Mark 12

1 Then Jesus ^{a12:1 Lit. he} began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the wine press, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went abroad.ISV — Mark 12:1

2 At the right time, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect from them a share of the produce from the vineyard.ISV — Mark 12:2

3 But the farmers ^{b12:3 Lit. they} grabbed the servant, ^{c12:3 Lit. him} beat him, and sent him back empty-handed.ISV — Mark 12:3

4 Again, the man ^{d12:4 Lit. he} sent another servant to them. They beat the servant ^{e12:4 Lit. him} over the head and treated him shamefully.ISV — Mark 12:4

5 Then the man ^{f12:5 Lit. he} sent another, and that one they killed. So it was with many other servants. ^{g12:5 Lit. with many others} Some of these they beat, and others they killed.ISV — Mark 12:5

6 He still had one more person to send, ^{h12:6 The Gk. lacks more person to send} a son whom he loved. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ISV — Mark 12:6

7 But those farmers told one another, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours!’ISV — Mark 12:7

8 So they grabbed him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.ISV — Mark 12:8

9 “Now what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come, execute the farmers, and give the vineyard to others.ISV — Mark 12:9

10 Haven’t you ever read this Scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ^{i12:10 Or capstone}ISV — Mark 12:10

11 This was the Lord’s ^{j12:11 MT source citation reads LORD’s} doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?” ^{k12:11 Cf. Ps 118:22-23}ISV — Mark 12:11

12 They were trying to arrest him but were afraid of the crowd. Realizing that he had spoken this parable against them, they left him alone and went away. ( ; )ISV — Mark 12:12

13 Then they sent some Pharisees and some Herodians ^{l12:13 i.e. Royal party sympathizers} to him, intending to trap him in what he said.ISV — Mark 12:13

14 They came and told him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere. You don’t favor any individual, because you pay no attention to external appearance. Rather, you teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or shouldn’t we?”ISV — Mark 12:14

15 Seeing through their hypocrisy, Jesus ^{m12:15 Lit. he} replied to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”ISV — Mark 12:15

16 So they brought one. Then he asked them, “Whose face and name are on this?” They told him, “Caesar’s.”ISV — Mark 12:16

17 So Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him. ( ; )ISV — Mark 12:17

18 Then some Sadducees, who claim there is no resurrection, came to Jesus ^{n12:18 Lit. him} and asked him,ISV — Mark 12:18

19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, he should marry the widow and have children for his brother. ^{o12:19 Cf. Deut 25:5-6}ISV — Mark 12:19

20 There were seven brothers. The first one married and died without having children.ISV — Mark 12:20

21 Then the second married her and died without having children, and so did the third.ISV — Mark 12:21

22 None of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died, too.ISV — Mark 12:22

23 In the resurrection, whose wife will she be, since all seven had married her?” ^{p12:23 Lit. had her as wife}ISV — Mark 12:23

24 Jesus answered them, “Aren’t you mistaken because you don’t know the Scriptures or God’s power?ISV — Mark 12:24

25 When people ^{q12:25 Lit. they} rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.ISV — Mark 12:25

26 As for the dead being raised, haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? ^{r12:26 Cf. Exod 3:6}ISV — Mark 12:26

27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” ( ; )ISV — Mark 12:27

28 Then one of the scribes came near and heard the Sadducees ^{s12:28 Lit. heard them} arguing with one another. He saw how well Jesus ^{t12:28 Lit. he} answered them, so he asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of them all?”ISV — Mark 12:28

29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord ^{u12:29 MT source citation reads LORD} our God is one Lord, ^{v12:30 MT source citation reads LORD}ISV — Mark 12:29

30 and you must love the Lord ^{w12:30 MT source citation reads LORD} your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ^{x12:30 Cf. Deut 6:4-5}ISV — Mark 12:30

31 The second is this: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ ^{y12:31 Cf. Lev 19:18} No other commandment is greater than these.”ISV — Mark 12:31

32 Then the scribe told him, “Well said, ^{z12:32 The Gk. lacks said} Teacher! You have told the truth that ‘God ^{aa12:32 Lit. he} is one, and there is no other besides him.’ ^{bb12:32 Cf. Deut 6:4}ISV — Mark 12:32

33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”ISV — Mark 12:33

34 When Jesus saw how wisely the man ^{cc12:34 Lit. he} answered, he told him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one dared to ask him another question. ( ; )ISV — Mark 12:34

35 While Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he asked, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah ^{dd12:35 Or Christ} is David’s son?ISV — Mark 12:35

36 David himself said by the Holy Spirit, ‘The Lord ^{ee12:36 MT source citation reads LORD} told my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ ^{ff12:36 Cf. Ps 110:1; other mss read until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’}ISV — Mark 12:36

37 David himself calls him ‘Lord,’ so how can he be his son?” And the large crowd kept listening to him with delight. ( ; )ISV — Mark 12:37

38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes! They like to walk around in long robes, to be greeted in the marketplaces,ISV — Mark 12:38

39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.ISV — Mark 12:39

40 They devour widows’ houses ^{gg12:40 i.e. rob widows by taking their houses} and say long prayers to cover it up. They will receive greater condemnation!” ( )ISV — Mark 12:40

41 As Jesus ^{hh12:41 Lit. he} sat facing the offering box, he watched how the crowd was dropping their money into it. ^{ii12:41 Lit. into the offering box} Many rich people were dropping in large amounts.ISV — Mark 12:41

42 Then a destitute widow came and dropped in two small copper coins, ^{jj12:42 Lit. two lepta, the smallest coin denominated in their economy} worth about a cent. ^{kk12:42 Lit. quadrans, worth ¼ of the Roman assarion coin, or about 1/10 of a day’s wage}ISV — Mark 12:42

43 He called his disciples and told them, “I tell all of you ^{ll12:43 The Gk. pronoun you is pl.} with certainty, this destitute widow has dropped in more than everyone who is contributing to the offering box,ISV — Mark 12:43

44 because all of them contributed out of their surplus, but out of her poverty she has given everything she had to live on.”ISV — Mark 12:44