Matthew 21:23-46

23And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24And Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25The baptism of John, where was it from? from heaven, or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say to us, Why then did ye not believe him? 26But if we shall say, From men; we fear the people; for all hold John as a prophet. 27And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

28But what think ye? A certainman had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. 29He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. 30And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31Which of the two did the will of his father? They say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Verily I say to you, That the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

33Hear another parable: There was a certain householder, who planted a vineyard, and hedged around it, and dug a winepress in it, and built a tower, and let it out to vinedressers, and went into a far country: 34And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruits. 35And the vinedressers took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. 36Again, he sent other servants more than the first: and they did to them in like manner. 37But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. 38But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39And they caught him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him . 40When therefore the lord of the vineyard cometh, what will he do to those vinedressers? 41They say to him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard to other vinedressers, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42Jesus saith to them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore I say to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits of it. 44And whoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. 45And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them. 46But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they regarded him as a prophet.