Mark 11:27-33

Good News Translation

The Question about Jesus' Authority^(A)

²⁷They arrived once again in Jerusalem. As Jesus was walking in the Temple, the chief priests, the teachers of the Law, and the elders came to him ²⁸and asked him, “What right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”

²⁹Jesus answered them, “I will ask you just one question, and if you give me an answer, I will tell you what right I have to do these things. ³⁰Tell me, where did John's right to baptize come from: was it from God or from human beings?”

³¹They started to argue among themselves: “What shall we say? If we answer, ‘From God,’ he will say, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ ³²But if we say, ‘From human beings …’” (They were afraid of the people, because everyone was convinced that John had been a prophet.) ³³So their answer to Jesus was, “We don't know.”

Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.”

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Luke 20:1-8

Good News Translation

The Question about Jesus' Authority^(A)

20 One day when Jesus was in the Temple teaching the people and preaching the Good News, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law, together with the elders, came ²and said to him, “Tell us, what right do you have to do these things? Who gave you such right?”

³Jesus answered them, “Now let me ask you a question. Tell me, ⁴did John's right to baptize come from God or from human beings?”

⁵They started to argue among themselves, “What shall we say? If we say, ‘From God,’ he will say, ‘Why, then, did you not believe John?’ ⁶But if we say, ‘From human beings,’ this whole crowd here will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.” ⁷So they answered, “We don't know where it came from.”

⁸And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you, then, by what right I do these things.”

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