Open English Translation MARK Chapter 12

12 [ref]Then he started telling them some parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence and a moat around it and built a security tower. Then he rented it out and went off travelling. 2 At harvest time, he sent a slave to go to the tenant farmers and get his percentage of the harvest. 3 But the tenants grabbed the slave and beat him up, then sent him back empty-handed. 4 The owner sent a second slave, but they insulted this one and struck him on the head. 5 So the owner sent a third slave and they murdered him. He sent many other slaves—some they just beat up and others they murdered. 6 But the owner still had his one, dearly loved son, so finally he sent him to go, thinking that they would now be convinced because it was his son. 7 But the tenant farmers said to each others, ‘Ah ha. This is the one who will inherit this land. If we kill him, we’ll be the ones to control the estate.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw the body outside the vineyard fence.

9 “Now, what do you think the owner of the vineyard will do? Yes, he’ll come and eliminate those evil tenants, and give the contract to others. 10 [ref]Haven’t you all read this in the scriptures:

‘the stone that the builders rejected

became the important cornerstone

11 that was given by the master,

and we think it’s incredible.’?”

12 And those leaders tried to arrest him because they knew that it was them that the parable was addressed to, but they couldn’t do it because Yeshua had the favour of the crowd, so they just left the area.

13 Then the religious leaders sent some members of the Pharisee party and some of the political supporters of King Herod to try to catch Yeshua out. 14 So they flattered him, “Teacher, we know that you are honest even if it upsets others, and that you teach the truth about God without caring about people’s opinions. Is it legal for us Jews to pay the poll tax to the Roman emperor or not? How should we handle this?”

15 But knowing their hypocrisy, Yeshua responded to them, “Why are you trying to test me? Bring me a coin so we can determine the proper answer.”

16 When they brought him a coin, he asked, “Whose image and inscription are on this coin?”

And they said, “The emperor’s.”

17 “Well then,” said Yeshua, “give to the emperor whatever is due him, but give God what is owed to God.”

And they had to admit that that was an outstanding answer.

18 [ref]Another time, members of the Sadducee sect came to Yeshua and asked, 19 [ref]“Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man’s married brother should die before his wife without having any children, then his brother should marry her to produce descendants in his brother’s name. 20 Now what if there were seven brothers and the first one got married and died childless. 21 So then the second brother took her in, but again died childless, and then the third. 22 Eventually all seven brothers died childless, and finally the woman also died. 23 Now, at the resurrection of the dead, which brother will she be the wife of, because at some point, she was married to each of the seven of them?”

24 So Yeshua answered, “Actually you’re all quite wrong, because you ignore the scriptures and also because you haven’t experienced God’s power. 25 When the dead do come back to life, they won’t be getting engaged or married, but will be like the messengers in heaven. 26 [ref]And as for the state of those who’ve died, didn’t you read in the scriptures about Moses when God spoke to him in front of the burning thorn bush and said, ‘I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Yacob’? 27 So God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You Sadducees are very wrong!”

28 Then one of the religious teachers who had heard their question and Yeshua’s excellent answer, came closer and asked, “Which of the commandments is the most important?”

29 [ref]Yeshua answered, “Well, the most important is this: ‘Listen, Israel. There’s only one God who is our master. 30 You must love God your master with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 [ref]And the second is: ‘Love your neighbour like you look after yourself.’ There’s no other commandments more important than these.”

32 [ref]The teacher replied to Yeshua, “Yes, teacher, you’re quite right saying there’s only one God and no other, 33 [ref]and saying that we should love him with all our heart and all our intelligence and all our strength, and to be loving our neighbours like we look after ourselves, and all this is more important than all the required temple offerings and sacrifices.”

34 [ref]When Yeshua saw that he had given such a thoughtful answer, he said, “You are very close to the kingdom of God!”

After that, no one else dared to ask Yeshua any more questions.

35 Later when Yeshua was teaching in the temple, he asked the people, “How is it that the teachers here say that the messiah is a descendant of King David? 36 [ref]Because David himself said under the inspiration of the holy spirit,

‘The master told my master,

“Sit there in the position of honour

until I can conquer your enemies.” ’

37 If David calls him his master, how can he possibly be his descendant?”

The large crowd was very interested to hear everything that Yeshua had to say.

38 As Yeshua continued teaching, he said, “Watch out for these religious teachers who like to wear fancy robes and be greeted in the square, 39 and have the best seats at meetings and the best places at dinners. 40 These people trick widows out of their properties, but offer long prayers to cover it up. They will be getting a stricter judgement than others.”

41 As he sat down in front of the temple treasury, Yeshua watched the crowd as they threw coins into the dish, and some rich people were donating quite valuable silver coins. 42 Then an impoverished widow came and threw in two small copper coins. 43 Yeshua called his followers and told them, “Honestly, that poor widow gave more than all the others. 44 You see, most people donate from their excess wealth, but this woman even gave some of the small amount that she needed to live on.”