⁴⁹ Because of this, God in his wisdom^(A) said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and others they will persecute.’^{(B) 50} Therefore this generation will be held responsible for the blood of all the prophets that has been shed since the beginning of the world, ⁵¹ from the blood of Abel^(C) to the blood of Zechariah,^(D) who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, this generation will be held responsible for it all.^(E)

⁵² “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge. You yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.”^(F)

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’^{(A) 33} In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet^(B) can die outside Jerusalem!

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,^(C) and you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate.^(D) I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[a]”^(E)

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.

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people!^(A) Your hearts^(B) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! ⁵² Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?^(C) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him^(D)— ⁵³ you who have received the law that was given through angels^(E) but have not obeyed it.”