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He began to tell the people this parable. “A [a] man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time. 10 At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty. 11 He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. 12 He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out. 13 The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’

14 “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 Then they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others.”

When they heard that, they said, “May that never be!”

17 But he looked at them and said, “Then what is this that is written,

‘The stone which the builders rejected
    was made the chief cornerstone?’Psalm 118:22
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces,
    but it will crush whomever it falls on to dust.”

19 The chief priests and the scribes sought to lay hands on him that very hour, but they feared the people—for they knew he had spoken this parable against them.

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Footnotes

  1. 20:9 NU (in brackets) and TR add “certain”

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants and went away for a long time.(A) 10 When the season came, he sent a slave to the tenants in order that they might give him his share of the produce of the vineyard, but the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 11 Next he sent another slave; that one also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed. 12 And he sent still a third; this one also they wounded and threw out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir; let us kill him so that the inheritance may 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 destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Heaven forbid!”(B) 17 But he looked at them and said, “What then does this text mean:

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone’?[a](C)

18 “Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”(D) 19 When the scribes and chief priests realized that he had told this parable against them, they wanted to lay hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people.(E)

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Footnotes

  1. 20.17 Or keystone (in an arch)