201 On one of the days while He was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel , the chief priests and the scribes with the elders confronted Him, 2 and they spoke , saying to Him, "Tell us by what authority You are doing these things , or who is the one who gave You this authority ?" 3 Jesus answered and said to them, "I will also ask you a question , and you tell Me: 4 "Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men ?" 5 They reasoned among themselves , saying , "If we say , 'From heaven ,' He will say , 'Why e did you not believe him?' 6 "But if we say , 'From men ,' 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, "Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things ."
9 And He began to tell the people this parable : "A man planted a vineyard and rented it out to vine-growers , and went on a journey for a long time . 10 "At the harvest time he sent a slave to the vine-growers , so that they would give him some of the produce of the vineyard ; but the vine-growers beat him and sent him away empty-handed . 11 "And he proceeded to send another slave ; and they beat him also and treated him shamefully and sent him away empty-handed . 12 "And he proceeded to send a third ; and this one also they wounded and cast out. 13 "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 vine-growers saw him, they reasoned with one another , saying , 'This is the heir ; let us kill him so that the inheritance will be ours .' 15 "So 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 these vine-growers and will give the vineyard to others ." When they heard it, they said , " May it never be!" 17 But Jesus looked at them and said , "What then is this that is written : ' THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED , THIS BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone'? 18 " Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces ; but on whomever e it falls , it will scatter him like dust ."
19 The scribes and the chief priests tried to lay hands on Him that very hour , and they feared the people ; for they understood that He spoke this parable against them.
20 So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous , in order that they might catch Him in some statement , so that they could deliver Him to the rule and the authority of the governor . 21 They questioned Him, saying , "Teacher , we know that You speak and teach correctly , and You are not partial e to any, but teach the way of God in truth . 22 "Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar , or not?" 23 But He detected their trickery and said to them, 24 "Show Me a denarius . Whose likeness and inscription does it have ?" They said , "Caesar's ." 25 And 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 unable e to catch Him in a saying in the presence of the people ; and being amazed at His answer , they became silent .
27 Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection ), 28 and they questioned Him, saying , "Teacher , Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN'S BROTHER DIES , having a wife , AND HE IS CHILDLESS , HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER . 29 "Now there were seven brothers ; and the first took a wife and died childless ; 30 and the second 31 and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died , leaving no children . 32 "Finally the woman died also . 33 "In the resurrection therefore , which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her." 34 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 the resurrection from the dead , neither marry nor are given in marriage ; 36 for they cannot e even die anymore , because they are like 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 burning 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 the God of the dead but of the living ; for all live to Him."
39 Some of the scribes answered and said , "Teacher , You have spoken well ." 40 For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything .
41 Then He said to them, "How is it that they say 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 A FOOTSTOOL FOR YOUR FEET ."' 44 "Therefore David calls Him 'Lord ,' and how is He his son ?"
45 And while all the people were listening , He said to the disciples , 46 "Beware of the scribes , who like to walk around in long robes , and love respectful greetings in the market places , and chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets , 47 who devour widows' houses , and for appearance's sake offer long prayers . These will receive greater condemnation ."
31 Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar , when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea , and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee , and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis , and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene , 2 in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas , the word of God came to John , the son of Zacharias , in the wilderness . 3 And he came into all the district around the Jordan , preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins ; 4 as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet , " THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS , 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE Lord , MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT . 5 ' EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED , AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW ; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME e STRAIGHT , AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH ; 6 AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD .' " 7 So he began saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, " You brood of vipers , who warned you to flee from the wrath to come ? 8 "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance , and do not begin to say to yourselves , ' We have Abraham for our father ,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham . 9 "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees ; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire ." 10 And the crowds were questioning him, saying , " Then what shall we do ?" 11 And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none ; and he who has food is to do likewise ." 12 And some tax collectors also came to be baptized , and they said to him, "Teacher , what shall we do ?" 13 And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." 14 Some soldiers were questioning him, saying , "And what about us, what shall we do ?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force , or accuse anyone falsely , and be content with your wages ."
15 Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John , as to whether he was the Christ , 16 John answered and said to them all , "As for me, I baptize you with water ; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals ; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire . 17 "His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor , and to gather the wheat into His barn ; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire ." 18 So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people . 19 But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias , his brother's wife , and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done , 20 Herod also added this to them all : he locked John up in prison .
21 Now when all the people were baptized , Jesus was also baptized , and while He was praying , heaven was opened , 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove , and a voice came out of heaven , " You are My beloved Son , in You I am well-pleased ."
23 When He began His ministry, Jesus Himself was about thirty years of age , being , as was supposed , the son of Joseph , the son of Eli , 24 the son of Matthat , the son of Levi , the son of Melchi , the son of Jannai , the son of Joseph , 25 the son of Mattathias , the son of Amos , the son of Nahum , the son of Hesli , the son of Naggai , 26 the son of Maath , the son of Mattathias , the son of Semein , the son of Josech , the son of Joda , 27 the son of Joanan , the son of Rhesa , the son of Zerubbabel , the son of Shealtiel , the son of Neri , 28 the son of Melchi , the son of Addi , the son of Cosam , the son of Elmadam , the son of Er , 29 the son of Joshua , the son of Eliezer , the son of Jorim , the son of Matthat , the son of Levi , 30 the son of Simeon , the son of Judah , the son of Joseph , the son of Jonam , the son of Eliakim , 31 the son of Melea , the son of Menna , the son of Mattatha , the son of Nathan , the son of David , 32 the son of Jesse , the son of Obed , the son of Boaz , the son of Salmon , the son of Nahshon , 33 the son of Amminadab , the son of Admin , the son of Ram , the son of Hezron , the son of Perez , the son of Judah , 34 the son of Jacob , the son of Isaac , the son of Abraham , the son of Terah , the son of Nahor , 35 the son of Serug , the son of Reu , the son of Peleg , the son of Heber , the son of Shelah , 36 the son of Cainan , the son of Arphaxad , the son of Shem , the son of Noah , the son of Lamech , 37 the son of Methuselah , the son of Enoch , the son of Jared , the son of Mahalaleel , the son of Cainan , 38 the son of Enosh , the son of Seth , the son of Adam , the son of God .