LEB - Matthew - 22

22:1  And continuing, Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying,

22:2  “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man—a king—who gave a wedding celebration for his son.

22:3  And he sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the wedding celebration, and they did not want to come.

22:4  Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding celebration!” ’

22:5  But they paid no attention and went away—this one to his own field, that one to his business.

22:6  And the others, seizing his slaves, mistreated them and killed them.

22:7  And the king was angry and sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

22:8  Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding celebration is ready, but those who had been invited were not worthy.

22:9  Therefore, go out to the places where the roads exit the city and invite to the wedding celebration as many people as you find.’

22:10  And those slaves went out into the roads and gathered everyone whom they found, both evil and good, and the wedding celebration was filled ⌞with dinner guests⌟.

22:11  But when the king came in to see the ⌞dinner guests⌟, he saw a man there not dressed in wedding clothes.

22:12  And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding clothes?’ But ⌞he could say nothing⌟.

22:13  Then the king said to the servants, ‘Tie him up ⌞hand and foot⌟ and throw him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’

22:14  For many are called but few are chosen.”

22:15  Then the Pharisees went ⌞and consulted⌟ so that they could entrap him with a statement.

22:16  And they sent their disciples to him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in truth, and ⌞you do not care what anyone thinks⌟, ⌞because you do not regard the opinion of people⌟.

22:17  Therefore tell us what you think. Is it permitted to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

22:18  But because he knew their maliciousness, Jesus said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me?

22:19  Show me the coin for the tax!” So they brought him a denarius.

22:20  And he said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?”

22:21  They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!”

22:22  And when they heard this, they were astonished, and they left him and went away.

22:23  On that day Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and asked him,

22:24  saying, “Teacher, Moses said if someone dies without having children, his brother is to marry his wife and ⌞father⌟ descendants for his brother.

22:25  Now there were seven brothers with us. And the first died after getting married, and because he did not have descendants, he left his wife to his brother.

22:26  So also the second and the third, up to the seventh.

22:27  And last of all the woman died.

22:28  In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her as wife.”

22:29  But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God!

22:30  For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.

22:31  Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, who said,

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 crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.

22:34  Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled at the same place.

22:35  And one of them, a legal expert, put a question to him to test him:

22:36  “Teacher, which commandment is greatest in the law?”

22:37  And he said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

22:38  This is the greatest and first commandment.

22:39  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

22:40  On these two commandments depend all the law and the prophets.”

22:41  Now while the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them,

22:42  saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “David’s.”

22:43  He said to them, “How then does David, by the Spirit, call 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 calls him ‘Lord,’ how is he his son?”

22:46  And no one was able to answer him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask him any more questions.