15And they came to Jerusalem and Jesus entered into the temple, and began to cast out those who sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of those who sold doves; 16and would not suffer that any person should carry a vessel through the temple. 17And he taught them, saying, Is it not written, that “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations?” but ye have made it a den of thieves. 18And the scribes and chief priests heard him, and sought how they might destroy him: for they were afraid of him, because all the people were exceedingly struck with his teaching, 19And when the evening came, he went away out of the city.
20And in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig-tree withered from the roots. 21And Peter reminding him said, Rabbi, behold, the fig-tree which thou cursedst is withered away. 22And Jesus answering said to them, Have faith in God. 23For verily I say to you, That whosoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou lifted up, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall harbour no doubt in his heart, but believe that what he saith shall come to pass; whatsoever he may speak shall be done for him. 24Therefore I say unto you, That all things whatever ye ask in prayer, believe that ye shall receive them, and they shall be given you. 25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have a matter against any man: that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26But if ye forgive not, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
27And they come again to Jerusalem: and as he was walking in the temple, the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders, come to him, 28and say to him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority, that thou shouldest do these things? 29Then Jesus answering said unto them, I also will ask you one question; and answer me; and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. 30The baptism of John, was it of heaven, or of men? answer me. 31And they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? 32but if we say of men—they feared the people: for all men held John to be in truth a prophet. 33And they answering said to Jesus, We do not know. And Jesus in reply said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.
[CHAP. XII.]
AND he began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and digged a wine-press, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went abroad. 2And in the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3But they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4And again he sent unto them another servant; and they cut the account short with him, by stoning him, and sent him away shamefully treated. 5And again he sent another; and him, they slew; and many others, some of whom they beat, and others they killed. 6Now he had yet one son, his beloved, and he sent him unto them last, saying, They will reverence my son. 7But these husbandmen said to each other, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be our own. 8And they took him, and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9What then will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy these husbandmen, and give his vineyard to others. 10Have ye never read this scripture? “The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: 11this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes.” 12And they sought to seize him, and were afraid of the people: for they knew that he had spoken this parable against them: and leaving him, they departed.
13And they sent unto him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they might entrap him in discourse. 14And they come and say to him, Master, we know that thou art true, and carest not for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to pay tribute to Cæsar, or not? 15shall we pay, or shall we not pay it? but he, perceiving their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a denarius, that I may see it. 16And they brought it. And he said unto them, Whose figure and inscription is this? they say unto him, Cæsar’s. 17And Jesus addressing them, said, Render the things which are Cæsar’s, to Cæsar; and what belongs to God, to God. And they marvelled at him.
18And the Sadducees come to him, who say that there is no resurrection; and they put a question to him, saying, 19Master, Moses left it in writing for us, that if a man’s brother die, and leave a wife, and leave no children; that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed for his brother. 20Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and dying left no issue: 21and the second took her, and died, and neither did he leave issue; and the third in like manner. 22And the seven had her, and left no issue. Last of all died also the wife. 23In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had the very same wife. 24And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, from not knowing the scriptures, and the power of God? 25For when they rise from the dead, they will neither marry, nor be given in marriage; but they are as the angels which are in heaven. 26But concerning the dead, that they do rise; have ye not read in the book of Moses, how God spake to him at 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 the God of the living. Ye are therefore vastly erroneous.
28And one of the scribes coming, and hearing them questioning him, perceiving that he had answered them admirably, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? 29Then Jesus replied to him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear O Israel; the Lord thy God is one Lord: 30and thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. This is the first commandment. 31And the second, like it, is this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: there is no greater commandment than these. 32And the scribe said unto him, Admirably, Master! thou hast spoken the very truth: for there is one God; and there is no other besides him: 33and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength; and to love his neighbour as himself, is better than all burnt offerings, and sacrifices. 34And Jesus perceiving that he had answered as a man of intelligence, said to him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God. And no man thenceforth presumed to question him.
35And Jesus addressing them said, as he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that the Messiah is the Son of David? 36for David himself saith by the Spirit, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thy enemies the foot-stool for thy feet. 37David himself therefore calleth him Lord; and whence then is he his son? And a vast multitude heard him with delight.
38And he spake to them in the course of his teaching, Beware of the scribes, who love to go about in trailing robes, and like salutations in the places of concourse, 39and the principal seats in the synagogues, and the first couch at suppers: 40who devour widows’ houses, and in pretence make long prayers: such shall receive greater damnation.