Book of Common Prayer

¹³ Was then that which is good, made death to me? God forbid. No, sin was death to me, so that it could appear how sin, by the means of that which is good, had wrought death in me; so that sin which is under the commandment might be out of measure sinful. ¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual. But I am carnal, sold under sin, ¹⁵ inasmuch as I know not what I do. For what I would, I do not, but what I hate, that I do. ¹⁶ If I would rather not do that which I do, I grant to the law that it is good. ¹⁷ So then now it is not I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. ¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is to say, in my flesh) dwells no good thing. To will is present with me, but I find no means to perform that which is good. ¹⁹ For I do not that good thing which I would, but I do the evil that I would not. ²⁰ Finally, if I do what I do not want, then it is not I who do it, but sin that dwells in me does it.

²¹ I find then by the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. ²² I delight in the law of God as far as the inner man is concerned, ²³ but I see another law in my members, rebelling against the law of my mind, and subduing me to the law of sin that is in my members. ²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death? ²⁵ I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, I myself in my mind serve the law of God, and in my flesh the law of sin.

³³ Hear another similitude: There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard. He hedged it round about and made a winepress in it, and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. ³⁴ And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive the fruits of it. ³⁵ And the husbandmen caught his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again he sent other servants, more than at the first, and they treated them likewise. ³⁷ Then last of all he sent to them his own son, saying, They will respect my son. ³⁸ But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us take his inheritance for ourselves. ³⁹ And they caught him and thrust him out of the vineyard, and slew him. ⁴⁰ Now when the lord of the vineyard comes, what will he do with those husbandmen?

⁴¹ They said to him, He will miserably destroy those evil persons, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen who will render to him the fruit in their seasons.

⁴² Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders refused, the same is set in the principal part of the corner; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? ⁴³ Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and will be given to the Gentiles, who will bring forth the fruits of it. ⁴⁴ And whosoever falls on this stone, he shall be broken; but whomever it falls upon, it will grind him to powder.

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and Pharisees heard these similitudes, they perceived that he was speaking of them. ⁴⁶ And they went about to lay hands on him, but they feared the people because they took him as a prophet.