Luke 20 (NMV)
1 One day, while He was teaching the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came up
2 and said to Him, "Tell us: by what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority?"
3 He answered them, "I will also ask you a question. Tell Me:
4 Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?"
5 They discussed it among themselves: "If we say, 'From heaven,' He will say, 'Why didn't you believe him?'
6 But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us to death, because they are convinced that John was a prophet."
7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.
8 And Jesus said to them, "Then neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to men to work the vineyard and give him a share of the harvest, and then went away for a long time."
10 At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit from the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11 He sent another servant, but they also beat that one, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
12 And he sent yet a third, but they wounded him and threw him out.
13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.'
14 But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, 'This is the heir. Let's kill him, so 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 those tenants and give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "May it never happen!"
17 But He looked at them and said, "Then what is the meaning of this Scripture: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but if it falls on anyone, it will crush them."
19 Then the scribes and the chief priests wanted to arrest Him at that very hour, because they knew He had spoken this parable against them, but they were afraid of the people.
20 So they watched closely and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, so they could catch Him in something He said and hand Him over to the authority and control of the governor.
21 They questioned Him, "Teacher, we know that You speak and teach rightly, and that You show no favoritism, but You truly teach the way of God.
22 Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
23 But He saw through their trickery and said to them,
24 "Show Me a denarius [a silver coin worth one day's wage]. Whose image and inscription does it have?" "Caesar's," they said.
25 He said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things that belong to Caesar, and to God the things that belong to God."
26 They were not able to trap Him in what He said in public. Amazed by His answer, they fell silent.
27 Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came up and questioned Him:
28 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, that man should marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.
29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children.
30 The second
31 and then the third married her, and in the same way all seven died and left no children.
32 Finally, the woman died too.
33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her."
34 Jesus told 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 to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.
36 For they can no longer die, because they are like the heavenly messengers and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.
37 But even Moses showed that the dead are raised, 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 He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all are alive to Him."
39 Some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, You have spoken well."
40 And they no longer dared to question Him about anything.
41 Then He said to them, "How can they say that the Christ is the son of David?
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 David calls Him 'Lord.' So how is He his son?"
45 While all the people were listening, He said to His disciples,
46 "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, love respectful greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the places of honor at banquets.
47 They take advantage of widows and seize their homes, while making long prayers just for show. These men will receive a more severe judgment."