strength.’
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
32 The scribe said to him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth: he is one, and there is no other besides him;
33 and to love him with all your heart, all your understanding, and all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask him any more questions.
35 As he taught in the temple, Jesus asked, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is David’s son?
36 David himself said by the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies beneath your feet.”’
37 David himself calls him Lord; so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd listened to him with delight.
38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and receive greetings in the marketplaces,
39 and to take the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
40 They devour widows’ houses and, to put on a show, say long prayers. These will receive a harsher judgment.”
41 As he sat opposite the treasury, he watched how the crowd put money into the treasury; many rich people put in a lot.
42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, worth a quadrans.
43 He called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all those who put money into the treasury;
44 for they all gave out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had, all she had to live on.”
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