Matthew 21:28-22:14

American Standard Version

²⁸ But what think ye? A man had two ^[a]sons; and he came to the first, and said, ^[b]Son, go work to-day in the vineyard. ²⁹ And he answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented himself, and went. ³⁰ And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his father? They say, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, that the ^[c]publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. ³² For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the ^[d]publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye saw it, did not even repent yourselves afterward, that ye might believe him.

³³ Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country. ³⁴ And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his ^[e]servants to the husbandmen, to receive ^[f]his fruits. ³⁵ And the husbandmen took his ^[g]servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. ³⁶ Again, he sent other ^[h]servants more than the first: and they did unto them in like manner. ³⁷ But afterward he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. ³⁸ But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and take his inheritance. ³⁹ And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him. ⁴⁰ When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do unto those husbandmen? ⁴¹ They say unto him, He will miserably destroy those miserable men, and will let out the vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons. ⁴² Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures,

⁴³ Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and shall be given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. ^44 [j]And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken to pieces: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will scatter him as dust. ⁴⁵ And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. ⁴⁶ And when they sought to lay hold on him, they feared the multitudes, because they took him for a prophet.

22 And Jesus answered and spake again in parables unto them, saying, ² The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a certain king, who made a marriage feast for his son, ³ and sent forth his ^[k]servants to call them that were bidden to the marriage feast: and they would not come. ⁴ Again he sent forth other ^[l]servants, saying, Tell them that are bidden, Behold, I have made ready my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come to the marriage feast. ⁵ But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his merchandise; ⁶ and the rest laid hold on his ^[m]servants, and treated them shamefully, and killed them. ⁷ But the king was wroth; and he sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. ⁸ Then saith he to his ^[n]servants, The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy. ⁹ Go ye therefore unto the partings of the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage feast. ¹⁰ And those ^[o]servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was filled with guests. ¹¹ But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment: ¹² and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to the ^[p]servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. ¹⁴ For many are called, but few chosen.