The Parable of the Tenants

12 ^bAnd he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted ^ca vineyard ^dand put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and ^eleased it to tenants and ^fwent into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant¹ to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 ^gAnd they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 ^gAgain ^hhe sent to them another servant, and ⁱthey struck him on the head and ^jtreated him shamefully. 5 ^gAnd he sent another, and him they killed. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, ^ka beloved son. ^lFinally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ^m‘This is the heir. Come, ⁿlet us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and ^othrew him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? ^pHe will ^qcome and destroy the tenants and ^rgive the vineyard to others. 10 ^sHave you not read ^tthis Scripture:

12 And ^vthey were seeking to arrest him ^wbut feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they ^xleft him and went away.

Paying Taxes to Caesar

13 ^yAnd they sent to him some of ^zthe Pharisees and some of ^zthe Herodians, to ^atrap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, ^bwe know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For ^cyou are not swayed by appearances,³ but truly teach ^dthe way of God. Is it lawful to pay ^etaxes to ^fCaesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing ^gtheir hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why ^hput me to the test? Bring me ⁱa denarius⁴ and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus said to them, ^j“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at him.

The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

18 And ^kSadducees came to him, ^lwho say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that ^mif a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man⁵ must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”

24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because ⁿyou know neither the Scriptures nor ^othe power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither ^pmarry nor ^pare given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, ^qhave you not read in ^rthe book of Moses, in ^sthe passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ^t‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

The Great Commandment

28 ^uAnd one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ^v‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, ^wthe Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 ^xThe second is this: ^y‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment ^zgreater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that ^whe is one, and ^athere is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all ^bthe understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, ^cis much more than all ^dwhole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” ^eAnd after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

35 ^fAnd as ^gJesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that ^hthe Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, ⁱin the Holy Spirit, declared,

37 David himself calls him Lord. So ^lhow is he his son?” And the great throng ^mheard him gladly.

Beware of the Scribes

38 ⁿAnd in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces 39 and have the best seats in the synagogues and ^othe places of honor at feasts, 40 ^pwho devour widows’ houses and ^qfor a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

The Widow’s Offering

41 ^rAnd he sat down opposite ^sthe treasury and watched the people ^tputting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 And a poor widow came and put in two ^usmall copper coins, which make a penny.⁶ 43 And he called his disciples to him and said to them, “Truly, I say to you, ^vthis poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box. 44 For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her ^wpoverty has put in everything she had, all ^xshe had to live on.”

Jesus Foretells Destruction of the Temple

13 ^yAnd as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 2 And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? ^zThere will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”

Signs of the End of the Age

3 And as he sat on ^athe Mount of Olives opposite the temple, ^bPeter and James and John and ^cAndrew asked him ^dprivately, 4 “Tell us, ^ewhen will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?” 5 And Jesus began to say to them, ^f“See that no one leads you astray. 6 ^gMany will come in my name, saying, ^h‘I am he!’ and they will lead many astray. 7 And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, ⁱdo not be alarmed. This ^jmust take place, but the end is not yet. 8 For ^knation will rise against nation, and ^lkingdom against kingdom. There will be ^mearthquakes in various places; there will be ⁿfamines. These are but the beginning of the birth pains.

9 ^o“But ^pbe on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten ^qin synagogues, and you will stand before ^rgovernors and ^skings for my sake, ^tto bear witness before them. 10 And the gospel must first be proclaimed ^uto all nations. 11 And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, ^vdo not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say ^wwhatever is given you in that hour, ^xfor it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. 12 ^yAnd brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. 13 ^zAnd you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. ^aBut the one who endures to the end will be saved.

The Abomination of Desolation

14 “But when you see ^bthe abomination of desolation standing where he ought not to be (^clet the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 ^dLet the one who is on ^ethe housetop not go down, nor enter his house, to take anything out, 16 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 17 And ^falas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 18 Pray that it may not happen in winter. 19 For in those days there will be ^gsuch ^htribulation as has not been ⁱfrom the beginning of the creation that ^jGod created until now, and never will be. 20 And if the Lord had not cut short the days, no human being would be saved. But for ^kthe sake of the elect, whom ^lhe chose, he shortened the days. 21 And ^mthen if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 ⁿFor false christs and false prophets will arise and ^operform signs and wonders, ^pto lead astray, if possible, ^qthe elect. 23 But ^rbe on guard; ^sI have told you all things beforehand.

The Coming of the Son of Man

24 “But in those days, after ^tthat tribulation, ^uthe sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, 25 and ^vthe stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. 26 And then they will see ^wthe Son of Man coming in clouds ^xwith great power and glory. 27 And then ^yhe will send out the angels and ^zgather ^ahis elect from ^bthe four winds, from ^cthe ends of the earth ^dto the ends of heaven.

The Lesson of the Fig Tree

28 “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that he is near, ^eat the very gates. 30 ^fTruly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 31 ^gHeaven and earth will pass away, but ^hmy words will not pass away.

No One Knows That Day or Hour

32 “But concerning that day or that hour, ⁱno one knows, not even the angels in heaven, ^jnor the Son, ^kbut only the Father. 33 ^lBe on guard, ^mkeep awake.¹ For you do not know when the time will come. 34 ⁿIt is like a man ^ogoing on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants² in charge, ^peach with his work, and commands ^qthe doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 ^rTherefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, ^sin the evening, or ^sat midnight, or ^twhen the rooster crows,³ or ^uin the morning— 36 lest ^vhe come suddenly and ^wfind you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: ^rStay awake.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

14 ^xIt was now two days before ^ythe Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes ^zwere seeking how to arrest him by stealth and kill him, 2 for they said, “Not during the feast, ^alest there be an uproar from the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

3 ^bAnd while he was at ^cBethany in the house of Simon the leper,¹ as he was reclining at table, a woman came with an alabaster flask of ointment of pure nard, very costly, and she broke the flask and poured it over his head. 4 There were some who said to themselves indignantly, “Why was the ointment wasted like that? 5 For this ointment could have been sold for more than three hundred denarii² and ^dgiven to the poor.” And they ^escolded her. 6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 7 For ^fyou always have the poor with you, and whenever ^gyou want, you can do good for them. But ^hyou will not always have me. 8 ⁱShe has done what she could; she has anointed my body beforehand ^jfor burial. 9 And truly, I say to you, wherever ^kthe gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told ^lin memory of her.”

Judas to Betray Jesus

10 ^mThen ⁿJudas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve, ⁿwent to the chief priests in order to betray him to them. 11 And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought an opportunity to ^obetray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

12 ^pAnd on ^qthe first day of Unleavened Bread, when they ^rsacrificed the Passover lamb, his disciples said to him, “Where will you have us go and prepare for you to eat the Passover?” 13 And he sent ^stwo of his disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him, 14 and wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ^t‘The Teacher says, Where is ^umy guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ 15 And he will show you ^va large upper room furnished and ready; there prepare for us.” 16 And the disciples set out and went to the city and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover.

17 ^wAnd when it was evening, he came with the twelve. 18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, ^xJesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, ^yone who is eating with me.” 19 They began to be sorrowful and to say to him one after another, “Is it I?” 20 He said to them, “It is ^zone of the twelve, ^yone who is dipping bread into the dish with me. 21 For the Son of Man goes ^aas it is written of him, but ^bwoe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! ^cIt would have been better for that man if he had not been born.”

Institution of the Lord’s Supper

22 ^dAnd as they were eating, he took bread, and after ^eblessing it broke it and gave it to them, and said, “Take; ^fthis is my body.” 23 And he took a cup, and when he had ^ggiven thanks he gave it to them, and they all drank of it. 24 And he said to them, ^f“This is my ^hblood of the³ covenant, which is poured out for ⁱmany. 25 Truly, I say to you, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

Jesus Foretells Peter’s Denial

26 ^jAnd when they had sung a hymn, ^kthey went out to ^lthe Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will ^mstrike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, ⁿI will go before you to Galilee.” 29 ^oPeter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And ^pJesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before ^qthe rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But ^rhe said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

32 ^sAnd they went ^kto a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 And he took with him ^tPeter and James and John, and began ^uto be greatly distressed and troubled. 34 And he said to them, ^v“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and ^wwatch.”⁴ 35 And going a little farther, he fell on the ground ^xand prayed that, if it were possible, ^ythe hour might pass from him. 36 And he said, ^z“Abba, Father, ^aall things are possible for you. Remove ^bthis cup from me. ^cYet not what I will, but what you will.” 37 And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? 38 ^wWatch and ^dpray that you may not ^eenter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” 39 And again he went away and prayed, ^fsaying the same words. 40 And again he came and found them sleeping, for ^gtheir eyes were very heavy, and ^hthey did not know what to answer him. 41 And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? ⁱIt is enough; ^jthe hour has come. ^kThe Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 42 Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

43 ^lAnd immediately, while he was still speaking, ^mJudas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. 44 Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” 45 And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, ⁿ“Rabbi!” And he ^okissed him. 46 And they laid hands on him and seized him. 47 But one of those who stood by drew his ^psword and struck the servant⁵ of the high priest and cut off his ear. 48 And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? 49 ^qDay after day I was with you in the temple ^rteaching, and you did not seize me. But ^slet the Scriptures be fulfilled.” 50 ^tAnd they all left him and fled.

A Young Man Flees

51 And a young man followed him, with nothing but ^ua linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, 52 but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.

Jesus Before the Council

53 ^vAnd ^wthey led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. 54 ^wAnd ^xPeter had followed him at a distance, ^yright into ^zthe courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with ^athe guards and ^bwarming himself at the fire. 55 Now the chief priests and the whole council⁶ were seeking testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they found none. 56 ^cFor many bore false witness against him, but their testimony ^ddid not agree. 57 And some stood up and bore false witness against him, saying, 58 ^e“We heard him say, ^f‘I will destroy this temple ^gthat is made with hands, and in three days I will build another, ^hnot made with hands.’” 59 Yet even about this their testimony did not agree. 60 And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?”⁷ 61 But ⁱhe remained silent and made no answer. ^jAgain the high priest asked him, “Are you ^kthe Christ, the Son of ^lthe Blessed?” 62 And Jesus said, “I am, and ^myou will see the Son of Man ⁿseated at the right hand of Power, and ^mcoming with the clouds of heaven.” 63 And the high priest ^otore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? 64 You have heard ^phis blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they ^qall condemned him as ^rdeserving death. 65 ^sAnd some began ^tto spit on him and ^uto cover his face and to strike him, saying to him, “Prophesy!” And the guards received him ^vwith blows.

Peter Denies Jesus

66 ^wAnd as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter ^xwarming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway⁸ and ^ythe rooster crowed.⁹ 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed ^za second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, ^a“Before the rooster crows twice, you will ^bdeny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.¹⁰