¹ And it came to pass [that] on one of those days as he taught the people in the temple and preached the gospel, the princes of the priests and the scribes came upon [him] with the elders

² and spoke unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?

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

⁴ The baptism of John, was it from heaven or of men?

⁵ And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven, he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?

⁶ But and if we say, Of men, all the people will stone us; for they are certain that John was a prophet.

⁷ And they answered that they knew not from where.

⁸ Then Jesus said unto them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

⁹ And he began to speak this parable to the people: A certain man planted a vineyard and let it out to husbandmen and went into a far country for a long time.

¹⁰ And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard, but the husbandmen beat him and sent [him] away empty.

¹¹ And again he sent another servant, and they beat him also and treated [him] shamefully and sent [him] away empty.

¹² And again he sent a third, and they wounded him also and cast [him] out.

¹³ Then said the lord of the vineyard, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will reverence [him] when they see him.

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

¹⁵ So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed [him]. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

¹⁶ He shall come and destroy these husbandmen and shall give the vineyard to others. And when they heard [it], they said, May it not be!

¹⁷ But he beheld them and said, What is this then that is written, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner?

¹⁸ Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

¹⁹ And the princes of the priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him, for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them; but they feared the people.

²⁰ And they watched [him] and sent forth spies who feigned themselves just men that they might take hold of him as he was speaking, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

²¹ And they asked him, saying, Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither dost thou accept the person [of any], but teachest the way of God with truth;

²² Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar or no?

²³ But he, perceiving their craftiness, said unto them, Why tempt ye me?

²⁴ Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have? They answered and said, Caesar's.

²⁵ And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things which are God's.

²⁶ And they could not take hold of his words before the people, and they marvelled at his answer and were silent.

²⁷ Then certain of the Sadducees came, who deny that there is any resurrection, and they asked him,

²⁸ saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother dies, having a wife, and he dies without children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.

²⁹ There were therefore seven brethren, and the first took a wife and died without children.

³⁰ And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.

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

³² Last of all the woman died also.

³³ Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be? for seven had her to wife.

³⁴ And Jesus answering said unto them, The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage,

³⁵ but those who are accounted worthy to obtain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry, nor are given in marriage;

³⁶ for neither can they die any more, for they are equal unto the angels and are the sons of God, being the sons of the resurrection.

³⁷ Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed [this] at the bush when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.

³⁸ For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living; for all live unto him.

³⁹ Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said.

⁴⁰ And after that they dared not ask him any [question at all].

⁴¹ And he said unto them, How do they say that the Christ is David's son?

⁴² And David himself says in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand

⁴³ until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

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

⁴⁵ Then in the audience of all the people, he said unto his disciples,

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

⁴⁷ who devour the houses of the widows and for a pretext make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.: