Mark 12 — EMTV

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

12Verse 1Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a fence around it, dug a wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to farmers, and went on a journey.^{Verse 2}And at harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers, in order that he might receive his part from the fruit of the vineyard.^{Verse 3}And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.^{Verse 4}Again he sent them another servant, and that one they wounded in the head with stones, and they sent him away shamefully treated.^{Verse 5}And again he sent another, and that one they killed, and so with many others, beating some and killing others.^{Verse 6}Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he even sent him to them last, saying, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’^{Verse 7}But those farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’^{Verse 8}And taking him they killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.^{Verse 9}Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and will destroy the farmers, and give the vineyard to others.^{Verse 10}Have you not even read this Scripture:
‘The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
^{Verse 11}This was the Lord's doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”^{Verse 12}And they sought to lay hold of Him, but they feared the crowd, for they knew that He had spoken the parable against them. And leaving Him, they went away.

The Question about Paying Taxes

^{Verse 13}Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, in order that they might catch Him in His discourse.^{Verse 14}And they came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and it does not make a difference to you about anyone; for You do not look on the face of men, but you teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?^{Verse 15}Should we give, or should we not give?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius, that I may see it.”^{Verse 16}So they brought one. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar's.”^{Verse 17}And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at Him.

The Question about the Resurrection

^{Verse 18}Then some Sadducees came to Him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked Him, saying:^{Verse 19}“Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.^{Verse 20}Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and he died, and left no offspring.^{Verse 21}And the second took her, and died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise.^{Verse 22}So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also.^{Verse 23}Therefore, in the resurrection, when they shall arise, whose wife of them will she be? For all seven had her as wife.”^{Verse 24}Jesus answered and said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?^{Verse 25}For whenever they rise from among the dead, neither do they marry nor are they given in marriage, but they are like angels in heaven.^{Verse 26}But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in connection with the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?^{Verse 27}He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Therefore you are greatly mistaken.”

The First Commandment

^{Verse 28}Then one of the scribes came, after he heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?”^{Verse 29}Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.’^{Verse 30}‘And you shall love 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.^{Verse 31}And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”^{Verse 32}So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher, in truth You said that He is one, and there is no other besides Him.^{Verse 33}And to love Him with the whole heart, and with the whole understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^{Verse 34}Now when Jesus saw that he answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared any longer to question Him.

The Question about David's Son

^{Verse 35}Then Jesus answered and said, as He was teaching in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David?^{Verse 36}For David himself said by the Holy Spirit:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’^{Verse 37}Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how then is He his son?” And the large crowd was hearing Him gladly.

Jesus Denounces the Scribes

^{Verse 38}Then He said to them in His teaching, “Take heed of the scribes, who like to walk about in long robes, and like greetings in the marketplaces,^{Verse 39}and the first seats in the synagogues, and the first couches at the suppers;^{Verse 40}who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow's Offering

^{Verse 41}And Jesus sat down opposite the treasury, and was observing how the crowd was putting money into the treasury. And many rich people were putting in much.^{Verse 42}Then one poor widow came and put in two lepta, which equals a quadrans.^{Verse 43}And having summoned His disciples, He said to them, “Assuredly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who are putting into the treasury.^{Verse 44}For they all put in out of their excess, but this woman, out of her destitution, put in everything she had, her whole livelihood.”