Mark Twelve

   And he began to speak to them in parables. A man planted a vineyard, and fenced it all around, and he dug in it a wine-press, and built a tower in it, and then he leased it to laborers, and went on a journey.And in due season he sent his servant to the laborers, to receive some of the fruits of the vineyard. But they beat him, and sent him away empty. And again he sent to them another servant; they stoned him also, and wounded him, and sent him away in disgrace. And again he sent another, but they killed him; and he sent many other servants, some of them they beat, and some they killed. But finally, he had a very beloved son, and he sent him to them last of all, for he
said, They might feel ashamed before my son. But the laborers said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. And they took and killed him, and threw him outside of the vineyard. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those laborers, and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture, The
stone which the builders rejected, the same became the corner-stone? This was from the Lord, and it is a wonder in our eyes.

    ¶ They wanted to seize him, but they were afraid of the people; for they knew that he spoke this parable against them; and they left him and went away.

    ¶ And they sent to him some men of the scribes and of the Herodians, that they might trap him by a word. They came and asked him, Master, we know that you are true, and you do not favor
any man; for you are impartial, and you teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give head-tax to Caesar or not? Shall we give or shall we not give? But he knew their scheme, and said to them, Why do you tempt me? Bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it to him. He said to them, Whose is this image and inscription? They said, Caesar’s. Jesus said to them, Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s. And they were amazed at him.

    ¶ Then the Sadducees came to him, those who say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us, that if a man’s brother die, and leave a wife, and leave no
children, his brother should take his wife, and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers; the first one took a wife and died, and left no off- spring. Then the second one married her, and he died; he also left no offspring; and likewise the third one. So all seven of them married her, and left no offspring. And after them all the woman also died. Therefore at the resurrection, whose wife will she be? for all seven had married her. Jesus said to them, Do you not err, because you do not understand the scriptures, nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry women, nor are women given in marriage to men; but they are like the angels in heaven. Now concerning the rising of the dead, have you not read in the book of Moses, how God said to him from the bush, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? And yet he was not the God of the dead, but of the living. You therefore greatly err.

    ¶ And one of the scribes came near and heard them debating, and he saw that he gave them a good answer. So he asked him, Which is the first commandment of all? Jesus said to him, The first of all commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord ourGod is one Lord; And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your power; this is the first commandment. And the second is like to it, You must love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. The scribe said to him, Well, Teacher, you have said the truth, that he is one, and there is no other beside him; And that a man should love him with all the heart, and with all the mind, and with all the soul, and with all the power, and love his neighbor as himself; this is far more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. When Jesus saw that he replied wisely, he answered and said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no man dared again to question him.

    ¶ And Jesus answered and said, as he taught in the temple, How do the scribes say that Christ is the son of David? For David himself said through the Holy Spirit, The Lord said to my Lord, Sit on my right hand, until I put your enemies a stool under your feet. Now therefore David himself calls him my Lord, and how can he be his son? And all the people heard him with pleasure.

    ¶ And in his teaching he said to them, Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love to be saluted in the streets, And the front seats in the synagogues, and the head places at banquets; Those who embezzle the property of widows, with the pretense of making long prayers. They shall receive greater judgment.

    ¶ And when Jesus sat towards the treasury, he watched how the people cast their alms into the treasury; and many rich men were casting in a great deal. And there came a poor widow, and she
cast in two coins, which are farthings. And Jesus called his disciples, and said to them, Truly I say to you, that this poor widow has cast in the treasury more than all the men who are casting; For all of them cast of their abundance; but she of her poverty cast everything she had, even all of her possessions.