Mark 12:1-9

1Then Jesus began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a wine vat, and built a watchtower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey.

2At harvest time, he sent a servant to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. 3But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

4Then he sent them another servant, and they struck him over the head and treated him shamefully.

5He sent still another, and this one they killed.

He sent many others; some they beat and others they killed.

6Finally, having one beloved son, he sent him to them. ‘They will respect my son,’ he said.

7But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8So they seized the son, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

9What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.