⁴ I made great works. I ^(A)built houses and planted ^(B)vineyards for myself.

²³ In that day every place where there used to be a thousand vines, worth a thousand shekels^[a] of silver, will become ^(A)briers and thorns.

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

^9 (A)And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted ^(B)a vineyard and ^(C)let it out to tenants and ^(D)went into another country for a long while. ¹⁰ When the time came, he sent a servant^[a] to the tenants, so that ^(E)they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. ^(F)But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ^11 (G)And ^(H)he sent another servant. But they also beat and ^(I)treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ^12 (J)And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out. ¹³ Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my ^(K)beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ ¹⁴ But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, ^(L)‘This is the heir. ^(M)Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.’ ¹⁵ And they ^(N)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ^16 (O)He will ^(P)come and destroy those tenants and ^(Q)give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “Surely not!” ¹⁷ But he ^(R)looked directly at them and said, “What then is this that is written:

^18 (T)Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls ^(U)on anyone, it will crush him.”

The Parable of the Tenants

12 ^(A)And he began to speak to them in parables. “A man planted ^(B)a vineyard ^(C)and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and ^(D)leased it to tenants and ^(E)went into another country.

The Parable of the Tenants

^33 (A)“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted ^(B)a vineyard ^(C)and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and ^(D)leased it to tenants, and ^(E)went into another country. ³⁴ When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants^[a] to the tenants ^(F)to get his fruit. ^35 (G)And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and ^(H)stoned another. ^36 (I)Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. ³⁷ Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ^(J)‘This is the heir. Come, ^(K)let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ ³⁹ And they took him and ^(L)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. ^40 (M)When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹ They said to him, ^(N)“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and ^(O)let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, ^(P)“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God ^(R)will be taken away from you and given to a people ^(S)producing its fruits.

The Vineyard of the Lord Destroyed

¹⁶ To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given ^(A)your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is ^(B)a sign of your innocence in the eyes of all^[a] who are with you, and before everyone you are vindicated.”