The teachers of the Law and the chief priests tried to arrest Jesus on the spot, because they knew that he had told this parable against them; but they were afraid of the people.

So they looked for an opportunity. They bribed some men to pretend they were sincere, and they sent them to trap Jesus with questions, so that they could hand him over to the authority and power of the Roman Governor.

The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were afraid of the people, and so they were trying to find a way of putting Jesus to death secretly.

So Judas went off and spoke with the chief priests and the officers of the Temple guard about how he could betray Jesus to them.

The Pharisees went off and made a plan to trap Jesus with questions.

Then they sent to him some of their disciples and some members of Herod's party. "Teacher," they said, "we know that you tell the truth. You teach the truth about God's will for people, without worrying about what others think, because you pay no attention to anyone's status.

There in the square by the gate he read the Law to them from dawn until noon, and they all listened attentively.

The guards answered, "Nobody has ever talked the way this man does!"

"Have you ever known one of the authorities or one Pharisee to believe in him?

One of those who heard us was Lydia from Thyatira, who was a dealer in purple cloth. She was a woman who worshiped God, and the Lord opened her mind to pay attention to what Paul was saying.