33 “Listen to another parable: A landowner planted a vineyard and fenced it, and he carved a wine-pressing pit into it and built a watchtower.[ref] Then he rented it out to tenant farmers and moved away. 34 At harvest time, he sent some of his slaves to the tenant farmers to bring back his share of the harvest. 35 However, the tenants grabbed his slaves and beat them. They killed some and threw rocks at others. 36 So the owner sent a larger group of slaves, but the tenants did the same things to them.

37 “Next, he sent his son, because he thought his son would have influence over them. 38 But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they thought, ‘Hey, this is the heir of the estate. If we kill him, then the inheritance will be ours.’ 39 So they grabbed the son, dragged him out of the vineyard, and killed him there outside.

40 “Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what do you think he’ll do to those tenant farmers?”

41 “He’ll brutally destroy those wicked tenants,” they answered, “then he’ll rent the vineyard out to other tenant farmers, who’ll give him his share of the harvest.”

42 Then Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) said to them, “Haven’t you ever read this in the scriptures? It says:

‘The stone which the builders rejected,

this would become the cornerstone.

This one came from Yahweh,

and it was amazing to see.’[ref]

43 “Because of that, I’m telling you that God’s kingdom will be taken away from you people, and be given to a people group who’ll produce a harvest. 44 Anyone who falls down onto this stone will be shattered,[ref] and anyone this stone falls on will be totally pulverised.”[ref]

45 When the chief priests and the Farisaios heard those parables, they knew he was talking about them. 46 They attempted to arrest him, but couldn’t, because they knew the crowds believed him to be a prophet from God.

12 Then he started telling them some parables: “A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it, dug out a wine-pressing pit, and built a security tower.[ref] Then he rented it out and went off travelling. 2 At harvest time, he sent a slave to go to the tenant farmers and get his percentage of the harvest. 3 But the tenants grabbed the slave and beat him up, then sent him back empty-handed. 4 The owner sent a second slave, but they insulted that one and struck him on the head. 5 So the owner sent a third slave and they murdered him. He sent many other slaves—some they just beat up and others they murdered. 6 But the owner still had his one, dearly loved son, so finally he sent him to go, thinking that they would now be convinced because it was his son. 7 However, those tenant farmers said to each other, ‘Ah ha. This is the one who will inherit this land. If we kill him, we’ll be the ones to control the estate.’ 8 So they took him and killed him, and threw the body outside the vineyard fence.

9 “Now, what do you think the vineyard owner will do? Yes, he’ll come and eliminate those evil tenants, and give the contract to others. 10 Haven’t you all read this in the scriptures:

‘the stone that the builders rejected

became the important cornerstone

11 that was given by Yahweh,

and we think it’s incredible.’?”[ref]

12 Then those leaders tried to arrest him because they knew that it was them that the parable was addressed at, but they couldn’t do it because Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) had the favour of the crowd, so they just left the area.

9 Then Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) started telling this parable to the people: “Once a man planted a vineyard[ref] and rented it out to tenant farmers before heading off on his trips. 10 At the appropriate time of the year, he sent a slave to the tenants to collect his percentage of the profits, but they beat up the slave and sent him back empty-handed. 11 So he sent another slave, but they also beat that one and dishonoured him, then sent him back empty-handed. 12 So the man sent a third slave, and they also wounded this one and threw him off the property. 13 So the master of the vineyard asked himself, ‘What will I do now? Ah, I’ll send my dear son—perhaps they’ll be swayed by him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw the son, they reasoned among themselves, ‘This is the heir. If we kill him, then his inheritance will become ours.’ 15 So they threw him off the property and killed him.

So then, what will the master of the vineyard do to them? 16 He’ll go to the vineyard and destroy those tenant farmers, and will lease the vineyard out to others.”

The people listening looked at Yeshua and said, “Surely that could never happen.”

17 But he looked them in the eyes and asked, “Then what is this statement that was written in the scriptures?

‘The stone which the builders rejected,

that one became the most important stone.’[ref]

18 Everyone who falls onto that stone will be shattered,[ref] and anyone who that stone falls on will be pulverised.”[ref]

19 Then because the religious teachers and the chief priests knew that Yeshua (Jesus; Grk. Yesus) had used that parable to speak about them, they tried at the time to capture him, but couldn’t, because they were afraid of the number of people around.