Matthew 21:33-46 - The Parable Of The Tenant Farmers In The Vineyard

³³ Listen to another parable. A man, who was an employer, once planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a winepress in it, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad. ³⁴ When the time for the vintage drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to receive his share of the produce. ³⁵ But the tenants seized his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. ³⁶ A second time the owner sent some servants, a larger number than before, and the tenants treated them in the same way. ³⁷ As a last resource he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

³⁸ But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other 'Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.' ³⁹ So they seized him, and threw him outside the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰ Now, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

⁴¹ "Miserable wretches!" they exclaimed, "he will put them to a miserable death, and he will let out the vineyard to other tenants, who will pay him his share of the produce at the proper times."

⁴² Then Jesus added: "Have you never read in the Scriptures?-- 'The very stone which the builders despised--Has now itself become the corner-stone; This corner-stone has come from the Lord, And is marvelous in our eyes.'

⁴³ And that, I tell you, is why the Kingdom of God will be taken from you, and given to a nation that does produce the fruit of the Kingdom. ⁴⁴ Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls--it will scatter him as dust."

⁴⁵ After listening to these parables, the Chief Priests and the Pharisees saw that it was about them that he was speaking; ⁴⁶ Yet, although eager to arrest him, they were afraid of the crowds, who regarded him as a Prophet.

¹ And Jesus began to speak to them in parables: "A man once planted a vineyard, put a fence round it, dug a wine-press, built a tower, and then let it out to tenants and went abroad. ² At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants, to receive from them a share of the produce of the vintage; ³ But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty- handed. ⁴ A second time the owner sent a servant to them; this man, too, the tenants struck on the head, and insulted. ⁵ He sent another, but him they killed; and so with many others- -some they beat and some they killed.

⁶ He had still one son, who was very dear to him; and him he sent to them last of all. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

⁷ But those tenants said to one another 'Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and his inheritance will be ours.' ⁸ So they seized him, and killed him, and threw his body outside the vineyard.

⁹ What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and put the tenants to death, and he will let the vineyard to others. ¹⁰ Have you never read this passage of Scripture?--'The very stone which the builders despised has now itself become the corner- stone; ¹¹ This corner-stone has come from the Lord, and is marvelous in our eyes.'"

¹² After this his enemies were eager to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed the parable. So they let him alone, and went away.

⁹ But Jesus began to tell the people this parable-- "A man once planted a vineyard, and then let it out to tenants, and went abroad for a long while. ¹⁰ At the proper time he sent a servant to the tenants, that they should give him a share of the produce of the vineyard. The tenants, however, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹ The owner afterwards sent another servant; but the tenants beat and insulted this man too, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹² He sent a third; but they wounded this man also, and threw him outside.

¹³ 'What shall I do?' said the owner of the vineyard. 'I will send my son, who is very dear to me. Perhaps they will respect him.'

¹⁴ But, on seeing him, the tenants consulted with one another. 'Here is the heir!' they said. 'Let us kill him, and then the inheritance will become ours.' ¹⁵ So they threw him outside the vineyard and killed him. Now what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶ He will come and put those tenants to death, and will let the vineyard to others." "Heaven forbid!" they exclaimed when they heard it.

¹⁷ But Jesus looked at them and said: "What then is the meaning of this passage?-- 'The very stone which the builders despised has now itself become the corner-stone.'

¹⁸ Every one who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls--it will scatter him as dust."

¹⁹ After this the Teachers of the Law and the Chief Priest were eager to lay hands on Jesus then and there, but they were afraid of the people; for they saw that it was at them that he had aimed this parable.