The Sadducees and the Resurrection

²³ That same day some Sadducees,^(A) who say there is no resurrection, came up to him and questioned him:^{(B) 24} “Teacher, Moses said, if a man dies, having no children, his brother is to marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.^{[a](C) 25} Now there were seven brothers among us. The first got married and died. Having no offspring, he left his wife to his brother. ²⁶ The same thing happened to the second also, and the third, and so on to all seven. ²⁷ Last of all, the woman died. ²⁸ In the resurrection, then, whose wife will she be of the seven? For they all had married her.”^[b]

²⁹ Jesus answered them, “You are mistaken, because you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰ For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like^[c] angels in heaven.^{(D) 31} Now concerning the resurrection of the dead, haven’t you read what was spoken to you by God: ³² I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?^[d](E) He^[e] is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

³³ And when the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

⁴⁶ No one was able to answer him at all,^[a] and from that day no one dared to question him anymore.^(A)

The Sadducees and the Resurrection

¹⁸ Sadducees,^(A) who say there is no resurrection,^(B) came to him and questioned him: ¹⁹ “Teacher,^(C) Moses^(D) wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife behind but no child,^(E) that man should take the wife^(F) and raise up offspring for his brother.^{[a](G) 20} There were seven brothers. The first married a woman, and dying, left no offspring. ²¹ The second also took her, and he died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. ²² None of the seven^[b] left offspring. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise,^[c] whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?”

²⁴ Jesus spoke to them, “Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken: you don’t know the Scriptures^(H) or the power^(I) of God?^{(J) 25} For when they rise^(K) from the dead,^(L) they neither marry nor are given in marriage^(M) but are like angels^(N) in heaven. ²⁶ And as for the dead being raised—haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God said to him: I^(O) am the God of Abraham^(P) and the God of Isaac^(Q) and the God of Jacob?^{[d](R) 27} He is not the God of the dead but of the living. You are badly mistaken.”

³⁴ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^(A) And no one dared^(B) to question him any longer.