Matthew 21:37-46

English Standard Version

³⁷ Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ^(A)‘This is the heir. Come, ^(B)let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ ³⁹ And they took him and ^(C)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. ^40 (D)When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹ They said to him, ^(E)“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and ^(F)let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, ^(G)“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God ^(I)will be taken away from you and given to a people ^(J)producing its fruits. ⁴⁴ And ^(K)the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and ^(L)when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”^[b]

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶ And ^(M)although they were seeking to arrest him, ^(N)they feared the crowds, because they held him to be ^(O)a prophet.