23 lAnd when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, mBy what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority? 24 And Jesus answered and said unto them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I in like wise will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or of men? And they mreasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say unto us, Why did ye not then believe him? 26 But if we shall say, Of men; nwe fear the people; for all hold John as oa prophet. 27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said unto them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things. 28 pBut what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day qin my vineyard. 29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he rrepented, and went. 30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. 31 Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the spublicans and the tharlots go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came unto you uin the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the xpublicans and the harlots xbelieved him: and ye, when ye had seen it, qrepented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

33 Hear another parable: yThere was a certain householder, which planted za vineyard, and ahedged it round about, and adigged a winepress in it, and abuilt a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and bwent into a far country: 34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, cthat they might receive the fruits of it. 35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and dbeat one, and ekilled another, and fstoned another. 36 Again, he sent gother servants more than the first: and they did unto them likewise. 37 But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, They will hreverence my son. 38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is ithe heir; come, jlet us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. 39 kAnd they caught him, and cast him lout of the vineyard, and slew him. 40 When the lord therefore of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen? 41 They say unto him, mHe will miserably destroy those wicked men, nand will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, which shall render him the fruits in their seasons. 42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, oThe 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? 43 Therefore say I unto you, pThe kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. 44 And whosoever qshall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, rit will grind him to powder. 45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them. 46 But swhen they sought to lay hands on him, tthey feared the multitude, because they took him for ua prophet.