Book of Common Prayer

¹² When day came, certain of the Jews gathered themselves together and made a vow, saying that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul. ¹³ There were about forty who conspired this together. ¹⁴ And they went to the chief priests and elders and said, We have bound ourselves with a vow that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul. ¹⁵ Now therefore, petition the high captain and the council to bring him forth to us tomorrow, as though we want to better understand something concerning him. But we, before he comes near, are ready meanwhile to kill him.

¹⁶ When the son of Paul’s sister heard of their plan to lie in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul. ¹⁷ And Paul called one of the centurions to him and said, Bring this young man to the high captain, because he has a certain thing to tell him. ¹⁸ And he brought him and said, Paul the prisoner called me to him, and asked me to bring this young man to you, who has a certain matter to tell you of.

¹⁹ The high captain took him by the hand and went apart with him privately, and asked him, What have you to say to me? ²⁰ And he said, The Jews have resolved to ask you to bring forth Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they want to make further enquiries of him. ²¹ But do not go along with them, because there will be more than forty men lying in wait for him, who have bound themselves with a vow that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now they are ready and waiting for your word.

²² The high captain let the young man depart, and instructed him, See you tell no one that you have told these things to me. ²³ And he called to him two centurions, saying, Make ready 200 soldiers to go to Caesarea, and 70 horsemen and 200 spearmen, at the third hour of the night. ²⁴ And provide horses to put Paul on, and bring him safe to Felix, the governor.

²⁷ And they came again to Jerusalem. And as he walked in the temple, there came to him the high priests and the scribes and the elders, ²⁸ and they said to him, By what authority do you do these things? And who gave you this authority, to do these things? ²⁹ Jesus answered and said to them, I will also ask of you a certain thing. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. ³⁰ The baptism of John: was it from heaven, or of men? Answer me.

³¹ They thought in themselves, saying, If we say from heaven, he will say, Why then did you not believe him? ³² But if we say of men, then we fear the people. (For everyone counted John to be a very prophet.) ³³ And they answered and said to Jesus, We don’t know. And Jesus answered and said to them, Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The vineyard is let out. Give to Caesar that which belongs to Caesar. Of the Sadducees and of the doctor of law. Hypocrites must be eschewed. The offering of the poor widow.

12 And he began to speak to them in similitudes: A certain man planted a vineyard, and compassed it about with a hedge, and made a winepress, and built a tower in it. And he let it out on hire to husbandmen, and went into a far country. ² And when the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, in order to receive from the tenants some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³ And they caught him and beat him, and sent him back empty-handed. ⁴ And moreover he sent to them another servant, and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him back utterly reviled. ⁵ And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some.

⁶ He had yet one son, whom he loved tenderly. Him also he sent to them at the last, saying, They will respect my son. ⁷ But the tenants said amongst themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. ⁸ And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹ What then will the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and let out the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you not read this scripture: The stone which the builders refused is made the chief stone in the corner; ¹¹ this was done by the Lord, and is marvellous in our eyes?

¹² And they went about to apprehend him, but they feared the people. For they perceived that he had spoken that similitude against them. And they left him and went their way.