Luke 20:1-19

Christian Standard Bible

The Authority of Jesus Challenged

20 One^(A) day as he was teaching^(B) the people in the temple and proclaiming the good news,^(C) the chief priests and the scribes, with the elders,^(D) came ² and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?”

³ He answered them, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, ⁴ was the baptism of John from heaven or of human origin?”

⁵ They discussed it among themselves: “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ ⁶ But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people^(E) will stone us, because they are convinced that John was a prophet.”^{(F) 7} So they answered that they did not know its origin.

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

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

⁹ Now^(G) he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard,^(H) leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. ¹⁰ At harvest time he sent a servant to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ He sent yet another servant, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹² And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.

¹³ “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved^(I) son. Perhaps^[a] they will respect him.’

¹⁴ “But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so that the inheritance will be ours.’^{(J) 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^(K) those farmers and give the vineyard to others.”

But when they heard this they said, “That must never happen!” ^(L)

¹⁷ But he looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture:^[b](M)

¹⁸ Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it will shatter him.”^(O)

¹⁹ Then the scribes and the chief priests^(P) looked for a way to get their hands on him^(Q) that very hour, because they knew he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.^(R)