³⁴ Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

¹⁰ Now at ^[a]vintage-time he ^(A)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 ^(B)heir. Come, ^(C)let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ^(D)ours.’ ¹⁵ So they cast him out of the vineyard and ^(E)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 ^(F)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 ^(H)broken; but ^(I)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 ^[b]feared the people—for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.

² Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. ³ And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Again he sent them another servant, ^[a]and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. ⁵ And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, ^(A)beating some and killing some.

³ and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

⁹ “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

¹¹ “But they refused to heed, ^(D)shrugged^[b] their shoulders, and ^(E)stopped^[c] their ears so that they could not hear. ¹² Yes, they made their ^(F)hearts like flint, ^(G)refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. ^(H)Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts. ¹³ Therefore it happened, that just as He proclaimed and they would not hear, so ^(I)they called out and I would not listen,” says the Lord of hosts.

³ Therefore say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: “Return ^(A)to Me,” says the Lord of hosts, “and I will return to you,” says the Lord of hosts. ⁴ “Do not be like your fathers, ^(B)to whom the former prophets preached, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(C)“Turn now from your evil ways and your evil deeds.” ’ But they did not hear nor heed Me,” says the Lord.

“So they returned and said:

¹⁵ I have also sent to you all My ^(A)servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, ^(B)‘Turn now everyone from his evil way, amend your doings, and do not go after other gods to serve them; then you will ^(C)dwell in the land which I have given you and your fathers.’ But you have not inclined your ear, nor obeyed Me.

^3 (A)“From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, ^(B)but you have not listened. ⁴ And the Lord has sent to you all His servants the prophets, ^(C)rising early and sending them, but you have not listened nor inclined your ear to hear. ⁵ They said, ^(D)‘Repent now everyone of his evil way and his evil doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord has given to you and your fathers forever and ever. ⁶ Do not go after other gods to serve them and worship them, and do not provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands; and I will not harm you.’ ⁷ Yet you have not listened to Me,” says the Lord, “that you might ^(E)provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt.