Matthew 22:15-22 - Paying Taxes To Caesar

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went and plotted to trap him in talk. ¹⁶ They sent him their disciples with the Herodians, who said, "Teacher, we know you are sincere and that you teach the Way of God honestly and fearlessly; you do not court human favour. ¹⁷ Tell us, then, what you think about this. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"

¹⁸ But Jesus detected their malice. He said, "Why do you tempt me, you hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin for taxes." So they brought him a shilling. ²⁰ Then Jesus said to them, "Whose likeness, whose inscription is this?"

²¹ "Caesar's," they said. Then he told them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God." ²² When they heard that they marvelled; then they left him and went away.

¹³ But they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to him for the purpose of catching him with a question. ¹⁴ They came up and said to him, "Teacher, we know you are sincere and fearless; you do not court human favour, you teach the Way of God honestly. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? ¹⁵ Are we to pay, or are we not to pay?" But he saw their trick and said to them, "Why tempt me? Bring me a shilling. Let me see it." ¹⁶ So they brought one. He said, "Whose likeness, whose inscription is this?" "Caesar's," they said.

¹⁷ Jesus said to them, "Give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God." He astonished them.

²⁰ So watching their chance they sent spies who pretended to be honest persons, in order to seize on what he said and get him handed over to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. ²¹ They put this question to him, "Teacher, we know you are straight in what you say and teach, you do not look to human favour but teach the Way of God honestly. ²² Is it right for us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?"

²³ But he noted their knavery and said to them, ²⁴ "Show me a shilling. Whose likeness and inscription does it bear?" "Caesar's," they replied.

²⁵ "Well then," he said to them, "give Caesar what belongs to Caesar, give God what belongs to God."

²⁶ So they could not seize on what he said before the people, and marvelling at his reply they said nothing.