The Parable of the Tenant Farmers in the Vineyard

9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man[fn] planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time. 10 And at the proper time he sent a slave to the tenant farmers, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenant farmers sent him away empty-handed after[fn] beating him.[fn] 11 And he proceeded to send another slave, but they beat and dishonored that one also, and[fn] sent him[fn] away empty-handed. 12 And he proceeded to send a third, but they wounded and[fn] threw out this one also. 13 So the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.’ 14 But when[fn] the tenant farmers saw him, they began to reason[fn] with one another, saying, ‘This is the heir. Let us kill him so that the inheritance will become ours!’ 15 And they threw him out of the vineyard and[fn] killed him.[fn] What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenant farmers and give the vineyard to others.” And when they[fn] heard this,[fn] they said, “May this never happen!” 17 But he looked intently at them and[fn] said, “What then is this that is written:

• ‘The stone which the builders rejected,
  • this has become the cornerstone .’[fn]
  
  

18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls—it will crush him!” 19 And the scribes and the chief priests sought to lay their[fn] hands on him at that same hour, and they were afraid of the people, for they knew that he had told this parable with reference to them.