Matthew 21:33-46

The Parable of the Vineyard Owner

33 "Listen to another parable: There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. ^[a] He leased it to tenant farmers and went away.

34 When the grape harvest ^[b] drew near, he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit.

35 But the farmers took his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

36 Again, he sent other slaves, more than the first group, and they did the same to them.

37 Finally, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

38 "But when the tenant farmers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance!'

39 So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those farmers?"

41 "He will completely destroy those terrible men," they told Him, "and lease his vineyard to other farmers who will give him his produce at the harvest."^[c]

42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. ^[d] This came from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes ? ^{[e] [f]}

43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing its ^[g] fruit. [

44 Whoever falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder!"] ^{[h] [i]}

45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew He was speaking about them.

46 Although they were looking for a way to arrest Him, they feared the crowds, because they^[j] regarded Him as a prophet.

Footnotes

• [a]. Isaiah 5:1-2
• [b]. Lit the season of fruits
• [c]. Lit him the fruits in their seasons
• [d]. Lit the head of the corner
• [e]. 1 Pt 2:7
• [f]. Ps 118:22-23
• [g]. The word its refers back to kingdom.
• [h]. Other mss omit this v.
• [i]. Dn 2:34-35,44
• [j]. The crowds