Mark 12

Parable of the Vine-growers

11And He began to speak to them in parables: “2A man 3planted a vineyard and put a 4wall around it, and dug a vat under the wine press and built a tower, and rented it out to 5vine-growers and went on a journey. 2At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers, in order to receive some of the produce of the vineyard from the vine-growers. 3They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4Again he sent them another slave, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5And he sent another, and that one they killed; and so with many others, beating some and killing others. 6He had one more to send, a beloved son; he sent him last of all to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7But those vine-growers said to one another, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ 8They took him, and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9What will the 6owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vine-growers, and will give the vineyard to others. 10Have you not even read this Scripture: ‘7The stone which the builders rejected, This became the chief corner stone;118This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

129And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the 10people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so 11they left Him and went away.

Jesus Answers the Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes

1312Then they sent some of the Pharisees and 13Herodians to Him in order to 14trap Him in a statement. 14They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and 15defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it 16lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? 15Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a 17denarius to look at.” 16They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17And Jesus said to them, “18Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they 19were amazed at Him.

1820Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that 21if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should 22marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. 20There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. 21The second one 23married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; 22and so 24all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. 23In the resurrection, 25when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For 26all seven had married her.” 24Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not 27understand the Scriptures or the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26But 28regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, 29in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘30I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 2731He is not the God 32of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

2833One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and 34recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the 35foremost of all?” 29Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘36Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; 3037and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31The second is this, ‘38You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that 39He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; 3340and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, 41is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 42After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

3543And Jesus began to say, as He 44taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that 45the Christ is the 46son of David? 36David himself said 47in the Holy Spirit, ‘48The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.”’ 37David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; so in what sense is He his son?” And 49the large crowd 50enjoyed listening to Him.

3851In His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like 52respectful greetings in the market places, 39and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets, 4053who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Mite

4154And He sat down opposite 55the treasury, and began observing how the people were 56putting 57money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums. 42A poor widow came and put in two 58small copper coins, which amount to a 59cent. 43Calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all 60the contributors to the treasury; 44for they all put in out of their 61surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, 62all she had 63to live on.”