 1 Now it came to pass, that on one of those days as Jesus taught the people in the temple and proclaimed+ the Gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders 2 and spoke to Him saying: Tell us. By what authority do you do these things? Or who is He who gave you this authority? 3 Jesus answered and said to them: I will also ask you one thing. Answer me. 4 The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men? 5 They reasoned with themselves saying: If we say: From heaven, He will say: Why then did you not believe him? 6 But if we say: Of men. All the people will stone us for they are persuaded that John was a prophet. 7 They answered that they could not tell from where it came. 8 Jesus said to them: Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. 9 Then He began to speak this parable to the people: A certain man planted a vineyard, leased+ it to tenant farmers+, and went into a far country for a long time. 10 At the harvest season, he sent a servant to the tenant farmers+ so that they should give him his portion of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers+ beat him and sent him away empty handed. 11 Again he sent another servant, and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty handed. 12 Again he sent a third, and they wounded him also and cast him out. 13 Then the lord~ of the vineyard said: What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps+ when they see him they will respect+ him. 14 But when the tenant farmers+ saw him, they reasoned among themselves saying: This is the heir. Come, let us kill him so that the inheritance may be ours. 15 So they cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord~ of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy these tenant farmers+ and give the vineyard to others. When they heard this, they said: May it not be. 17 Then Jesus looked+ at them and said: What is this then that is written: The stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. Matthew 21:42 18 Whoever falls upon that stone will be broken, but on whomever it falls, it will grind them to powder. 19 In that same hour, the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people, for they perceived that He had spoken this parable against them. 20 So they watched Him and sent forth spies who pretended+ to be righteous+ men so that they might take hold of Him as He was speaking, to deliver Him to the power and authority of the governor. 21 They asked Him saying: Master, we know that you say and teach rightly and you do not accept any other person's authority, but teach the way of God truly. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not? 23 But He perceived their craftiness and said to them: Why are you testing+ me? 24 Show me a coin+. Whose image and title+ does it have? They answered and said: Caesar's. 25 Then He said to them: Therefore, render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. 26 So they could not catch+ Him in His words before the people, but instead they marveled at His answer and remained silent+. 27 Then some of the Sadducees who deny that there is any resurrection came and asked Him, 28 saying: Master, Moses wrote to us: If any man's brother die having a wife and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up children as seed to his brother. 29 Once there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. 30 The second took her as his wife and he died childless. 31 The third took her and in like manner the seven also, and they all left no children and died. 32 Last of all the woman died also. 33 Therefore, in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? For seven had her as their wife. 34 Jesus answering said to them: The children of this world marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 Nor can they die any more, for they are equal to the angels and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection, 37 now that the dead are raised, even as Moses showed at the bush when he called the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to Him. 39 Then some of the scribes answering said: Master, you have well said. 40 After that they did not dare+ ask Him any more questions. 41 Then Jesus said to them: How can they say that Christ is David's son? 42 In the book of Psalms, David himself said: The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand 43 until I make your enemies your footstool. 44 Therefore, if David calls Him Lord, how is He then his son? 45 Then in the audience of all the people He said to His disciples: 46 Beware of the scribes who desire to walk in long robes and love greetings in the market places and the highest seats in the synagogues and the chief room at feasts, 47 who devour widows' houses and for a show make long prayers. These shall receive greater damnation.
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