Matthew 22:1 ←
And Jesus, talking to them again in stories, said:
Matthew 22:2 ←
The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king, who made a feast when his son was married,
Matthew 22:3 ←
And sent out his servants to get in the guests to the feast: and they would not come.
Matthew 22:4 ←
Again he sent out other servants, with orders to say to the guests, See, I have made ready my feast: my oxen and my fat beasts have been put to death, and all things are ready: come to the feast.
Matthew 22:5 ←
But they gave no attention, and went about their business, one to his farm, another to his trade:
Matthew 22:6 ←
And the rest put violent hands on his servants, and did evil to them, and put them to death.
Matthew 22:7 ←
But the king was angry; and he sent his armies, and those who had put his servants to death he gave to destruction, burning down their town with fire.
Matthew 22:8 ←
Then he said to his servants, The feast is ready but the guests were not good enough.
Matthew 22:9 ←
Go then to the cross-roads, and get all those whom you see to come to the bride-feast.
Matthew 22:10 ←
And those servants went out into the streets, and got together all those whom they came across, bad and good: and the feast was full of guests.
Matthew 22:11 ←
But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a guest's robe;
Matthew 22:12 ←
And he says to him, Friend, how came you in here not having a guest's robe? And he had nothing to say.
Matthew 22:13 ←
Then the king said to the servants, Put cords round his hands and feet and put him out into the dark; there will be weeping and cries of sorrow.
Matthew 22:14 ←
For out of all to whom the good news has come, only a small number will get salvation.
Matthew 22:15 ←
Then the Pharisees went and had a meeting to see how they might make use of his words to take him.
Matthew 22:16 ←
And they sent to him their disciples, with the Herodians, saying, Master, we see that you are true, and that you are teaching the true way of God, and have no fear of anyone, because you have no respect for a man's position.
Matthew 22:17 ←
Give us, then, your opinion of this: Is it right to give tax to Caesar, or not?
Matthew 22:18 ←
But Jesus saw their trick and said, Oh false ones, why are you attempting to put me in the wrong?
Matthew 22:19 ←
Let me see the tax money. And they gave him a penny.
Matthew 22:20 ←
And he said to them, Whose is this image and name on it?
Matthew 22:21 ←
They say to him, Caesar's. Then he said to them, Give to Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and to God the things which are God's.
Matthew 22:22 ←
And hearing it, they were full of wonder, and went away from him.
Matthew 22:23 ←
On the same day there came to him the Sadducees, who say that there is no coming back from the dead: and they put a question to him, saying,
Matthew 22:24 ←
Master, Moses said, If a man, at the time of his death, has no children, let his brother take his wife, and get a family for his brother;
Matthew 22:25 ←
Now there were among us seven brothers; and the first was married and at his death, having no seed, gave his wife to his brother;
Matthew 22:26 ←
In the same way the second and the third, up to the seventh.
Matthew 22:27 ←
And last of all the woman came to her end.
Matthew 22:28 ←
When they come back from the dead, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? because they all had her.
Matthew 22:29 ←
But Jesus said to them in answer, You are in error, not having knowledge of the Writings, or of the power of God.
Matthew 22:30 ←
For when they come back from the dead there are no husbands and wives, but they are as the angels in heaven.
Matthew 22:31 ←
But about the dead coming back to life, have you no knowledge of what was said to you by God in the Writings:
Matthew 22:32 ←
I 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.
Matthew 22:33 ←
And the people hearing it were surprised at his teaching.
Matthew 22:34 ←
But the Pharisees, hearing how the mouths of the Sadducees had been stopped, came together;
Matthew 22:35 ←
And one of them, a teacher of the law, put a question to him, testing him, and saying,
Matthew 22:36 ←
Master, which is the chief rule in the law?
Matthew 22:37 ←
And he said to him, Have love for the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.
Matthew 22:38 ←
This is the first and greatest rule.
Matthew 22:39 ←
And a second like it is this, Have love for your neighbour as for yourself.
Matthew 22:40 ←
On these two rules all the law and the prophets are based.
Matthew 22:41 ←
Now while the Pharisees were together, Jesus put a question to them, saying,
Matthew 22:42 ←
What is your opinion of the Christ? whose son is he? They say to him, The Son of David.
Matthew 22:43 ←
He says to them, How then does David in the Spirit give him the name of Lord, saying,
Matthew 22:44 ←
The Lord said to my Lord, Be seated at my right hand, till I put under your feet all those who are against you?
Matthew 22:45 ←
If David then gives him the name of Lord, how is he his son?
Matthew 22:46 ←
And no one was able to give him an answer, and so great was their fear of him, that from that day no one put any more questions to him.
Public Domain