Mark 12

Christian Standard Bible

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

12 He^(A) began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard,^(B) put a fence around it, dug out a pit for a winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went away. ² At harvest time he sent^(C) a servant^(D) to the farmers to collect some of the fruit^(E) of the vineyard from them. ³ But they took him, beat^(F) him, and sent him away empty-handed.^{(G) 4} Again he sent another servant to them, and they^[a] hit him on the head and treated him shamefully.^{[b] 5} Then he sent another, and they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed. ⁶ He still had one to send, a beloved^(H) son. Finally^(I) he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷ But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. ⁹ What then will the owner^[c](J) of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the farmers and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Haven’t you read this Scripture:^(K)

¹² They were looking for a way to arrest him but feared the crowd because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. So they left him and went away.

God and Caesar

¹³ Then^(O) they sent some of the Pharisees^(P) and the Herodians^(Q) to Jesus to trap him in his words.^{(R) 14} When they came, they said to him, “Teacher, we know you are truthful and don’t care what anyone thinks, nor do you show partiality^(S) but teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes^(T) to Caesar or not? Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

¹⁵ But knowing their hypocrisy,^(U) he said to them, “Why are you testing^(V) me? Bring me a denarius^[e](W) to look at.” ¹⁶ They brought a coin. “Whose image^(X) and inscription^(Y) is this?” he asked them.

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷ Jesus told them, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”^(Z) And they were utterly amazed^(AA) at him.

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

¹⁸ Sadducees,^(AB) who say there is no resurrection,^(AC) came to him and questioned him: ¹⁹ “Teacher,^(AD) Moses^(AE) wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife behind but no child,^(AF) that man should take the wife^(AG) and raise up offspring for his brother.^{[f](AH) 20} There were seven brothers. The first married a woman, and dying, left no offspring. ²¹ The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. ²² None of the seven^[g] left offspring. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise,^[h] whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?”

²⁴ Jesus spoke to them, “Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures^(AI) or the power^(AJ) of God?^{(AK) 25} For when they rise^(AL) from the dead,^(AM) they neither marry nor are given in marriage^(AN) but are like angels^(AO) in heaven. ²⁶ And as for the dead being raised—haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God said to him: I^(AP) am the God of Abraham^(AQ) and the God of Isaac^(AR) and the God of Jacob?^{[i](AS) 27} He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”

The Primary Commands

²⁸ One^(AT) of the scribes^(AU) approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”

²⁹ Jesus answered, “The most important^[j] is Listen, Israel! The Lord^(AV) our God, the Lord^(AW) is one.^{[k] 30} Love^(AX) the Lord your God^(AY) with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind,^(AZ) and with all your strength.^{[l][m](BA) 31} The second is, Love your neighbor^(BB) as yourself.^[n](BC) There is no other command^(BD) greater than these.”

³² Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one^(BE) else except him.^{(BF) 33} And to love^(BG) him with all your heart, with all your understanding,^[o] and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^(BH)

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^(BI) And no one dared^(BJ) to question him any longer.

The Question about the Messiah

³⁵ While^(BK) Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked,^(BL) “How can the scribes^(BM) say that the Messiah^(BN) is the son of David?^{(BO) 36} David^(BP) himself says by the Holy Spirit: ^(BQ)

³⁷ David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How, then, can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight.

Warning against the Scribes

³⁸ He^(BU) also said in his teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who want to go around in long robes^(BV) and who want greetings in the marketplaces,^{(BW) 39} the best seats^(BX) in the synagogues,^(BY) and the places of honor^(BZ) at banquets.^{(CA) 40} They devour^(CB) widows’^(CC) houses and say long prayers^(CD) just for show. These will receive harsher judgment.”

The Widow’s Gift

⁴¹ Sitting^(CE) across from the temple treasury,^(CF) he watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich^(CG) people were putting in large sums. ⁴² Then a poor^(CH) widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. ⁴³ Summoning his disciples,^(CI) he said to them, “Truly I tell you,^(CJ) this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.^{(CK) 44} For they all gave out of their surplus,^(CL) but she out of her poverty^(CM) has put in everything she had^(CN) —all she had to live on.”^(CO)