1And it came about on one of the yamim Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach was saying shiurim to HaAm (the People) in the Beis Hamikdash and was preaching the Besuras HaGeulah, the Rashei Hakohanim and the Sofrim with the Ziknei HaAm stood by;

2They spoke, saying to him, Tell us by what shlita (authority) you do these things, or who is the one having given to you this shlita?

3In reply, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, I will also confront you will a she'elah, and you tell me:

4The tevilah of teshuva of Yochanan — was it from Shomayim or from Bnei Adam?

5And they reasoned to themselves saying, If we say, from Shomayim, he will say, why did you not believe him?

6But if we say, from Bnei Adam, HaAm (the People) all will subject us to sequilah (stoning), for HaAm Yisroel are all convinced that Yochanan is a navi.

7And they answered that they did not have daas of the origin of the tevilah of teshuva of Yochanan.

8And Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to them, Neither am I telling you by what shlita (authority) I do these things.

9And he began to tell this mashal to HaAm Yisroel. A certain ish planted a kerem and leased it to koremim (vine keepers) and he went away for a long time. ²³⁰

10And in season he sent to the koremim (vine keepers) an eved (servant) that from the pri of the kerem they will give to him. But the koremim (vine keepers) sent the eved away empty, having beaten him.

11And he proceeded to send another eved. But him also, when they had beaten and dishonored him, they sent him away empty.

12And he proceeded to send an eved shlishi (a third servant). And also this one, having wounded, they threw out.

13And the Adon of the kerem, said, What should I do? I will send Beni Ahuvi. Perhaps this one they will respect.

14But having seen him, the koremim (vine keepers) were reasoning with one another saying, This one is the Bechor, the heir. Let us kill him, that the bechorah may become ours.

15And having driven him outside the kerem, they killed him. What then will the Baal HaKerem do to them?

16He will come and will destroy these koremim (vine keepers) and will give the kerem to others. And having heard this, HaAm Yisroel said, Chas vShalom!

17But having looked at them, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said, What then is this which has been written: EVEN MAASU HAYTAH LEROSH PINAH (The Stone they rejected became the capstone)? ²³¹

18Everyone having fallen upon that EVEN (stone) will be DAKU ²³²(broken into pieces), and upon whomever it falls, it will crush him. ²³³

19And the Sofrim and the Rashei Hakohenim sought to lay their hands upon him in the same hour, but they were afraid of HaAm Yisroel, for they knew that he spoke this mashal (parable) against them.

20And having watched carefully, they sent spies pretending themselves to be tzaddikim, that they might catch him in his dvar, so as to deliver him to the rulers and the manhigim under the Moshel (Governor).

21And they set a she'elah (question) before him, saying, Rabbi, we have daas that you speak beemes in the shiurim you say and you show no deference toward anyone, but on the basis of HaEmes you give torah about HaDerech Hashem.

22Is it mutar for us to pay tax to Caesar or not?

23But having noticed the ORMAH ²³⁴(cunning, craftiness) in their manner, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them,

24Show me a denarius. Whose demut (likeness) has it? And whose inscription? And they said, Caesarʼs.

25And he said to them, Then give the things of Caesar to Caesar and the things of Hashem to Hashem.

26And they were not able to catch him in his dvar before the people and, having been nispoyel (marveled) at his teshuva (answer), they were silent.

27And some of the Tzedukim — the Tzedukim are the ones speaking against the Techiyas HaMesim, who say there is none — approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. They set a she'elah (question) before him,

28Saying, Rabbi, Moshe Rabbenu laid it down in writing to us, if someoneʼs ach dies and has an isha, and UVEN EIN LO (and there is no son to him), that he should take the almanah of his ach and he should raise up a zera (seed) to his ach. ²³⁵

29Now there were shiva achim. And the first took an isha, and died UVEN EIN LO (and there is no son to him).

30And the second took her to be his isha, and he died childless.

31And the third took her; and likewise also the seventh did not leave behind a ben and they all died.

32And lemaskana (finally) the isha died.

33The isha, then, in the Techiyas HaMesim, of which of them does she become the wife? For shiva had her as isha (wife).

34And Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach said to them, The banim of the Olam Hazeh marry and are given in marriage:

35But the ones having been considered worthy to attain to the Olam HaBah and the Techiyas HaMesim neither marry nor are given in marriage.

36For neither is it possible any longer for them to die, for they are like malachim and they are bnei haElohim, being bnei haTechiyas HaMesim.

37But that the Mesim are made to stand up alive, even Moshe revealed at the burning bush, as he calls Adonoi ELOHEI AVRAHAM ELOHEI YITZCHAK VELOHEI YA'AKOV. ²³⁶

38But Hashem is not the G-d of Mesim but is Elohei HaChayyim, for to Hashem all are alive.

39And, in reply, some of the Sofrim said, Rabbi, you spoke well.

40For no longer were they daring to set a she'elah (question) before him regarding anything.

41And he said to them, How do they say that the Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach is to be [merely] Dovidʼs ben?

42For Dovid himself says in the book of Tehillim, NEUM HASHEM LADONI: SHEV LIMINI,

43AD ASHIT OYVECHA HADOM L'RAGLECHA. ²³⁷

44Therefore, if Dovid calls him Adon, how is he [merely] ben Dovid?

45In the hearing of all the people, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to his talmidim,

46Beware of the Sofrim (Rabbonim), the ones wanting to strut around in long kaftans and loving ²³⁸Birkat Shalom greetings in the marketplaces and the rashei hamoshavot (chief seats) in the shuls and the places of kavod at seudos tishen,

47Which devour the batim (houses) of the almanot (widows) and for the sake of appearance daven lengthy tefillos (prayers): the same shall receive greater damnation.