Luke 20:9–19

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

⁹Then ^dHe began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, ^eleased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time. ¹⁰At harvest time he sent a ^•slave to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ¹¹He sent yet another slave, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. ¹²And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.

¹³“Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my beloved ^fson. Perhaps ^gthey will respect him.’

¹⁴“But when the tenant farmers saw him, they discussed it among themselves and said, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, so the inheritance will be ours!’ ^h15So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

“Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them? ¹⁶He will come and destroy ⁱthose farmers and give the vineyard to others.”

But when they heard this they said, “No—never!” ^j

¹⁷But He looked at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of this Scripture: ^kl

The stone that the builders rejected—

this has become the cornerstone? ^mno

¹⁸Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and if it falls on anyone, it will grind him to powder!” ^p

¹⁹Then the scribes and the chief priests ^qlooked for a way to get their hands on Him ^rthat very hour, because they knew He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people. ^s