Mark 12:1-17

1Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

2At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. 3But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

4Then he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the head and treated him shamefully.

5He sent still another, and this one they killed.

He sent many others; some they beat and others they killed.

6Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

7But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they seized the son, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. 10Have you never read this Scripture:

12At this, the leaders sought2 to arrest Jesus, for they knew that He had spoken this parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him and went away.

13Later, they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to catch Jesus in His words. 14“Teacher,” they said, “we know that You are honest and seek favor from no one. Indeed, You are impartial and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or not?”

15But Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius3 to inspect.” 16So they brought it, and He asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they answered.

17Then Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”

And they marveled at Him.