1 And Jesus {Iesous, Parable Teacher} answered and spoke to them again in parables {parabolais: illustrative stories}, saying,
2 The kingdom of heaven has been compared to a man, a king {basilei: royal ruler}, who prepared a wedding feast for his son {huio: direct heir}.
3 And he sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the wedding feast {gamos: celebratory banquet}, but they were not willing to come {elthein: answer invitation}.
4 Again, he sent other servants, saying, "Say to those who are invited, 'Look, my meal {ariston: main banquet} is prepared; my oxen {tauroi: large cattle} and the fattened animals have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'"
5 But they, having disregarded {amelesantes: Paid No Heed}, went away—one indeed to his own field, and another to his business {emporia: Trading Work}.
6 But the rest {loipoi: remaining invitees}, having seized his servants, mistreated {hybrisan: insolently abused} them and killed them.
7 The king {basileus: royal sovereign} became angry; he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city {polis: civic center}.
8 Then he said to his servants, “The wedding {gamos: marriage feast} is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy {axioi: deserving}.”
9 Therefore go to the junctions {diexodous: branching crossroads} of the roads, and invite to the wedding feast {gamos: celebratory banquet} as many people as you may find.
10 And those servants went out into the roads and gathered everyone they found, both bad {ponerous: morally corrupt} and good, and the wedding {gamos: marriage feast} was filled with those who were reclining.
11 But when the king {basileus: ruling authority} entered to see the guests reclining {anakeimenous: dining posture}, he saw there a man not wearing a wedding garment.
12 And he said to him, “Friend {hetairos: companion addressed firmly}, how did you come in here without having a wedding garment?” But he was speechless {ephimothe: forcibly silenced}.
13 Then the king said to the attendants, “After binding his hands and feet, cast him into the outer darkness; there will be weeping {klauthmos: intense lament} and gnashing {brygmos: grinding in agony} of teeth.”
14 For many are invited {kletoi: invited ones}, but few are selected {eklektoi: chosen group}.
15 Then the Pharisees {Pharisaioi: religious legalists} went and took counsel together, in order that they might trap Him {Iesous, Targeted Messiah} in His words.
16 And they dispatched their disciples to Him with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we recognize that You are dependable and that You teach God’s {Theos, Impartial Lawgiver} way in truth {alētheia: complete fidelity}, and You are not concerned with anyone, for You do not look upon a person’s appearance.”
17 Say therefore to us, “What does it seem to you? Is it lawful to give tribute {kenson: Roman census tax} to Caesar {Kaisar: Imperial ruler}, or not?”
18 But Jesus {Iesous, Righteous Judge}, having known their wickedness {poneria: inner moral corruption}, said, “Why do you test Me, hypocrites?”
19 Show Me {Iesous, Discerning Teacher} the coin {nomisma: specific tax currency} for the tax, and they brought Him a denarius.
20 And He {Iesous, Wise Teacher} says to them, “Whose image {eikon: imperial likeness} is this, and whose inscription?”
21 They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” Then He said to them, “Therefore, repay {apodote: repay} Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God {theos: Supreme Authority} what belongs to God.”
22 And when they heard, they marveled {ethaumasan: astonished wonder}, and having left Him {Iesous, Silencing Opponents}, they went away.
23 On that day Sadducees {Saddoukaioi: priestly faction} came to Him {Iesous, Examined Teacher}, saying that there is no resurrection, and they questioned Him.
24 They said, “Teacher, Moses {Mouses: Covenant Lawgiver} said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother {adelphos: family protector} will marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.’”
25 Now there were among us seven brothers, and the first {protos: firstborn brother}, having married, died; and not having offspring, he left his wife to his brother {adelphos: Levirate brother}.
26 Likewise {homoios: in the same way} the second and the third, up to the seventh {hepta: final in series}.
27 Last {husteron: at very end} of all, the woman {gyne: final surviving wife} died.
28 In the resurrection {anastasis: future bodily raising}, therefore, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had her {eschon: entered into marriage}.
29 But Jesus {Iesous, Correcting Teacher} answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God {Theos, Source Of Power}.”
30 For in the resurrection {anastasis: Bodily Rising}, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as angels of God {Theos, Heavenly Nature} in heaven.
31 But concerning the resurrection {anastasis: rising up} of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God {Theos, Divine Instructor}?
32 I am the God {Theos, Living Covenant Lord} of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead {nekrōn: physically dead}, but of the living.
33 And when the crowds heard, they were astonished at His {Iesous, Astonishing Teacher} teaching {didache: authoritative instruction}.
34 But the Pharisees {Pharisaioi: influential religious group}, having heard that He {Iesous, Wise Teacher} had silenced the Sadducees, gathered together.
35 And one of them, a legal expert {nomikos: scholar of Torah}, asked {eperotesen: posed a question} Him {Iesous, Questioned Rabbi}, testing Him.
36 Teacher {Didaskalos, respected instructor}, which commandment is greatest in the law {nomos: Torah instruction}?
37 But He said to him, “You shall love the Lord {Kyrios, Worthy Ruler} your God {Theos, Covenant Partner} with all your heart {kardia: inner self} and with all your soul and with all your mind {dianoia: reasoning capacity}.”
38 This {haute: specific reference} is the great and first commandment {entole: authoritative directive}.
39 And a second {deutera: following in order} is like it: You shall love your neighbor {plesion: one who is near} as yourself.
40 In these two commandments {entolai: covenant directives}, the whole Law and the Prophets {prophetai: inspired messengers} hang.
41 Now while the Pharisees {Pharisaioi: religious leaders} were gathered together, Jesus {Iesous, Questioning Messiah} asked them,
42 Saying, “What do you think concerning the Christ {christos: Anointed One}? Whose son is He?” They say to Him, “Of David {Dauid: royal ancestor}.”
43 He said to them, “How then does David, in the Spirit {pneumati: prophetic inspiration}, call Him Lord {Kyrios, David’s Greater Lord}, saying,
44 The Lord {Kyrios, Supreme Authority} said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand {dexiōn: place of honor} until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet.”
45 If therefore David calls Him Lord {Kyrios, David's Superior King}, how is He his son {huios: direct royal descendant}?
46 And no one was able to answer Him {Iesous: Silencing Questioner} even a word {logos: single reply}, nor did anyone dare from that day onward to question Him again.