Renters of a Vineyard
(Matthew 21.33-46Luke 20.9-19)1 Jesus then told them this story:
A farmer once planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it and dug a pit to crush the grapes in. He also built a lookout tower. Then he rented out his vineyard and left the country.
2 When it was harvest time, he sent a servant to get his share of the grapes. 3 The renters grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him away without a thing.
4 The owner sent another servant, but the renters beat him on the head and insulted him terribly. 5 Then the man sent another servant, and they killed him. He kept sending servant after servant. They beat some of them and killed some.
6 The owner had a son he loved very much. Finally, he sent his son to the renters because he thought they would respect him. 7 But they said to themselves, “Someday he will own this vineyard. Let's kill him! That way we can have it all for ourselves.” 8 So they grabbed the owner's son, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard.
9 Jesus asked, “What do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? He will come and kill those renters and let someone else have his vineyard. 10 You surely know that the Scriptures say,
‘The stone the builders
tossed aside
is now the most important
stone of all.
11 This is something
the Lord has done,
and it is amazing to us.’ ”
12 The leaders knew that Jesus was really talking about them, and they wanted to arrest him. But because they were afraid of the crowd, they let him alone and left.
Paying Taxes
(Matthew 22.15-22Luke 20.20-26)13 The Pharisees got together with Herod's followers. Then they sent some men to trick Jesus into saying something wrong. 14 They went to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are honest. You treat everyone with the same respect, no matter who they are. And you teach the truth about what God wants people to do. Tell us, should we pay taxes to the Emperor or not?”
15 Jesus knew what they were up to, and he said, “Why are you trying to test me? Show me a coin!”
16 They brought him a silver coin, and he asked, “Whose picture and name are on it?”
“The Emperor's,” they answered.
17 Then Jesus told them, “Give the Emperor what belongs to him and give God what belongs to God.” The men were amazed at Jesus.
Life in the Future World
(Matthew 22.23-33Luke 20.27-40)18 The Sadducees did not believe that people would rise to life after death. So some of them came to Jesus and said:
19 Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother. 20 There were once seven brothers. The first one married, but died without having any children. 21 The second brother married his brother's widow, and he also died without having children. The same thing happened to the third brother, 22 and finally to all seven brothers. At last the woman died. 23 When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? After all, she had been married to all seven brothers.
24 Jesus answered:
You are completely wrong! You don't know what the Scriptures teach. And you don't know anything about the power of God. 25 When God raises people to life, they won't marry. They will be like the angels in heaven. 26 You surely know about people being raised to life. You know that in the story about Moses and the burning bush, God said, “I am the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 27 He isn't the God of the dead, but of the living. You Sadducees are all wrong.
The Most Important Commandment
(Matthew 22.34-40Luke 10.25-28)28 One of the teachers of the Law of Moses came up while Jesus and the Sadducees were arguing. When he heard Jesus give a good answer, he asked him, “What is the most important commandment?”
29 Jesus answered, “The most important one says: ‘People of Israel, you have only one Lord and God. 30 You must love him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.’ 31 The second most important commandment says: ‘Love others as much as you love yourself.’ No other commandment is more important than these.”
32 The man replied, “Teacher, you are certainly right to say there is only one God. 33 It is also true that we must love God with all our heart, mind, and strength, and that we must love others as much as we love ourselves. These commandments are more important than all the sacrifices and offerings that we could possibly make.”
34 When Jesus saw that the man had given a sensible answer, he told him, “You are not far from God's kingdom.” After this, no one dared ask Jesus any more questions.
About David's Son
(Matthew 22.41-46Luke 20.41-44)35 As Jesus was teaching in the temple, he said, “How can the teachers of the Law of Moses say the Messiah will come from the family of King David? 36 The Holy Spirit led David to say,
‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit at my right side
until I make your enemies
into a footstool for you.’
37 If David called the Messiah his Lord, how can the Messiah be his son?”
The large crowd enjoyed listening to Jesus teach.
Jesus Condemns the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law of Moses
(Matthew 23.1-36Luke 20.45-47)38 As Jesus was teaching, he said:
Guard against the teachers of the Law of Moses! They love to walk around in long robes and be greeted in the market. 39 They like the front seats in the synagogues and the best seats at banquets. 40 But they cheat widows out of their homes and pray long prayers just to show off. They will be punished most of all.
A Widow's Offering
(Luke 21.1-4)41 Jesus was sitting in the temple near the offering box and watching people put in their gifts. He noticed that many rich people were giving a lot of money. 42 Finally, a poor widow came up and put in two coins worth only a few pennies. 43 Jesus told his disciples to gather around him. Then he said:
I tell you that this poor widow has put in more than all the others. 44 Everyone else gave what they didn't need. But she is very poor and gave everything she had. Now she doesn't have a cent to live on.
1 WA huwa biqa yu‘allimahum bi-l-amsāl. Kān wāḥid rāgil zara‘ zirā‘; wa khatt zarība ḥawalēha wa banā bēt, wa ba‘dēn aggaru li nās wa safar. 2 Wa fi-mi‘ad as-samar rassal wāḥid khaddām li-l-muaggarīn fi s̠h̠ān yelimm minnahum ḥaqqu. 3 Wa qabaḍūhu wa ḍa-rabūhu wa ṭaradūhu idēhu yābsāt. 4 Wa ba‘-dēn rassal lēhum ḵh̠addām tāni, wa fallagūhu bi ḥigār wa ṭaradūhu magrūḥ fi rāsu. 5 Wa ba‘dēn rassal lēhum ḵh̠addamīn kutār, wa sawwū fōqhum ka‘b, wa ḍarabū ba‘ḍahum wa katalū ba‘ḍahum. 6 Kān lissa lēhu waladu huwa, el yerīdu khalās, wa qāh̠ Arassil lēhum waladi, fi s̠h̠ān lāzim yeqbalūhu bi-l-iḥtarām. 7 Wa lākin lamman s̠h̠āfīīhu, qālū ma‘a ba‘ḍ, Aho, da al-wāris; araḥkum, nektilu, wa ba‘dēn niris arḍīyyatu. 8 Wa qabaḍūhu wa ka-talūhu wa gada‘ū gittatu barra. 9 Sīd az-zirā‘ mās̠h̠i yesawwi s̠h̠inū? Yegi wa yektil an-nās dōlak wa yuaggir arḍīyyatu li gh̠ērhum. 10 Ma qarētu fi-l-kutub?
Al-ḥagar el bannāyīn ramūhu
Biqa ahamm min al-kull.
11 As̠h̠-s̠h̠ugh̠l dāk kan min ar-Rabb,
Wa biqa ‘agīb fi ‘uyūna?
12 Wa qannabū yekūsū sabab li yeqbaḍūhu fi s̠h̠ān ‘ārifīn huwa qāl al-masal da ‘alēhum, lākin ḵh̠āfū min an-nās, wa ḵhallūhu wa s̠h̠ālū biyūthum. 13 Wa rassalū lēhu ba‘ḍ min al-Farīsīyīn wa min al-Herōdīyīn fi s̠h̠ān yegh̠alliṭūhu fi kalāmu. 14 Wa lamman wiṣlū qālū lēh, Ya mu‘allim, naḥna ‘ārifīn inta ṣādiq wa mā tekhāf min zōḥ wa mā tes̠h̠ūf fāriz an-nās, lākin te‘allim ta‘līm Allah bi-l-ḥaqq, — qūl lēna — wāgib ‘alēna nedfa‘ ‘awāid li-l-malik walla lā? 15 Nedfa‘ au nāba? Lākin Yasū‘ ‘arif ma-krahum wa qāl lēhum, Lē s̠h̠inū tegarribūni? Gībū lēya riāl li nes̠h̠ūfu. 16 Wa gābū riāl, wa huwa qāl lēhum, Fōqa taṣwīrat minu, wa kitābat minu?. Wa qālū lēh, Ḥaqq al-malik. 17 Wa Yasū‘ qāl lēhum, Addū ḥaqq al-malik li-l-malik, wa addū ḥaqq Allah li Allah. Wa it‘aggabū minnu.
18 Wa ba‘dēn gū gamī‘ min as-Sadduqīyīn el ma yeṣaddiqū al-qiyāma, wa sa-alūhu wa qālū, 19 Ya mu‘allim, an-nebi Mūsa katab lēna fi-l-kitāb, Kān akhu zōl māt wa ḵh̠alla maratu, wa mā ḵh̠alaf awlād, ar-rāgil lāzim yegawwiz al-‘azaba fi s̠h̠ān yegīb awlād bi-ism aḵh̠ūhu. 20 Masalan, kān saba‘ aḵh̠wān, al-bikir gawwaz lēhu mara wa itwaffā wa mā ḵh̠alaf awlād. 21 Wa-t-tāni gawwazha wa māt wa mā ḵh̠alaf, wa-t-tālit kamān; wa-s-saba‘ kulluhum gawwazūha wa mā khalafū awlād. 22 Wa fi-l-ākhir al-mara mātat. 23 Fi-l-qiyāma lamman yeqūmū min al-mōt, tebqa mara li minu? Fi s̠h̠ān gawwazat as-saba‘ aḵh̠wān. 24 Wa Yasū‘ qāḥ Intu mā fahimīn al-kutub walla qudrat Allah, wa da sabab g̠h̠alaṭkum. 25 Fi s̠h̠ān lamman ye-qūmū min al-mōt mā yegawwizū walla yitgaw-wizū, lākin yebqū mitil malāikat Allah fi-s-samā. 26 Wa ‘an al-māyitīn wa-l-qiyāma mā qarētū fi sifir Mūsa kēf Allah kallamu fi bakān as̠h̠-s̠h̠idir, wa qāl lēh, Ana Allah Ibrahīm w-Allah Isḥāq w-Allah Ya‘qūb. 27 Ar-Rabb mā Allah al-māyitīn lākin Huwa Allah al-ḥayyīn; fi s̠h̠ān kadi intu g̠h̠alṭānīn.
28 Wa kān wāḥid s̠h̠ēḵh̠ simi‘hum yitfa-wadū fi ba‘ḍ. Wa lamman ‘arif Yasū‘ radd ‘alēhum semiḥ, qaddam lēhu wa qāḥ Yātu al-waṣīya ahamm min al-kull? 29 Wa Yasū‘ qāḥ Aho, al-waṣīya al-ahamm; Eṣṣannatū, ya Beni Isra-īl, Rabbina Allah wāḥid, 30 Wa lāzim terīd ar-Rabb min kull qalbak, wa min kull nafsak, wa min kull qudratak, wa min kull fikrak; di hiya al-waṣīya al-ahamm. 31 Wa-t-tānya mitilha; lāzim terīd qarībak mitil nafsak; mā fi waṣīya akbar min al-etnēn dēla. 32 Wa-s̠h̠-s̠h̠ēkh qāḥ Semiḥ, ya mu‘allim, ḥad-dastana bi-l-ḥaqq; ya‘ni Allah wāḥid wa mā fi g̠h̠ēru. 33 Wa rēdatu min kull al-qalib wa min kull al-qudra wa min kull al-fikir wa rēdat al-qarīb mitil nafsu, da akhēr min aḍ-ḍabīḥa wa min al-karāma. 34 Wa lamman Yasū‘ s̠h̠āyif yitkallim bi-s-siyāsa, qāl lēh, Inta mā ba‘īd min Malakūt Allah. Wa min al-wakit dāk mā fi zōl qidir yesa-alu su-āl abadan.
35 Wa lamman Yasū‘ kān qā‘id yu‘allim fi-g-gāmi‘ al-kebīr, qāl, Lē s̠h̠inū as̠h̠-s̠h̠iyūḵh̠ yeqūlū al-Maṣīḥ ibn Dawūd? 36 Fi s̠h̠ān Dawūd zātu qāl bi Ruḥ al-Qudus,
Ar-Rabb qāl li Rabbi,
Qannib fi yamīni,
Ḥattan aḵh̠utt a‘dāak tiḥit kor‘ēnak.
37 Dawūd bi zātu qāl al-masīḥ rabbu wa kēf yeqdar yekūn ibnu? Wa an-nās inbasaṭū min kalāmu.
38 Wa huwa qāl fi ta‘līmu, Uwa‘ū min an-nās al-kebīr el yeḥibbū yems̠h̠ū lābsin ‘abāyāt semḥāt wa el yeḥibbū iḥtarām an-nās fi-s-sūq. 39 Wa el-yedurū maḥallāt al-aḥsan fi-g-gawā-mi‘ wa fi-l-‘azāim, 40 Wa-l yaḵh̠udū qurūs̠h̠ al-‘azabāt wa ba‘dēn yeṣallū ṣalāwāt ṭawīla quddām an-nās bi-l-makar; dēl yakhudū dēnūna ‘azīma fi-l-āḵh̠ir.
41 Wa Yasū‘ qa‘ad gamb al-ḵh̠azna, wa s̠h̠āf an-nās yermū qurūs̠h̠um fi-l-ḵh̠azna; wa-l-g̠h̠aniyīn ramū qurūs̠h̠ ketīr, 42 Wa waḥida mara miskīna gāt wa hiya ‘azaba wa hiya ramat millīmtēn fi-l-ḵh̠azna. 43 Wa Yasū‘ nādā lēhu ḥērānu wa qāl lēhum, Bi-l-ḥaqq al-‘azaba al-miskīna deyya ramat aktar minnahum kullu-hum. 44 Fi s̠h̠ān an-nās dēlak ramū min faḍlathum lākin hiya ramat kull al-‘indaha el tit‘ēs̠h̠ bēhu.