Luke 20:9–19

A Story about a Vineyard—Matthew 21:33–46; Mark 12:1–12

⁹Then, using this illustration, Jesus spoke to the people: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to vineyard workers, and went on a long trip. 

¹⁰“At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to obtain from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard. But the workers beat the servant and sent him back with nothing. ¹¹So he sent a different servant. The workers beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him back with nothing. ¹²Then he sent a third servant. But they injured this one and threw him out ⸤of the vineyard⸥. 

¹³“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I’ll send my son, whom I love. They’ll probably respect him.’ 

¹⁴“When the workers saw him, they talked it over among themselves. They said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him so that the inheritance will be ours.’ ¹⁵So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 

“What will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will destroy these workers and give the vineyard to others.” 

Those who heard him said, “That’s unthinkable!” 

¹⁷Then Jesus looked straight at them and asked, “What, then, does this Scripture verse mean: 

‘The stone that the builders rejected 

has become the cornerstone’? 

¹⁸Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken. If that stone falls on anyone, it will crush that person.” 

¹⁹The experts in Moses’ Teachings and the chief priests wanted to arrest him right there, but they were afraid of the people. They knew that he had directed this illustration at them.