Matthew 21:33-46
The Parable of the Tenants
33 a“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted ba vineyard cand put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and dleased it to tenants, and ewent into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants ato get his fruit. 35 aAnd the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and bstoned another. 36 aAgain 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, a‘This is the heir. Come, blet us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and athrew him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 aWhen therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, a“He will put those wretches to a miserable death and blet out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.”
42 Jesus said to them, a“Have you never read in the Scriptures:
b“‘The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this was the Lord’s doing,
and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God awill be taken away from you and given to a people bproducing its fruits. 44 And athe one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and bwhen it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”
45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And aalthough they were seeking to arrest him, bthey feared the crowds, because they held him to be ca prophet. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway,
a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.