Matthew 22
22
The Story of the Wedding Dinner
1Jesus told them more stories. He said, 2“Here is what the kingdom of heaven is like. A king prepared a wedding dinner for his son. 3He sent his slaves to those who had been invited to the dinner. The slaves told them to come. But they refused.
4“Then he sent some more slaves. He said, ‘Tell those who were invited that I have prepared my dinner. I have killed my oxen and my fattest cattle. Everything is ready. Come to the wedding dinner.’
5“But the people paid no attention. One went away to his field. Another went away to his business. 6The rest grabbed his slaves. They treated them badly and then killed them. 7The king became very angry. He sent his army to destroy them. They killed those murderers and burned their city.
8“Then the king said to his slaves, ‘The wedding dinner is ready. But those I invited were not fit to come. 9So go to the street corners. Invite to the dinner anyone you can find.’ 10So the slaves went out into the streets. They gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good. Soon the wedding hall was filled with guests.
11“The king came in to see the guests. He noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 12‘Friend,’ he asked, ‘how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ The man couldn’t think of anything to say.
13“Then the king told his slaves, ‘Tie up his hands and feet. Throw him outside into the darkness. Out there people will weep and grind their teeth.’
14“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
Is It Right to Pay the Royal Tax to Caesar?
15The Pharisees went out. They made plans to trap Jesus with his own words. 16They sent their followers to him. They sent the Herodians with them. “Teacher,” they said, “we know that you are a man of honor. You teach the way of God truthfully. You don’t let others tell you what to do or say. You don’t care how important they are. 17Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay the royal tax to Caesar or not?”
18But Jesus knew their evil plans. He said, “You pretenders! Why are you trying to trap me? 19Show me the coin people use for paying the tax.” They brought him a silver coin. 20He asked them, “Whose picture is this? And whose words?”
21“Caesar’s,” they replied.
Then he said to them, “So give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And give back to God what belongs to God.”
22When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left him and went away.
Marriage When the Dead Rise
23That same day the Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. They do not believe that people rise from the dead. 24“Teacher,” they said, “here is what Moses told us. If a man dies without having children, his brother must get married to the widow. He must provide children to carry on his brother’s name. 25There were seven brothers among us. The first one got married and died. Since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26The same thing happened to the second and third brothers. It happened right on down to the seventh brother. 27Finally, the woman died. 28Now then, when the dead rise, whose wife will she be? All seven of them were married to her.”
29Jesus replied, “You are mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures. And you do not know the power of God. 30When the dead rise, they won’t get married. And their parents won’t give them to be married. They will be like the angels in heaven. 31What about the dead rising? Haven’t you read what God said to you? 32He said, ‘I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.’ (Exodus 3:6) He is not the God of the dead. He is the God of the living.”
33When the crowds heard this, they were amazed by what he taught.
The Most Important Commandment
34The Pharisees heard that the Sadducees weren’t able to answer Jesus. So the Pharisees got together. 35One of them was an authority on the law. So he tested Jesus with a question. 36“Teacher,” he asked, “which is the most important commandment in the Law?”
37Jesus replied, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul. Love him with all your mind.’ (Deuteronomy 6:5) 38This is the first and most important commandment. 39And the second is like it. ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ (Leviticus 19:18) 40Everything that is written in the Law and the Prophets is based on these two commandments.”
Whose Son Is the Messiah?
41The Pharisees were gathered together. Jesus asked them, 42“What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
“The son of David,” they replied.
43He said to them, “Then why does David call him ‘Lord’? The Holy Spirit spoke through David himself. David said,
44“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
under your control.” ’ (Psalm 110:1)
45So if David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be David’s son?” 46No one could give any answer to him. From that day on, no one dared to ask him any more questions.
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Matthew 22: NIrV
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Matthew 22
22
1And Jesus answering, again spake to them in similes, saying,
2‘The reign of the heavens was likened to a man, a king, who made marriage-feasts for his son,
3and he sent forth his servants to call those having been called to the marriage-feasts, and they were not willing to come.
4‘Again he sent forth other servants, saying, Say to those who have been called: Lo, my dinner I prepared, my oxen and the fatlings have been killed, and all things [are] ready, come ye to the marriage-feasts;
5and they, having disregarded [it], went away, the one to his own field, and the other to his merchandise;
6and the rest, having laid hold on his servants, did insult and slay [them].
7‘And the king having heard, was wroth, and having sent forth his soldiers, he destroyed those murderers, and their city he set on fire;
8then saith he to his servants, The marriage-feast indeed is ready, and those called were not worthy,
9be going, then, on to the cross-ways, and as many as ye may find, call ye to the marriage-feasts.
10‘And those servants, having gone forth to the ways, did gather all, as many as they found, both bad and good, and the marriage-feast apartment was filled with those reclining.
11‘And the king having come in to view those reclining, saw there a man not clothed with clothing of the marriage-feast,
12and he saith to him, Comrade, how didst thou come in hither, not having clothing of the marriage-feast? and he was speechless.
13‘Then said the king to the ministrants, Having bound his feet and hands, take him up and cast forth to the outer darkness, there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth;
14for many are called, and few chosen.’
15Then the Pharisees having gone, took counsel how they might ensnare him in words,
16and they send to him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we have known that thou art true, and the way of God in truth thou dost teach, and thou art not caring for any one, for thou dost not look to the face of men;
17tell us, therefore, what dost thou think? is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not?’
18And Jesus having known their wickedness, said, ‘Why me do ye tempt, hypocrites?
19show me the tribute-coin?’ and they brought to him a denary;
20and he saith to them, ‘Whose [is] this image and the inscription?’
21they say to him, ‘Caesar's;’ then saith he to them, ‘Render therefore the things of Caesar to Caesar, and the things of God to God;’
22and having heard they wondered, and having left him they went away.
23In that day there came near to him Sadducees, who are saying there is not a rising again, and they questioned him, saying,
24‘Teacher, Moses said, If any one may die not having children, his brother shall marry his wife, and shall raise up seed to his brother.
25‘And there were with us seven brothers, and the first having married did die, and not having seed, he left his wife to his brother;
26in like manner also the second, and the third, unto the seventh,
27and last of all died also the woman;
28therefore in the rising again, of which of the seven shall she be wife — for all had her?’
29And Jesus answering said to them, ‘Ye go astray, not knowing the Writings, nor the power of God;
30for in the rising again they do not marry, nor are they given in marriage, but are as messengers of God in heaven.
31‘And concerning the rising again of the dead, did ye not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying,
32I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not a God of dead men, but of living.’
33And having heard, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching;
34and the Pharisees, having heard that he did silence the Sadducees, were gathered together unto him;
35and one of them, a lawyer, did question, tempting him, and saying,
36‘Teacher, which [is] the great command in the Law?’
37And Jesus said to him, ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thine understanding —
38this is a first and great command;
39and the second [is] like to it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself;
40on these — the two commands — all the law and the prophets do hang.’
41And the Pharisees having been gathered together, Jesus did question them,
42saying, ‘What do ye think concerning the Christ? of whom is he son?’ They say to him, ‘Of David.’
43He saith to them, ‘How then doth David in the Spirit call him lord, saying,
44The Lord said to my lord, Sit at my right hand, till I may make thine enemies thy footstool?
45If then David doth call him lord, how is he his son?’
46And no one was able to answer him a word, nor durst any from that day question him any more.
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