Matthew 22

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again,	1 Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,
2 'The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's wedding.	2 "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.
3 He sent his servants to cal those who had been invited, but they would not come.	3 He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.
4 Next he sent some more servants with the words, "Tel those who have been invited: Look, mybanquet is al prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to thewedding."	4 A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."'
5 But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business,	5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.
6 and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and kil ed them.	6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.
7 The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.	7 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
8 Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to beunworthy,	8 Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
9 go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding."	9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.'
10 So these servants went out onto the roads and col ected together everyone they could find, bad andgood alike; and the wedding hal was fil ed with guests.	10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.
11 When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a weddinggarment,	11 But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
12 and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man wassilent.	12 He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darknessoutside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."	13 Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
14 For many are invited but not al are chosen.'	14 Many are invited, but few are chosen."
15 Then the Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap him in what he said.	15 Then the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech.
16 And they sent their disciples to him, together with some Herodians, to say, 'Master, we know that youare an honest man and teach the way of God in all honesty, and that you are not afraid of anyone, becausehuman rank means nothing to you.	16 They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, "Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status.
17 Give us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?'	17 Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?"
18 But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, 'You hypocrites! Why are you putting me to thetest?	18 Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?
19 Show me the money you pay the tax with.' They handed him a denarius,	19 Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him the Roman coin.
20 and he said, 'Whose portrait is this? Whose title?'	20 He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
21 They replied, 'Caesar's.' Then he said to them, 'Very wel , pay Caesar what belongs to Caesar -- andGod what belongs to God.'	21 They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."
22 When they heard this they were amazed; they left him alone and went away.	22 When they heard this they were amazed, and leaving him they went away.
23 That day some Sadducees -- who deny that there is a resurrection -- approached him and they putthis question to him,	23 On that day Sadducees approached him, saying that there is no resurrection. They put this question to him,
24 'Master, Moses said that if a man dies childless, his brother is to marry the widow, his sister-in-law, toraise children for his brother.	24 saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies without children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up descendants for his brother.'
25 Now we had a case involving seven brothers; the first married and then died without children, leavinghis wife to his brother;	25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died and, having no descendants, left his wife to his brother.
26 the same thing happened with the second and third and so on to the seventh,	26 The same happened with the second and the third, through all seven.
27 and then last of al the woman herself died.	27 Finally the woman died.
28 Now at the resurrection, whose wife among the seven wil she be, since she had been married tothem al ?'	28 Now at the resurrection, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had been married to her."
29 Jesus answered them, 'You are wrong, because you understand neither the scriptures nor the powerof God.	29 Jesus said to them in reply, "You are misled because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.
30 For at the resurrection men and women do not marry; no, they are like the angels in heaven.	30 At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven.
31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you never read what God himself said to you:	31 And concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God,
32 I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob? He is God, not of the dead, but ofthe living.'	32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."
33 And his teaching made a deep impression on the people who heard it.	33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
34 But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees they got together	34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together,
35 and, to put him to the test, one of them put a further question,	35 and one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking,
36 'Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?'	36 "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
37 Jesus said to him, 'You must love the Lord your God with al your heart, with al your soul, and with alyour mind.	37 He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.	38 This is the greatest and the first commandment.
39 The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself.	39 The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
40 On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets too.'	40 The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."
41 While the Pharisees were gathered round, Jesus put to them this question,	41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them,
42 'What is your opinion about the Christ? Whose son is he?' They told him, 'David's.'	42 saying, "What is your opinion about the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They replied, "David's."
43 He said to them, 'Then how is it that David, moved by the Spirit, cal s him Lord, where he says:	43 He said to them, "How, then, does David, inspired by the Spirit, call him 'lord,' saying:
44 The Lord declared to my Lord, take your seat at my right hand, til I have made your enemies yourfootstool?	44 'The Lord said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand until I place your enemies under your feet"'?
45 'If David cal s him Lord, how then can he be his son?'	45 If David calls him 'lord,' how can he be his son?"
46 No one could think of anything to say in reply, and from that day no one dared to ask him any furtherquestions.	46 No one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.