Matthew 21:26-36

26 But if we say, ‘From man, ’ ¹we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was ²a prophet. ”

27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know. ” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

The Parable of the Two Sons

28 ³“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in ⁴the vineyard today. ’

29 And he answered, ‘I will not, ’ but afterward he ⁵changed his mind and went.

30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir, ’ but did not go.

31 Which of the two did the will of his father? ”They said, “The first. ” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, ⁶the tax collectors and ⁷the prostitutes go into ⁸the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came to you ⁹in the way of righteousness, and ¹⁰you did not believe him, but ¹¹the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward ¹²change your minds and believe him.

The Parable of the Tenants

33 ¹³“Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted ¹⁴a vineyard ¹⁵and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and ¹⁶leased it to tenants, and ¹⁷went into another country.

34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants^[a] to the tenants ¹⁸to get his fruit.

35 ¹⁹And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and ²⁰stoned another.

36 ²¹Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them.