Matthew 21:23–46

²³And when he was come into the temple, there came to him, as he was teaching, the chief priests and ancients of the people, saying: By what authority dost thou these things? And who hath given thee this authority?

²⁴Jesus answering, said to them: I also will ask you one word, which if you shall tell me, I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁵The baptism of John, whence was it? From heaven or from men? But they thought within themselves, saying:

²⁶If we shall say, from heaven, he will say to us: Why then did you not believe him? But if we shall say, from men, we are afraid of the multitude: for all held John as a prophet.

²⁷And answering Jesus, they said: We know not. He also said to them: Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁸But what think you? A certain man had two sons: and coming to the first, he said: Son, go work to day in my vineyard.

²⁹And he answering, said: I will not. But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went.

³⁰And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering said: I go, Sir. And he went not.

³¹Which of the two did the father’s will? They say to him: The first. Jesus saith to them: Amen I say to you that the publicans and the harlots shall go into the kingdom of God before you.

³²For John came to you in the way of justice: and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you, seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.

³³Hear ye another parable. There was a man, an householder, who planted a vineyard and made a hedge round about it and dug in it a press and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went into a strange country.

³⁴And when the time of the fruits drew nigh, he sent his servants to the husbandmen that they might receive the fruits thereof.

³⁵And the husbandmen laying hands on his servants, beat one and killed another and stoned another.

³⁶Again he sent other servants, more than the former; and they did to them in like manner.

³⁷And last of all he sent to them his son, saying: They will reverence my son.

³⁸But the husbandmen seeing the son, said among themselves: This is the heir: come, let us kill him, and we shall have his inheritance.

³⁹And taking him, they cast him forth out of the vineyard and killed him.

⁴⁰When therefore the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?

⁴¹They say to him: He will bring those evil men to an evil end and let out his vineyard to other husbandmen that shall render him the fruit in due season.

⁴²Jesus saith to them: Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner? By the Lord this has been done; and it is wonderful in our eyes.

⁴³Therefore I say to you that the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and shall be given to a nation yielding the fruits thereof.

⁴⁴And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.

⁴⁵And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he spoke of them.

⁴⁶And seeking to lay hands on him, they feared the multitudes, because they held him as a prophet.