American King James Version - AKJV - 1999
Mark 12
1
And he began to speak to them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and dig a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to farmers, and went into a far country.
Reference
2
And at the season he sent to the farmers a servant, that he might receive from the farmers of the fruit of the vineyard.
4
And again he sent to them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.
5
And again he sent another; and him they killed, and many others; beating some, and killing some.
6
Having yet therefore one son, his well beloved, he sent him also last to them, saying, They will reverence my son.
Reference
7
But those farmers said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be our's.
9
What shall therefore the lord of the vineyard do? he will come and destroy the farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.
Reference
10
And have you not read this scripture; The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner:
Reference
11
This was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?
Reference
References Lord
Psalm 118:23
12
And they sought to lay hold on him, but feared the people: for they knew that he had spoken the parable against them: and they left him, and went their way.
Reference
13
And they send to him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, to catch him in his words.
Reference
14
And when they were come, they say to him, Master, we know that you are true, and care for no man: for you regard not the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Corinthians 5:16
2 Corinthians 2:2
References God
2 Corinthians 5:11
1 Thessalonians 2:4
Galatians 1:10
Galatians 2:6
Truth
John 7:18
Word
2 Corinthians 2:17
15
Shall we give, or shall we not give? But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, Why tempt you me? bring me a penny, that I may see it.
Reference
16
And they brought it. And he said to them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said to him, Caesar's.
17
And Jesus answering said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. And they marveled at him.
Reference
18
Then come to him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
19
Master, Moses wrote to us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother.
20
Now there were seven brothers: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
21
And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
22
And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
23
In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
24
And Jesus answering said to them, Do you not therefore err, because you know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
Reference
Parallel theme
Ephesians 1:19
Hosea 6:2
Philippians 3:21
Isaiah 26:19
References God
Jeremiah 32:17
Hosea 6:6
References Jesus
Mark 10:27
Word
John 20:9
Matthew 22:29
Romans 15:4
25
For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
Reference
26
And as touching the dead, that they rise: have you not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke to him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
Reference
Parallel theme
Genesis 33:20
References God
Exodus 3:16
Genesis 26:24
Genesis 32:9
Genesis 31:42
Resurrection
Luke 20:37
27
He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: you therefore do greatly err.
Reference
28
And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?
29
And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
Reference
Parallel theme
Matthew 23:9
References God
Deuteronomy 6:4
Galatians 3:20
Luke 10:27
Romans 3:30
1 Corinthians 8:4
James 2:19
Jude 1:25
Deuteronomy 30:6
References Jesus
1 Timothy 2:5
30
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength: this is the first commandment.
Reference
Love
Deuteronomy 6:5
31
And the second is like, namely this, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is none other commandment greater than these.
Reference
Love
Matthew 22:39
Luke 10:27
Leviticus 19:18
1 John 4:21
Galatians 5:14
Parallel theme
Leviticus 19:13
Word
Matthew 7:12
32
And the scribe said to him, Well, Master, you have said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but he:
Reference
33
And to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, and with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 50:23
Sacrifice
Hosea 6:6
1 Samuel 15:22
Matthew 12:7
Matthew 9:13
Hebrews 10:8
Proverbs 21:3
34
And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, he said to him, You are not far from the kingdom of God. And no man after that dared ask him any question.
Reference
35
And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?
36
For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit you on my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.
Reference
Holy
Acts 1:16
Parallel theme
Hebrews 1:13
1 Corinthians 15:25
References Lord
Psalm 110:1
Spirit
Nehemiah 9:30
2 Samuel 23:2
37
David therefore himself calls him Lord; and from where is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly.
38
And he said to them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,
Reference
39
And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts:
40
Which devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation.
Reference
41
And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.
Reference
42
And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.
43
And he called to him his disciples, and said to them, Truly I say to you, That this poor widow has cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
Reference
Parallel theme
2 Corinthians 8:2
Summary of Mark 12
Mark 12 continues Jesus' final confrontations in Jerusalem, beginning with a parable about a vineyard in which an owner repeatedly sends servants to collect the fruit owed to him, only for the tenants to beat, reject, and eventually kill them.
The vineyard represents God's relationship with His people, the servants represent the messengers God has repeatedly sent, and the beloved son represents Jesus Himself, whose coming rejection and death are presented as the final expression of the leaders' rebellion against God.
Jesus then quotes the image of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, showing that the person rejected by human authorities can become central to God's purposes, while the religious leaders understand that the parable is directed against them and begin looking for an opportunity to arrest Him.
The leaders next attempt to trap Jesus with a political question about whether Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, hoping that either a rejection of Roman taxation or an endorsement of it will damage His position.
Jesus asks them to show Him a Roman denarius and then gives the famous principle that people should give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God, refusing to reduce loyalty to God to a political slogan while also acknowledging legitimate civic responsibilities.
The Sadducees then attempt to discredit the resurrection by presenting an exaggerated scenario involving seven brothers who successively marry the same woman after each dies without children.
Jesus explains that their question is based on a misunderstanding of both Scripture and God's power, because resurrection life will not simply reproduce earthly institutions and relationships in exactly the same form.
He then appeals to God's declaration to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, using the covenant relationship to demonstrate that God's purposes extend beyond physical death and that God is the God of the living.
A teacher of the law then asks Jesus to identify the greatest commandment, and Jesus gives the foundational answer that people must love God completely with heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Jesus immediately adds that the second commandment is to love one's neighbor as oneself, showing that love for God and love for people cannot be separated into unrelated areas of religious life.
The teacher agrees that these commandments are more important than burnt offerings and sacrifices, and Jesus recognizes that he is not far from the kingdom of God because he understands that genuine obedience begins with love rather than ritual alone.
Jesus then challenges the religious understanding of the Messiah by asking how the Messiah can simply be David's son when David himself, speaking through the Spirit, calls the Messiah his Lord.
This question points toward a deeper understanding of Jesus' identity, because the Messiah is not merely another human descendant of David but possesses an authority and status greater than David himself.
Jesus then warns the crowd about teachers of the law who enjoy public recognition, prestigious clothing, honored seats, and visible religious status while exploiting vulnerable people and using long prayers to create an appearance of holiness.
The contrast becomes particularly powerful when Jesus sits near the temple treasury and watches wealthy people contribute large sums before observing a poor widow place two small coins into the offering box.
Jesus explains that the widow has actually given more than the wealthy donors because they contributed from their abundance while she gave everything she had to live on, revealing that God measures generosity not merely by the size of the gift but by the heart, sacrifice, and trust behind it.
Mark 12 therefore repeatedly contrasts outward appearance with inward reality, showing religious leaders who appear important but reject God's purposes, wealthy donors who give large amounts but retain abundant resources, and a poor widow whose tiny contribution reveals extraordinary devotion.
The chapter also contrasts human ideas of power with God's kingdom, because the vineyard tenants attempt to seize control, the religious leaders attempt to protect their authority, political opponents attempt to trap Jesus, and status-conscious teachers seek public honor, while Jesus consistently points toward submission to God, love, humility, service, and sacrifice.
The central message is that true faith is not measured by religious appearance, political positioning, social status, intellectual arguments, or the size of one's financial contribution, but by wholehearted love for God, genuine love for others, faith in God's power, obedience to His purposes, and willingness to give oneself completely to Him.
Mark 12 ultimately reveals Jesus as the rejected Son and true cornerstone who possesses authority greater than the religious leaders, understands Scripture more deeply than His opponents, exposes hypocrisy without fear, teaches that love is greater than empty ritual, and recognizes the wholehearted devotion of a poor widow whose tiny offering demonstrates the kind of faith God values most.
The vineyard represents God's relationship with His people, the servants represent the messengers God has repeatedly sent, and the beloved son represents Jesus Himself, whose coming rejection and death are presented as the final expression of the leaders' rebellion against God.
Jesus then quotes the image of the rejected stone becoming the cornerstone, showing that the person rejected by human authorities can become central to God's purposes, while the religious leaders understand that the parable is directed against them and begin looking for an opportunity to arrest Him.
The leaders next attempt to trap Jesus with a political question about whether Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, hoping that either a rejection of Roman taxation or an endorsement of it will damage His position.
Jesus asks them to show Him a Roman denarius and then gives the famous principle that people should give Caesar what belongs to Caesar and God what belongs to God, refusing to reduce loyalty to God to a political slogan while also acknowledging legitimate civic responsibilities.
The Sadducees then attempt to discredit the resurrection by presenting an exaggerated scenario involving seven brothers who successively marry the same woman after each dies without children.
Jesus explains that their question is based on a misunderstanding of both Scripture and God's power, because resurrection life will not simply reproduce earthly institutions and relationships in exactly the same form.
He then appeals to God's declaration to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, using the covenant relationship to demonstrate that God's purposes extend beyond physical death and that God is the God of the living.
A teacher of the law then asks Jesus to identify the greatest commandment, and Jesus gives the foundational answer that people must love God completely with heart, soul, mind, and strength.
Jesus immediately adds that the second commandment is to love one's neighbor as oneself, showing that love for God and love for people cannot be separated into unrelated areas of religious life.
The teacher agrees that these commandments are more important than burnt offerings and sacrifices, and Jesus recognizes that he is not far from the kingdom of God because he understands that genuine obedience begins with love rather than ritual alone.
Jesus then challenges the religious understanding of the Messiah by asking how the Messiah can simply be David's son when David himself, speaking through the Spirit, calls the Messiah his Lord.
This question points toward a deeper understanding of Jesus' identity, because the Messiah is not merely another human descendant of David but possesses an authority and status greater than David himself.
Jesus then warns the crowd about teachers of the law who enjoy public recognition, prestigious clothing, honored seats, and visible religious status while exploiting vulnerable people and using long prayers to create an appearance of holiness.
The contrast becomes particularly powerful when Jesus sits near the temple treasury and watches wealthy people contribute large sums before observing a poor widow place two small coins into the offering box.
Jesus explains that the widow has actually given more than the wealthy donors because they contributed from their abundance while she gave everything she had to live on, revealing that God measures generosity not merely by the size of the gift but by the heart, sacrifice, and trust behind it.
Mark 12 therefore repeatedly contrasts outward appearance with inward reality, showing religious leaders who appear important but reject God's purposes, wealthy donors who give large amounts but retain abundant resources, and a poor widow whose tiny contribution reveals extraordinary devotion.
The chapter also contrasts human ideas of power with God's kingdom, because the vineyard tenants attempt to seize control, the religious leaders attempt to protect their authority, political opponents attempt to trap Jesus, and status-conscious teachers seek public honor, while Jesus consistently points toward submission to God, love, humility, service, and sacrifice.
The central message is that true faith is not measured by religious appearance, political positioning, social status, intellectual arguments, or the size of one's financial contribution, but by wholehearted love for God, genuine love for others, faith in God's power, obedience to His purposes, and willingness to give oneself completely to Him.
Mark 12 ultimately reveals Jesus as the rejected Son and true cornerstone who possesses authority greater than the religious leaders, understands Scripture more deeply than His opponents, exposes hypocrisy without fear, teaches that love is greater than empty ritual, and recognizes the wholehearted devotion of a poor widow whose tiny offering demonstrates the kind of faith God values most.