Psalm 126

A song of ascents.

⁴ though I myself have reasons for such confidence.^(A)

If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: ⁵ circumcised^(B) on the eighth day, of the people of Israel,^(C) of the tribe of Benjamin,^(D) a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee;^{(E) 6} as for zeal,^(F) persecuting the church;^(G) as for righteousness based on the law,^(H) faultless.

⁷ But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss^(I) for the sake of Christ.

⁸ What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing^(A) Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ^{(B) 9} and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law,^(C) but that which is through faith in^[a] Christ—the righteousness^(D) that comes from God on the basis of faith.^{(E) 10} I want to know^(F) Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings,^(G) becoming like him in his death,^{(H) 11} and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection^(I) from the dead.

¹² Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal,^(J) but I press on to take hold^(K) of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.^{(L) 13} Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind^(M) and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on^(N) toward the goal to win the prize^(O) for which God has called^(P) me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

The Parable of the Tenants^(A)

⁹ He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,^(B) rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.^{(C) 10} At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. ¹² He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

¹³ “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love;^(D) perhaps they will respect him.’

¹⁴ “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ¹⁵ So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and kill those tenants^(E) and give the vineyard to others.”

When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”

¹⁷ Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written:

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”^(G)

¹⁹ The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him^(H) immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.^(I)

Paying Taxes to Caesar^(J)

²⁰ Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be sincere. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said,^(K) so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor.^(L)