Matthew

And Jesus answered and spake unto them again by parables, and said,

1Jesus answered them again with stories that carry a meaning. He said:

2The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son,

2"God's kingdom is like a king who held a wedding feast for his son.

3And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come.

3He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the feast. But they would not come.

4Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

4He sent more servants and said, "Tell the guests, 'My dinner is ready. My cattle and fattened animals are butchered. Everything is set. Come to the wedding.'"

5But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

5But the guests paid no attention. They went off, one to his farm, another to his business.

6And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them.

6The rest grabbed the king's servants, treated them cruelly, and killed them.

7But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

7When the king heard, he was furious. He sent his soldiers, killed those murderers, and burned their city.

8Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy.

8Then he said to his servants, "The wedding feast is ready, but the guests I invited did not deserve it.

9Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

9So go out to the main roads. Invite everyone you find to the feast."

10So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

10The servants went out to the roads and gathered everyone they found, bad people and good. The hall filled with guests.

11And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:

11The king came in to look at the guests. He saw a man who was not wearing wedding clothes.

12And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.

12He said, "Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?" The man had nothing to say.

13Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

13Then the king told the servants, "Tie his hands and feet. Throw him outside into the dark. There people cry and grind their teeth."

14For many are called, but few are chosen.

14Many people are invited, but few are chosen."

15Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.

15Then the Pharisees went off and planned how to trap Jesus with his own words.

16And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.

16They sent their students to him, along with the Herodians. They said, "Teacher, we know you are honest. You truly teach God's way. You do not try to please anyone, and you do not care how important a person looks.

NoteThe Herodians backed King Herod's family, who ruled with Rome's approval. The KJV calls Jesus "Master" here, which in 1611 English simply meant teacher.

17Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?

17So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

18But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

18But Jesus knew they meant harm. He said, "Why are you testing me, you pretenders?

19Shew me the tribute money. And they brought unto him a penny.

19Show me the coin used for the tax." They brought him a denarius.

NoteThe KJV says "a penny." The coin was a Roman denarius, about one day's pay for a worker. It had the emperor's face and name stamped on it.

20And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?

20He asked them, "Whose face is on this coin? Whose name is written on it?"

21They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.

21They said, "Caesar's." Then he told them, "So give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give God what belongs to God."

22When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.

22When they heard this, they were amazed. They left him and went away.

23The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him,

23That same day the Sadducees came to him. They are the group who say the dead do not rise. They asked him a question.

24Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.

24They said, "Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies with no children, his brother must marry the widow and have children for him.

25Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother:

25Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died with no children, so he left his wife to his brother.

26Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

26The same thing happened with the second brother, and the third, all the way to the seventh.

27And last of all the woman died also.

27Last of all, the woman died too.

28Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her.

28So when the dead rise, which of the seven will she be married to? All seven had her as a wife."

29Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.

29Jesus answered, "You are wrong, because you do not know the Scriptures or God's power.

30For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.

30When the dead rise, people do not marry and are not given in marriage. They are like God's angels in heaven.

31But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,

31As for the dead rising, have you never read what God himself said to you?

32I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

32He said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' God is not the God of dead people, but of living people."

33And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine.

33When the crowd heard this, they were amazed at what he taught.

34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

34The Pharisees heard that Jesus had left the Sadducees with nothing to say. So they gathered together.

35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying,

35One of them was an expert in the law. He tested Jesus with a question.

36Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

36He said, "Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?"

37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

37Jesus told him, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.

38This is the first and great commandment.

38This is the first and greatest command.

39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

39The second command is like it: Love your neighbor as much as you love yourself.

40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

40Everything in the law and the prophets hangs on these two commands."

41While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

41While the Pharisees were still gathered together, Jesus asked them a question.

42Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The son of David.

42He said, "What do you think about the Christ, God's promised king? Whose son is he?" They said, "He is David's son."

43He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying,

43He said to them, "Then why did David, speaking by God's Spirit, call him Lord? David said:

44The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?

44'The LORD said to my Lord, Sit at my right side, until I put your enemies under your feet.'

NoteThe verse uses two different words. "The LORD" in capital letters stands for God's own name. "My Lord" is a title for someone else, the one David is speaking about.

45If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?

45If David calls him Lord, how can he be David's son?"

46And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

46No one could answer him a single word. And from that day on, no one dared ask him any more questions.