Lukas 20 | New International Reader’s Version

The authority of Jesus is questioned

1 One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. He was announcing the good news to them. The chief priests and the teachers of the law came up to him. The elders came with them. 2 ‘Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,’ they all said. ‘Who gave you this authority?’ 3 Jesus replied, ‘I will also ask you a question. Tell me, 4 was John’s baptism from heaven? Or did it come from people?’ 5 They talked to one another about it. They said, ‘If we say, “From heaven”, he will ask, “Why didn’t you believe him?” 6 But if we say, “From people”, all the people will throw stones at us and kill us. They believe that John was a prophet.’ 7 So they answered Jesus, ‘We don’t know where John’s baptism came from.’ 8 Jesus said, ‘Then I won’t tell you by what authority I am doing these things either.’

The story of the tenants

9 Jesus went on to tell the people a story. ‘A man planted a vineyard,’ he said. ‘He rented it out to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time. 10 At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat the slave. Then they sent him away with nothing. 11 So the man sent another slave. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing. 12 The man sent a third slave. The tenants wounded him and threw him out. 13 ‘Then the owner of the vineyard said, “What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.” 14 ‘But when the tenants saw the son, they talked the matter over. “This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday,” they said. “Let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.” 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard. And they killed him. ‘What will the owner of the vineyard do to the tenants? 16 He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others.’ When the people heard this, they said, ‘We hope this never happens!’ 17 Jesus looked right at them and said, ‘Here is something I want you to explain the meaning of. It is written, ‘ “The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all.” 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.’ 19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest Jesus at once. They knew he had told that story against them. But they were afraid of the people.

Is it right to pay the royal tax to Caesar?

20 The religious leaders sent spies to keep a close watch on Jesus. The spies pretended to be sincere. They hoped they could trap Jesus with something he would say. Then they could hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. 21 So the spies questioned Jesus. ‘Teacher’, they said, ‘we know that you speak and teach what is right. We know you don’t favour one person over another. You teach the way of God truthfully. 22 Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ 23 Jesus saw they were trying to trick him. So he said to them, 24 ‘Show me a silver coin. Whose picture and words are on it?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. 25 He said to them, ‘Then give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give back to God what belongs to God.’ 26 They were not able to trap him with what he had said there in front of all the people. Amazed by his answer, they became silent.

Marriage when the dead rise

27 The Sadducees do not believe that people rise from the dead. Some of them came to Jesus with a question. 28 ‘Teacher’, they said, ‘Moses wrote for us about a man’s brother who dies. Suppose the brother leaves a wife but has no children. Then the man must marry the widow. He must provide children to carry on his dead brother’s name. 29 There were seven brothers. The first one married a woman. He died without leaving any children. 30 The second one married her. 31 And then the third one married her. One after another, the seven brothers married her. They all died. None left any children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven brothers were married to her.’ 34 Jesus replied, ‘People in this world get married. And their parents give them to be married. 35 But it will not be like that when the dead rise. Those who are considered worthy to take part in the world to come won’t get married. And their parents won’t give them to be married. 36 They can’t die anymore. They are like the angels. They are God’s children. They will be given a new form of life when the dead rise. 37 Remember the story of Moses and the burning bush. Even Moses showed that the dead rise. The Lord said to him, “I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.” 38 He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living. In his eyes, everyone is alive.’ 39 Some of the teachers of the law replied, ‘You have spoken well, teacher!’ 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose son is the Messiah?

41 Jesus said to them, ‘Why do people say that the Messiah is the son of David? 42 David himself says in the Book of Psalms, ‘ “The Lord said to my Lord, ‘Sit at my right hand 43 until I put your enemies under your control.’ ” 44 David calls him “Lord”. So how can he be David’s son?’

Warning against the teachers of the law

45 All the people were listening. Jesus said to his disciples, 46 ‘Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in long robes. They love to be greeted with respect in the market. They love to have the most important seats in the synagogues. They also love to have the places of honour at banquets. 47 They take over the houses of widows. They say long prayers to show off. God will punish these men very much.’

English Standard Version

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

1 One day, as Jesus* was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up 2 and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” 3 He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me, 4 was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?” 5 And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it came from. 8 And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant* to the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” 17 But he looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written: “‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?* 18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”

Paying Taxes to Caesar

19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. 20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality,* but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius.* Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man* must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.” 34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons* of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

41 But he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, “‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 43 until I make your enemies your footstool.”’ 44 David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?”

Beware of the Scribes

45 And in the hearing of all the people he said to his disciples, 46 “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, 47 who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Lukas 20 | New International Reader’s Version English Standard Version