Mark 12:1-17

1He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away.

2At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers to collect some of the fruit of the vineyard from them.

3But they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

4Again he sent another servant to them, and they hit him on the head and treated him shamefully.

5Then he sent another, and they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed.

6He still had one to send, a beloved son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

7But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’

8So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others.

10Haven’t you read this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

11This came about from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes?”

12They were looking for a way to arrest him but feared the crowd because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. So they left him and went away.

13Then they sent some of the Pharisees and the Herodians to Jesus to trap him in his words.

14When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

15But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.”

16They brought a coin. “Whose image and inscription is this?” he asked them. “Caesar’s,” they replied.

17Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.