The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

33 “Listen to another parable: There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, leased it to farmers, and left the country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit. 35 But the farmers took his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned yet another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. But the farmers treated them in the same way. 37 Last of all, he sent them his son, saying, ‘They will have respect for my son.’ 38 But when the farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take possession of his inheritance.’ 39 So they took him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?” 41 They said to him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other farmers who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures,

‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

this was the Lord's doing,

and it is amazing in our eyes’?

43 Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit. 44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was speaking about them. 46 Although they were looking for a way to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded him as a prophet.