¹ And it came to pass, that, on one of those days, while he was teaching the people in the temple, and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders, came to him,

² and spoke to him, saying: Tell us by what authority you do these things? or, who is he that gave you this authority?

³ And he answered and said to them: I also will ask you one thing, and do you answer me.

⁴ Was the immersion of John from heaven, or from men?

⁵ And they reasoned among themselves, saying: If we say, From heaven, he will reply: Why, then, did you not believe him?

⁶ But if we say, From men, all the people will stone us; for they believe that John was a prophet.

⁷ And they answered, that they knew not whence it was.

⁸ And Jesus said to them: Nor do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

⁹ And he began to speak this parable to the people: A man planted a vineyard, and let it out to vine-dressers, and was absent from home for a long time.

¹⁰ And at the proper season, he sent a servant to those vine-dressers, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vine-dressers scourged him, and sent him away empty-handed.

¹¹ And he then sent another servant. But they scourged him also, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.

¹² And he also sent a third; but they wounded him, and drove him out.

¹³ And the owner of the vineyard said: What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps, when they see him, they will reverence him.

¹⁴ But when the vine-dressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying: This is the heir; come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.

¹⁵ And they drove 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 these vine-dressers, and will give his vineyard to others. And when they heard it, they said: Be it not so!

¹⁷ And he looked on them and said: What, then, does this mean, which is written, The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner?

¹⁸ Whoever shall fall on this stone, shall be dashed to pieces; but on whomever it shall fall, it will make him as chaff for the wind.

¹⁹ And the chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him, the same hour; (and yet they feared the people;) for they knew that he spoke this parable against them.

²⁰ And they watched him, and sent spies, who feigned them selves to be just men, that they might take hold of his words, in order to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.

²¹ And they asked him, saying: Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and do not regard the person of any, but teach the way of God in truth.

²² Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Cæsar, or not?

²³ But he perceived their cunning, and said to them: Why do you tempt me?

²⁴ Show me a denarius. Whose image and superscription has it? They answered and said: Cæsar’s.

²⁵ He said to them: Give, therefore, to Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.

²⁶ And they were not able to take hold of his words before the people. And they were astonished at his answer, and were silent.

²⁷ Then there came to him some of the Sadducees, (these deny that there is any resurrection,) and asked him,

²⁸ saying: Teacher, Moses wrote for us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up children for his brother.

²⁹ There were, therefore, seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died without children;

³⁰ and the second took his wife, and he died without children;

³¹ and the third took her; and in like manner also the seven; and they left no children, and died.

³² Last of all, the woman also died.

³³ Therefore, in the resurrection, of which of them shall she be the wife? for the seven had her as a wife.

³⁴ And Jesus answered and said to them: The children of this age marry, and are given in marriage.

³⁵ But those who shall be accounted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.

³⁶ For they can die no more; for they are like the angels, and are the sons of God, being the sons of the resurrection.

³⁷ But: that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at The Bush, since he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

³⁸ He is not a God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to him.

³⁹ And certain of the scribes answered and said: Teacher, thou hast answered well.

⁴⁰ And after this they durst not ask him any question at all.

⁴¹ But he said to them: How say they that the Christ is the son of David?

⁴² Even David himself says, in the book of Psalms: The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,

⁴³ till I make thy enemies thy footstool.

⁴⁴ David, therefore, calls him Lord; and how is he his son?

⁴⁵ And while all the people were listening, he said to his disciples:

⁴⁶ Beware of the scribes, who delight to walk in robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the first seats in the synagogues, and the first places at suppers;

⁴⁷ who eat up the houses of widows, and, for a pretext, make long prayers. These shall receive the greater condemnation.