22:1 AND AGAIN Jesus spoke to them in parables (comparisons, stories used to illustrate and explain), saying, |
22:2 The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son |
22:3 And sent his servants to summon those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they refused to come. |
22:4 Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who are invited, Behold, I have prepared my banquet; my bullocks and my fat calves are killed, and everything is prepared; come to the wedding feast. |
22:5 But they were not concerned {and} paid no attention [they ignored and made light of the summons, treating it with contempt] and they went away--one to his farm, another to his business, |
22:6 While the others seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and put them to death. |
22:7 [Hearing this] the king was infuriated; and he sent his soldiers and put those murderers to death and burned their city. |
22:8 Then he said to his servants, The wedding [feast] is prepared, but those invited were not worthy. |
22:9 So go to the thoroughfares where they leave the city [where the main roads and those from the country end] and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find. |
22:10 And those servants went out on the crossroads and got together as many as they found, both bad and good, so [the room in which] the wedding feast [was held] was filled with guests. |
22:11 But when the king came in to view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment. |
22:12 And he said, Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the [appropriate] wedding garment? And he was speechless (muzzled, gagged). |
22:13 Then the king said to the attendants, Tie him hand and foot, and throw him into the darkness outside; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. |
22:14 For many are called (invited and summoned), but few {are} chosen. |
22:15 Then the Pharisees went and consulted {and} plotted together how they might entangle Jesus in His talk. |
22:16 And they sent their disciples to Him along with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that You are sincere {and} what You profess to be and that You teach the way of God truthfully, regardless of consequences {and} being afraid of no man; for You are impartial {and} do not regard either the person {or} the position of anyone. |
22:17 Tell us then what You think about this: Is it lawful to pay tribute [levied on individuals and to be paid yearly] to Caesar or not? |
22:18 But Jesus, aware of their malicious plot, asked, Why do you put Me to the test {and} try to entrap Me, you pretenders (hypocrites)? |
22:19 Show me the money {used} for the tribute. And they brought Him a denarius. |
22:20 And Jesus said to them, Whose likeness and title are these? |
22:21 They said, Caesar's. Then He said to them, Pay therefore to Caesar the things that are due to Caesar, and pay to God the things that are due to God. |
22:22 When they heard it they were amazed {and} marveled; and they left Him and departed. |
22:23 The same day some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection [of the dead], came to Him and they asked Him a question, |
22:24 Saying, Teacher, Moses said, If a man dies, leaving no children, his brother shall marry the widow and raise up a family for his brother. |
22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married and died, and, having no children, left his wife to his brother. |
22:26 The second also died childless, and the third, down to the seventh. |
22:27 Last of all, the woman died also. |
22:28 Now, in the resurrection, to which of the seven will she be wife? For they all had her. |
22:29 But Jesus replied to them, You are wrong because you know neither the Scriptures nor God's power. |
22:30 For in the resurrected state neither do [men] marry nor are [women] given in marriage, but they are like the angels in heaven. |
22:31 But as to the resurrection of the dead--have you never read what was said to you by God, |
22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead but of the living! |
22:33 And when the throng heard it, they were astonished {and} filled with [glad] amazement at His teaching. |
22:34 Now when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced (muzzled) the Sadducees, they gathered together. |
22:35 And one of their number, a lawyer, asked Him a question to test Him. |
22:36 Teacher, which kind of commandment is great and important (the principal kind) in the Law? [Some commandments are light--which are heavy?] |
22:37 And He replied to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind (intellect). |
22:38 This is the great (most important, principal) and first commandment. |
22:39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself. |
22:40 These two commandments sum up {and} upon them depend all the Law and the Prophets. |
22:41 Now while the Pharisees were still assembled there, Jesus asked them a question, |
22:42 Saying, What do you think of the Christ? Whose Son is He? They said to Him, The Son of David. |
22:43 He said to them, How is it then that David, under the influence of the [Holy] Spirit, calls Him Lord, saying, |
22:44 The Lord said to My Lord, Sit at My right hand until I put Your enemies under Your feet? |
22:45 If then David thus calls Him Lord, how is He his Son? |
22:46 And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day did anyone venture {or} dare to question Him. |