The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

(Matthew 21:33–46, Luke 20:9–18)

12 Then [Jesus] began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall {around it}, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to [some] tenants and went away on a journey.

2 At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect [his share] of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 But they seized [the servant], beat [him], and sent [him] away empty-handed.

4 Then he sent them another servant, and they struck {him} over the head and treated [him] shamefully.

5 He sent still another, and this one they killed. [He sent] many others; some they beat and [others] they killed.

6 Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said

7 But [the] tenants said to one another ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 So they seized [the son], killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9 What then {will} the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill [those] tenants and give the vineyard to others.

10 Have you never read this Scripture: ‘[The] stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

11 This is from [the] Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’[fn]?”

12 At this, [the leaders] sought[fn] to arrest [Jesus], for they knew that He had spoken [this] parable against them. But fearing the crowd, they left Him [and] went away.