¹ COMO oscureció el Señor en su furor a la hija de Sión! Derribó del cielo á la tierra la hermosura de Israel, Y no se acordó del estrado de sus pies en el día de su ira.

² Destruyó el Señor, y no perdonó; Destruyó en su furor todas las tiendas de Jacob: Echó por tierra las fortalezas de la hija de Judá, Deslustró el reino y sus príncipes.

³ Cortó con el furor de su ira todo el cuerno de Israel; Hizo volver atrás su diestra delante del enemigo; Y encendióse en Jacob como llama de fuego que ha devorado en contorno.

⁴ Entesó su arco como enemigo, afirmó su mano derecha como adversario, Y mató toda cosa hermosa á la vista: En la tienda de la hija de Sión derramó como fuego su enojo.

⁵ Fué el Señor como enemigo, destruyó a Israel; Destruyó todos sus palacios, disipó sus fortalezas: Y multiplicó en la hija de Judá la tristeza y lamento.

⁶ Y quitó su tienda como de un huerto, Destruyó el lugar de su congregación: Jehová ha hecho olvidar en Sión solemnidades y sábados, Y ha desechado en el furor de su ira rey y sacerdote.

⁷ Desechó el Señor su altar, menospreció su santuario, Ha entregado en mano del enemigo los muros de sus palacios: Dieron grita en la casa de Jehová como en día de fiesta.

⁸ Jehová determinó destruir el muro de la hija de Sión; Extendió el cordel, no retrajo su mano de destruir: Hizo pues, se lamentara el antemuro y el muro; fueron destruídos juntamente.

⁹ Sus puertas fueron echadas por tierra, destruyó y quebrantó sus cerrojos: Su rey y sus príncipes están entre las gentes donde no hay ley; Sus profetas tampoco hallaron visión de Jehová.

¹⁰ Sentáronse en tierra, callaron los ancianos de la hija de Sión; Echaron polvo sobre sus cabezas, ciñéronse de saco; Las vírgenes de Jerusalem bajaron sus cabezas a tierra.

¹¹ Mis ojos desfallecieron de lágrimas, rugieron mis entrañas, Mi hígado se derramó por tierra por el quebrantamiento de la hija de mi pueblo, Cuando desfallecía el niño y el que mamaba, en las plazas de la ciudad.

¹² Decían a sus madres: ¿Dónde está el trigo y el vino? Desfallecían como heridos en las calles de la ciudad, Derramando sus almas en el regazo de sus madres.

¹³ ¿Qué testigo te traeré, ó á quién te haré semejante, hija de Jerusalem? ¿A quién te compararé para consolarte, oh virgen hija de Sión? Porque grande es tu quebrantamiento como la mar: ¿quién te medicinará?

¹⁴ Tus profetas vieron para ti vanidad y locura; Y no descubrieron tu pecado para estorbar tu cautiverio, Sino que te predicaron vanas profecías y extravíos.

¹⁵ Todos los que pasaban por el camino, batieron las manos sobre ti; Silbaron, y movieron sus cabezas sobre la hija de Jerusalem, diciendo: ¿Es ésta la ciudad que decían de perfecta hermosura, el gozo de toda la tierra?

¹⁶ Todos tus enemigos abrieron sobre ti su boca, Silbaron, y rechinaron los dientes; dijeron: Devoremos: Cierto éste es el día que esperábamos; lo hemos hallado, vímoslo.

¹⁷ Jehová ha hecho lo que tenía determinado, Ha cumplido su palabra que él había mandado desde tiempo antiguo: Destruyó, y no perdonó; Y alegró sobre ti al enemigo, Y enalteció el cuerno de tus adversarios.

¹⁸ El corazón de ellos clamaba al Señor: Oh muro de la hija de Sión, echa lágrimas como un arroyo día y noche; No descanses, ni cesen las niñas de tus ojos.

¹⁹ Levántate, da voces en la noche, en el principio de las velas; Derrama como agua tu corazón ante la presencia del Señor; Alza tus manos á él por la vida de tus pequeñitos, Que desfallecen de hambre en las entradas de todas las calles.

²⁰ Mira, oh Jehová, y considera á quién has hecho así. ¿Han de comer las mujeres su fruto, los pequeñitos de sus crías? ¿Han de ser muertos en el santuario del Señor el sacerdote y el profeta?

²¹ Niños y viejos yacían por tierra en las calles; Mis vírgenes y mis mancebos cayeron a cuchillo: Mataste en el día de tu furor, degollaste, no perdonaste.

²² Has llamado, como a día de solemnidad, mis temores de todas partes; Y en el día del furor de Jehová no hubo quien escapase ni quedase vivo: Los que crié y mantuve, mi enemigo los acabó

²¹ Di á la casa de Israel: Así ha dicho el Señor Dios: He aquí yo profano mi santuario, la gloria de vuestra fortaleza, el deseo de vuestros ojos, y el regalo de vuestra alma: vuestros hijos y vuestras hijas que dejasteis, caerán á cuchillo.

¹ It happened on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, that the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.

² They asked him, "Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?"

³ He answered them, "I also will ask you one question. Tell me:

⁴ the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?"

⁵ They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why didn't you believe him?'

⁶ But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

⁷ They answered that they didn't know where it was from.

⁸ Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

⁹ He began to tell the people this parable. "A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.

¹⁰ At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.

¹¹ He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

¹² He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out.

¹³ The lord of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.'

¹⁴ "But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

¹⁵ They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?

¹⁶ He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, "May it never be!"

¹⁷ But he looked at them, and said, "Then what is this that is written, 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same was made the chief cornerstone?'

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust."

¹⁹ The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people--for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.

²⁰ They watched him, and sent out spies, who pretended to be righteous, that they might trap him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the power and authority of the governor.

²¹ They asked him, "Teacher, we know that you say and teach what is right, and aren't partial to anyone, but truly teach the way of God.

²² Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?"

²³ But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test me?

²⁴ Show me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" They answered, "Caesar's."

²⁵ He said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."

²⁶ They weren't able to trap him in his words before the people. They marveled at his answer, and were silent.

²⁷ Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.

²⁸ They asked him, "Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up children for his brother.

²⁹ There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.

³⁰ The second took her as wife, and he died childless.

³¹ The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.

³² Afterward the woman also died.

³³ Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife."

³⁴ Jesus said to them, "The children of this age marry, and are given in marriage.

³⁵ But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage.

³⁶ For they can't die any more, for they are like the angels, and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.

³⁷ But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord 'The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.'

³⁸ Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him."

³⁹ Some of the scribes answered, "Teacher, you speak well."

⁴⁰ They didn't dare to ask him any more questions.

⁴¹ He said to them, "Why do they say that the Christ is David's son?

⁴² David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,

⁴³ until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet."'

⁴⁴ "David therefore calls him Lord, so how is he his son?"

⁴⁵ In the hearing of all the people, he said to his disciples,

⁴⁶ "Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;

⁴⁷ who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation."