The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers^(A)

⁹ Then He began to tell the people this parable: ^(B)“A certain man planted a vineyard, leased it to ^[a]vinedressers, and went into a far country for a long time. ¹⁰ Now at ^[b]vintage-time he ^(C)sent a servant to the vinedressers, that they might give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the vinedressers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ Again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹² And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

¹³ “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.’ ¹⁴ But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the ^(D)heir. Come, ^(E)let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ^(F)ours.’ ¹⁵ So they cast him out of the vineyard and ^(G)killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to ^(H)others.”

And when they heard it they said, “Certainly not!”

¹⁷ Then He looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

¹⁸ Whoever falls on that stone will be ^(J)broken; but ^(K)on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.”

¹⁹ And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they ^[c]feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.