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Luke 20:27-40
New International Version
Luke 20:27-40
New International Version
The Resurrection and Marriage(A)
27 Some of the Sadducees,(B) who say there is no resurrection,(C) came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.(D) 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”
34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come(E) and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children,(F) since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[a](G) 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”
39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.(H)
Footnotes
- Luke 20:37 Exodus 3:6
Luke 20:27-40
New Living Translation
Luke 20:27-40
New Living Translation
Discussion about Resurrection
27 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. 28 They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.[a] 29 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 30 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. 31 Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children. 32 Finally, the woman also died. 33 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”
34 Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. 35 But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. 36 And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.
37 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord[b] as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[c] 38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”
39 “Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. 40 And then no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- 20:28 See Deut 25:5-6.
- 20:37a Greek when he wrote about the bush. He referred to the Lord.
- 20:37b Exod 3:6.
Luke 20:27-40
Amplified Bible
Luke 20:27-40
Amplified Bible
Is There a Resurrection?
27 Now some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Him(A) 28 and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us [a law that] if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife and no children, his brother should [a]marry the wife and raise children for his brother.(B) 29 Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless. 30 And the second, 31 and the third married her, and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 So in the [life after] resurrection, whose wife does she become? For all seven had married her.”
34 Jesus said to them, “The sons of this [world and present] age marry and [the women] are given in marriage; 35 but those who are considered worthy to gain that [other world and that future] age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 and they cannot die again, because they are [immortal] like the angels (equal to, angel-like). And they are [b]children of God, being [c]participants in the resurrection. 37 But [as for the fact] that the dead are raised [from death], even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.(C) 38 Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living [so these forefathers will be among the resurrected]; for all live [in a definite relationship] to Him.” 39 Some of the scribes replied, “Teacher, you have spoken well [so that there is no room for blame].” 40 And they did not dare to question Him further about anything [because of the wisdom He displayed in His answers].
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Luke 20:28 The purpose of this was to carry on the family line and keep property within the family.
- Luke 20:36 Lit sons.
- Luke 20:36 Lit sons of.
Luke 20:27-40
New American Standard Bible
Luke 20:27-40
New American Standard Bible
Is There a Resurrection?
27 (A)Now some of the (B)Sadducees (who maintain that there is no resurrection) came to Him, 28 and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that (C)if [a]a man’s brother dies, [b]leaving a wife, and he is childless, that his brother is to [c]marry the wife and raise up children [d]for his brother. 29 So then, there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless; 30 and the second 31 and the third [e]married her; and in the same way [f]all seven [g]died, leaving no children. 32 Finally the woman also died. 33 Therefore, in the resurrection, [h]which one’s wife does the woman become? For [i]all seven [j]married her.”
34 Jesus said to them, “The sons of (D)this age marry and the women are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to (E)that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for they cannot even die anymore, for they are like angels, and are (F)sons of God, being [k]sons of the resurrection. 37 But as for the fact that the dead are raised, even Moses revealed this in (G)the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord (H)the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 (I)Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for (J)all live to Him.” 39 Some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” 40 For (K)they did not have the courage to question Him any longer about anything.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Luke 20:28 Lit someone’s brother
- Luke 20:28 Lit having
- Luke 20:28 Lit take
- Luke 20:28 I.e., as his brother’s heir
- Luke 20:31 Lit took
- Luke 20:31 Lit the seven also
- Luke 20:31 Lit left no children, and died
- Luke 20:33 Lit of which of them
- Luke 20:33 Lit the seven
- Luke 20:33 Lit had her as wife
- Luke 20:36 I.e., participants in
Luke 20:27-40
The Message
Luke 20:27-40
The Message
All Intimacies Will Be with God
27-33 Some Sadducees came up. This is the Jewish party that denies any possibility of resurrection. They asked, “Teacher, Moses wrote us that if a man dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother is obligated to marry her and give her children. Well, there once were seven brothers. The first took a wife. He died childless. The second married her and died, then the third, and eventually all seven had their turn, but no child. After all that, the wife died. That wife, now—in the resurrection whose wife is she? All seven married her.”
34-38 Jesus said, “Marriage is a major preoccupation here, but not there. Those who are included in the resurrection of the dead will no longer be concerned with marriage nor, of course, with death. They will have better things to think about, if you can believe it. All ecstasies and intimacies then will be with God. Even Moses exclaimed about resurrection at the burning bush, saying, ‘God: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob!’ God isn’t the God of dead men, but of the living. To him all are alive.”
39-40 Some of the religion scholars said, “Teacher, that’s a great answer!” For a while, anyway, no one dared put questions to him.
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New International Version (NIV) 
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New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Amplified Bible (AMP) 
Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson