Mark 12

1And he began to speak to them in parables: “A man dug a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a pit, and built a tower, and he loaned it out to farmers, and he set out on a long journey.

2And in time, he sent a servant to the farmers, in order to receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers.

3But they, having apprehended him, beat him and sent him away empty.

4And again, he sent another servant to them. And they wounded him on the head, and they treated him with contempt.

5And again, he sent another, and him they killed, and many others: some they beat, but others they killed.

6Therefore, having still one son, most dear to him, he sent him also to them, at the very end, saying, ‘For they will reverence my son.’

7But the settlers said one to another: ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him. And then the inheritance will be ours.’

8And apprehending him, they killed him. And they cast him out of the vineyard.

9Therefore, what will the lord of the vineyard do?” “He will come and destroy the settlers. And he will give the vineyard to others.”

10“And so, have you not read this scripture?: ‘The stone which the builders have rejected, the same has been made the head of the corner.

11By the Lord has this been done, and it is wondrous in our eyes.’ ”

12And they sought to take hold of him, but they feared the crowd. For they knew that he had spoken this parable about them. And leaving him behind, they went away.

13And they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to him, so that they might trap him with words.

14And these, arriving, said to him: “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and that you do not favor anyone; for you do not consider the appearance of men, but you teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give the tribute to Caesar, or should we not give it?”

15And knowing their skill in deception, he said to them: “Why do you test me? Bring me a denarius, so that I may see it.”

16And they brought it to him. And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.”

17So in response, Jesus said to them, “Then render to Caesar, the things that are of Caesar; and to God, the things that are of God.” And they wondered over him.

18And the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, approached him. And they questioned him, saying:

19“Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if any man’s brother will have died and left behind a wife, and not have left behind sons, his brother should take his wife to himself and should raise up offspring for his brother.

20So then, there were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and he died without leaving behind offspring.

21And the second took her, and he died. And neither did he leave behind offspring. And the third acted similarly.

22And in like manner, each of the seven received her and did not leave behind offspring. Last of all, the woman also died.

23Therefore, in the resurrection, when they will rise again, to which of them will she be a wife? For each of the seven had her as wife.”

24And Jesus responded by saying to them: “But have you not gone astray, by knowing neither the scriptures, nor the power of God?

25For when they will be resurrected from the dead, they shall neither marry, nor be given in marriage, but they are like the Angels in heaven.

26But concerning the dead who rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, how God spoke to him from the bush, saying: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?’

27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Therefore, you have gone far astray.”

28And one of the scribes, who had heard them arguing, drew near to him. And seeing that he had answered them well, he questioned him as to which was the first commandment of all.

29And Jesus answered him: “For the first commandment of all is this: ‘Listen, O Israel. The Lord your God is one God.

30And you shall love the Lord your God from your whole heart, and from your whole soul, and from your whole mind, and from your whole strength. This is the first commandment.’

31But the second is similar to it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

32And the scribe said to him: Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth that there is one God, and there is no other beside him;

33and that he should be loved from the whole heart, and from the whole understanding, and from the whole soul, and from the whole strength. And to love one’s neighbor as one’s self is greater than all holocausts and sacrifices.”

34And Jesus, seeing that he had responded wisely, said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that, no one dared to question him.

35And while teaching in the temple, Jesus said in answer: “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?

36For David himself said in the Holy Spirit: ‘The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand, until I set your enemies as your footstool.’

37Therefore, David himself calls him Lord, and so how can he be his son?” And a great multitude listened to him willingly.

38And he said to them in his doctrine: “Beware of the scribes, who prefer to walk in long robes and to be greeted in the marketplace,

39and to sit in the first chairs in the synagogues, and to have the first seats at feasts,

40who devour the houses of widows under the pretense of long prayers. These shall receive the more extensive judgment.”

41And Jesus, sitting opposite the offertory box, considered the way in which the crowd cast coins into the offertory, and that many of the wealthy cast in a great deal.

42But when one poor widow had arrived, she put in two small coins, which is a quarter.

43And calling together his disciples, he said to them: “Amen I say to you, that this poor widow has put in more than all those who contributed to the offertory.

44For they all gave from their abundance, yet truly, she gave from her scarcity, even all that she had, her entire living.”