18. Everyone who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
19. The scribes and chief priests sought to lay their hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people, for they knew that he had addressed this parable to them.
20. They watched him closely and sent agents pretending to be righteous who were to trap him in speech, in order to hand him over to the authority and power of the governor.
21. They posed this question to him, “Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is correct, and you show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
22. Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?”
23. Recognizing their craftiness he said to them,
24. “Show me a denarius; whose image and name does it bear?” They replied, “Caesar’s.”
25. So he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”
26. They were unable to trap him by something he might say before the people, and so amazed were they at his reply that they fell silent.
27. Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him,