of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority do you do these things? and who gave you this authority? 21:24Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one question, which, if you tell me, I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 21:25Whence was the baptism of John? from heaven or from men? And they reasoned within themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say to us, Why did you not believe him? 21:26But if we say from men, we fear the multitude, for all regard John as a prophet. 21:27And they answered Jesus, and said, We do not know. And he said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
2 21:28But what do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first, and said, Son, go and work to-day in the vineyard. 21:29But he answered and said, I will not; but afterwards he repented, and went. 21:30And he came to the other, and said the same. And he answered and said, I will go sir, but went not. 21:31Which of the two did the will of the father? They said to him, The first. Jesus said to them, I tell you truly, that the publicans and harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 21:32For John came to you in a way of righteousness, and you believed him not; but the publicans and harlots believed him; and when you saw this, you did not afterwards repent, that you might believe him.
3 21:33Hear another parable: There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and made a hedge around it, and dug a wine vat in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went abroad. 21:34And when the time of the fruits approached he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive his fruits. 21:35And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 21:36Again he sent other servants more than the first; and they treated them in the same manner. 21:37And afterwards he sent them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 21:38But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him and take his inheritance. 21:39And they took him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 21:40When, therefore, the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those husbandmen? 21:41They said to him, He will inflict on those men a miserable death, and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.
4 21:42Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of a corner? this is from the Lord, and is wonderful in our eyes? 21:43I tell you, therefore, that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation yielding its fruits.
5 21:45And the chief priests and Pharisees hearing his parables, knew that he spoke of them; 21:46and they sought to take him, but feared the people, because they regarded him as a prophet.
CHAPTER XX.
THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING, AND QUESTIONS OF THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES.
1 22:1AND Jesus answered and spoke to them again in parables saying, 22:2The kingdom of heaven is like a man, a king, who made a wedding for his son. 22:3And he sent his servants to call the invited to the wedding, and they would not come. 22:4Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell the invited, Behold, I have prepared my supper, my oxen and fatted creatures are killed, and all things are ready; come to the wedding. 22:5But they neglected it, and went away, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise; 22:6and the rest took his servants and treated them injuriously, and killed them. 22:7And the king was angry, and sent his armies and destroyed those murderers, and burnt up their city.
2 22:8Then he said to his servants, The wedding indeed is ready, but the invited were not worthy. 22:9Go, therefore, to the crossings of the ways, and invite all you find to the wedding. 22:10And those servants went out into the highways, and collected all whom they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.
3 22:11And the king coming in to see the guests observed there a man who had not on a wedding garment, 22:12and said to him, Friend, how came you in here not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. 22:13Then the king said to the servants, Bind his feet and hands, and cast him into the darkness outside. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 22:14For many are called, but few chosen.
4 22:15Then the Pharisees went and took counsel to ensnare him in his words. 22:16And they sent to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that you are true, and teach the way of God in truth, and care not for any man; for you regard not the face of men. 22:17Tell us, therefore, what you think; is it right to pay tribute to Cæsar or not? 22:18Jesus knowing their wickedness, said, Why do you hypocrites try me? 22:19Show me the tribute money. And they brought him a denarius [14 cents]. 22:20And he said to them, Whose is this image and this inscription? 22:21They said to him, Cæsar's. Then he said to them, Give therefore Cæsar's dues to Cæsar, and God's to God. 22:22And hearing, they wondered, and went away and left him.
5 22:23On that day the Sadducees came to him, who say there is no resurrection, and asked him, 22:24saying, Teacher, Moses said, If any one dies having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up children for his brother. 22:25Now there were with us seven brothers; and the first married, and died; and having no children he left his wife to his brother; 22:26in like manner also the second, and third, till the seventh; 22:27last of all the woman died also. 22:28In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? for they all had her. 22:29And Jesus answered and said to them, You err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God. 22:30For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are married, but are as angels in heaven. 22:31But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 22:32I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not a God of the dead, but of the living. 22:33And the multitudes who heard were astonished at his teaching.
6 22:34And the Pharisees hearing that he had silenced the Sadducees, were assembled together, 22:35and one of them, a lawyer, asked him, to try him, 22:36Teacher, what is the great commandment in the law? 22:37And he said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul, and all your mind. 22:38This is the great and first commandment. 22:39And the second is like it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 22:40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
7 22:41And the Pharisees being assembled together, Jesus asked them, 22:42saying, What do you think of the Christ? whose son is he? They said to him, David's. 22:43He said to them, How then does David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 22:44The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand till I make your enemies your footstool? 22:45If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son? 22:46And no one was able to answer him a word, neither dared any one after that day to question him farther.
CHAPTER XXI.
CHRIST DENOUNCING THE SCRIBES AND PHARISEES.
1 23:1THEN Jesus spoke to the multitudes and his disciples, 23:2saying, The scribes and Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.