The Parable of the Vineyard and the Vinedressers^(A)

³³ “Listen to another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and built a wall around it. He dug a winepress in it and built a tower. Then he rented it to vinedressers and went into a distant country. ³⁴ When the season of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to receive his fruit.

³⁵ “The vinedressers took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again, he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did likewise to them. ³⁷ Last of all, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

³⁸ “But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’ ³⁹ So they caught him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

⁴⁰ “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”

⁴¹ They said, “He will severely destroy those wicked men and rent his vineyard to other vinedressers who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ “Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing its fruits. ⁴⁴ Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces. But on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them. ⁴⁶ But as they tried to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they held Him as a prophet.

The Parable of the Vineyard and the Vinedressers^(A)

12 He began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, and rented it to vinedressers, and went to a far country. ² At harvest time he sent a servant to the vinedressers to receive from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ But they seized him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴ Then he sent another servant to them. They threw stones at him, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled. ⁵ Still he sent another, and they killed him. And there were many others. Some they beat, and some they killed.

⁶ “Having yet his one well-beloved son, he sent him last to them, saying, ‘They will revere my son.’

⁷ “But those vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸ So they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard.

⁹ “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill the vinedressers and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you not read this Scripture:

¹² Then they tried to seize Him, but feared the people, for they knew that He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went their way.