Matthew 21:28-46

28“But what do you think? A man had two 1sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘2Son, go work today in the 3vineyard.’ 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 4the tax collectors and prostitutes 5will 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 6the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even 7have second thoughts afterward so as to believe him.

33“Listen to another parable. 8There was a 9landowner who 10planted a 11vineyard and put a 12fence around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and he leased it to 13vine-growers and 14went on a journey. 34And when the 15harvest time approached, he 16sent his slaves to the vine-growers to receive his fruit. 35And the vine-growers took his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he 17sent other slaves, more than the first; and they did the same things to them. 37But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let’s kill him and take possession of his inheritance!’ 39And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40Therefore, when the 18owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?” 41They said to Him, “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and 19lease the vineyard to other vine-growers, who will pay him the fruit in the proper seasons.”

42Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, ‘20A stone which the builders rejected, This has become the 21chief cornerstone; This came about from the Lord, And it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a 22people producing its fruit. 44And 23the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and on whomever it falls, it will crush him.”

45When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them. 46And although they sought to arrest Him, they 24feared the crowds, since they considered Him to be a 25prophet.