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The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

12 Jesus began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenant farmers and went on a journey. When it was time, he sent a servant to the tenants to receive his share of the vineyard’s produce. They took him, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. Again, he sent another servant to them. But they hit him on the head and treated him shamefully. Then he sent another servant, but they killed that one. He also sent many others; some they beat, and others they killed. He still had one left, a dearly loved son. Finally, he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come on, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ They seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. So what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:

The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
11 The Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes?”[a]

12 They were looking for a way to arrest him, because they knew that he had spoken the parable against them. But they feared the crowd, so they left him and went away.

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The Parable of the Tenant Farmers in the Vineyard

12 And he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard, and put a fence around it, and dug a trough for the winepress, and built a watchtower, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey. And he sent a slave to the tenant farmers at the proper time, so that he could collect some of the fruit of the vineyard from the tenant farmers. And they seized him and[a] beat him[b] and sent him[c] away empty-handed. And again he sent to them another slave, and that one they struck on the head and dishonored. And he sent another, and that one they killed. And he sent[d] many others, some of whom they beat and some of whom they killed. He had one more, a beloved son. Last of all he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But those tenant farmers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’ And they seized and[e] killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. What[f] will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture:

‘The stone which the builders rejected,
    this has become the cornerstone.[g]
11 This came about from the Lord,
    and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”[h]

12 And they were seeking to arrest him, and they were afraid of the crowd, because they knew that he had told the parable with reference to them. And they left him and[i] went away.

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Footnotes

  1. Mark 12:3 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“seized”) has been translated as a finite verb
  2. Mark 12:3 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  3. Mark 12:3 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  4. Mark 12:5 The words “he sent” are not in the Greek text, but are an implied repetition from earlier in the verse
  5. Mark 12:8 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“seized”) has been translated as a finite verb
  6. Mark 12:9 Some manuscripts have “What then”
  7. Mark 12:10 Literally “the head of the corner”
  8. Mark 12:11 A quotation from Ps 118:22–23
  9. Mark 12:12 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“left”) has been translated as a finite verb