Matthew 21:33-46

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Tenants

^33 (A)“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted ^(B)a vineyard ^(C)and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and ^(D)leased it to tenants, and ^(E)went into another country. ³⁴ When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants^[a] to the tenants ^(F)to get his fruit. ^35 (G)And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and ^(H)stoned another. ^36 (I)Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. ³⁷ Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ³⁸ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ^(J)‘This is the heir. Come, ^(K)let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ ³⁹ And they took him and ^(L)threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. ^40 (M)When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” ⁴¹ They said to him, ^(N)“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and ^(O)let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”

⁴² Jesus said to them, ^(P)“Have you never read in the Scriptures:

⁴³ Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God ^(R)will be taken away from you and given to a people ^(S)producing its fruits. ⁴⁴ And ^(T)the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and ^(U)when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”^[c]

⁴⁵ When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. ⁴⁶ And ^(V)although they were seeking to arrest him, ^(W)they feared the crowds, because they held him to be ^(X)a prophet.