God’s things to God

According to Mark

12 Then he started to speak to them with illustrations: “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a vat for the winepress and erected a tower; then he leased it to cultivators and traveled abroad. 2 In due season he sent a slave to the cultivators to collect some of the fruits of the vineyard from them. 3 But they took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent another slave to them, and that one they struck on the head and dishonored. 5 And he sent another, and that one they killed, and many others, some of whom they beat and some of whom they killed. 6 One more he had, a beloved son.  He sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those cultivators said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.+ 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the cultivators and will give the vineyard to others. 10 Did you never read this scripture: ‘The stone that the builders rejected, this has become the chief cornerstone. 11This has come from Jehovah, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”

12 At that they wanted to seize him, but they feared the crowd, for they knew that he spoke the illustration with them in mind. So they left him and went away.

13 Next they sent to him some of the Pharisees and of the party followers of Herod in order to catch him in his speech.14 On arriving, these said to him: “Teacher, we know you are truthful and you do not seek anyone’s favor, for you do not look at the outward appearance of people, but you teach the way of God in line with truth. Is it lawful to pay head tax to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay, or should we not pay?” Detecting their hypocrisy, he said to them: “Why do you put me to the test? Bring me a denarʹius to look at.” 16 They brought one, and he said to them: “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to him: “Caesar’s.” 17 Jesus then said: “Pay back Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.” And they were amazed at him.