Matthew 21:23-32

231When He entered the temple area, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him 2while He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?” 24But Jesus responded and said to them, “I will also ask you one 3question, which, if you tell Me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John was from what source: from heaven or from men?” And they began considering the implications among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’ 26But if we say, ‘From men,’ we fear the 4people; for they all regard John as 5a prophet.” 27And answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” He also said to them, “Neither am I telling you by what authority I do these things.

28“But what do you think? A man had two 6sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘7Son, go work today in the 8vineyard.’ 29But he replied, ‘I do not want to.’ Yet afterward he regretted it and went. 30And the man came to his second son and said the same thing; and he replied, ‘I will, sir’; and yet he did not go. 31Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that 9the tax collectors and prostitutes 10will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but 11the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even 12have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him.