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A Question about Paying Taxes(A)

13 Then they sent some Pharisees and some Herodians[a] to him, intending to trap him in what he said. 14 They came and told him, “Teacher, we know that you are sincere. You don’t favor any individual, because you pay no attention to external appearance. Instead, you teach the way of God truthfully. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them or shouldn’t we?”

15 Seeing through their hypocrisy, Jesus[b] replied to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”

16 So they brought one. Then he asked them, “Whose face and name are on this?”

They told him, “Caesar’s.”

17 So Jesus told them, “Give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were utterly amazed at him.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:13 I.e. Royal party sympathizers
  2. Mark 12:15 Lit. he

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar(A)

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians(B) to Jesus to catch him(C) in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”(D)

And they were amazed at him.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:14 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens