Matthew 22

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

1Jesus spoke to them again using stories. He said this.

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. He made a wedding party for his son."

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

3"He sent his servants to call the invited guests. 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.

4"He sent more servants. 'Tell the guests my dinner is ready. My cattle are cooked. 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:

5"But the guests did not care. They went away. One went to his farm. One went to his shop."

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

6"The rest grabbed the king's servants. They hurt them badly 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.

7"The king was very angry. He sent his soldiers. They 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.

8"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding is ready. But the people I invited did not deserve to come.'"

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

9"'So go out to the roads. Invite everyone you find to the wedding.'"

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.

10"The servants went out to the roads. They brought in everyone they found, bad people and good people. The wedding hall was full of guests."

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

11"The king came in to see the guests. He saw one 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.

12"The king 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.

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

14For many are called, but few are chosen.

14"Many people are invited. But only a few are chosen."

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

15Then the Pharisees left. They were religious leaders. They 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, who backed King Herod. They said, "Teacher, we know you are honest. You teach God's way truly. You do not try to please important people."

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

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

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

18But Jesus knew they meant to do wrong. He said, "Why are you testing me? You are only pretending to be good."

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

19"Show me the coin used to pay the tax." They brought him one silver coin.

NoteThe KJV says "a penny." The coin was a denarius, about one day's pay for a worker. It was not a small amount like a penny today.

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 Jesus said, "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. So 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 were a group who say that dead people do not come back to life. 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 this. If a man dies with no children, his brother must marry the widow. Then they can have children for the man who died."

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:

25"There were seven brothers among us. The first one married. He died with no children. So his wife went to his brother."

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

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

27And last of all the woman died also.

27"Last of all, the woman died too."

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

28"So when dead people rise, whose wife will she be? All seven were married to her."

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

29Jesus answered, "You are wrong. You do not know the Scriptures, God's written words. And you do not know God's power."

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

30"When people rise from the dead, they do not marry at all. 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,

31"Now about the dead rising. Have you not read what God 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.

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

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

33When the crowds 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 came together.

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

35One of them knew God's law very well. He asked Jesus a question to test him.

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

36He said, "Teacher, which rule in God's 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.

38"This is the first and greatest rule."

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

39"The second rule is like it. Love the people around you as much as you love yourself."

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

40"All of God's law rests on these two rules. So do the words of the prophets, the men who told people what God said."

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

41While the Pharisees were still 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, the king God promised to send? 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,

43Jesus said, "Then why did David, guided 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. I will put your enemies under your feet."'"

NoteThe first "LORD" in capital letters means God. The second "Lord" means the person David is speaking about. The KJV says "till I make thine enemies thy footstool," which is a picture of winning over enemies completely.

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

45"If 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 even one word. And from that day on, no one dared ask him any more questions.