³ Some Pharisees came to him, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause?”^(A)

² Some,^[a] testing him, asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

⁶ They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.

⁵³ When he went outside, the scribes and the Pharisees became hostile to him and began to interrogate him about many things, ⁵⁴ lying in wait for him, to catch him in something he might say.^(A)

¹⁵ Should we pay them, or should we not?” But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why are you putting me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me see it.”

The Question about Paying Taxes

¹³ Then they sent to him some Pharisees and some Herodians to trap him in what he said.^(A)

³⁵ and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him.^(A)

¹⁶ So they sent their disciples to him, along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere, and teach the way of God in accordance with truth, and show deference to no one, for you do not regard people with partiality.^{(A) 17} Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”^{(B) 18} But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites?

The Demand for a Sign

16 The Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test Jesus^[a] they asked him to show them a sign from heaven.^(A)