Luke 20:9-18

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

9 1And he began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted 2a vineyard and 3let it out to tenants and 4went into another country for a long while.
10 When the time came, he sent a servant[a] to the tenants, so that 5they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. 6But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11 7And 8he sent another servant. But they also beat and 9treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
12 10And he sent yet a third. This one also they wounded and cast out.
13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my 11beloved son; perhaps they will respect him.'
14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, 12'This is the heir. 13Let us kill him, so that the inheritance may be ours.'
15 And they 14threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16 15He will 16come and destroy those tenants and 17give the vineyard to others." When they heard this, they said, "Surely not!"
17 But he 18looked directly at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 19"'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone'?[b]
18 20Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and when it falls 21on anyone, it will crush him."

Cross References 21

  • 1. For ver. 9-19, see Matthew 21:33-46; Mark 12:1-12
  • 2. Psalms 80:8; Isaiah 5:1; Matthew 21:28
  • 3. Song of Songs 8:11, 12
  • 4. Matthew 25:14, 15; [Mark 13:34]
  • 5. [See ver. 9 above]
  • 6. Matthew 5:12; Matthew 22:6; Matthew 23:34, 37; [2 Chronicles 24:19; 2 Chronicles 36:15, 16; Nehemiah 9:26; Jeremiah 37:15; Jeremiah 38:6; Acts 7:52; 2 Corinthians 11:24-26; 1 Thessalonians 2:15; Hebrews 11:36, 37]
  • 7. Matthew 22:4
  • 8. [See ver. 10 above]
  • 9. Acts 5:41(Gk.)
  • 10. [See ver. 10 above]
  • 11. See Matthew 3:17
  • 12. Hebrews 1:2; [John 1:11; Romans 8:17]
  • 13. [1 Kings 21:19]
  • 14. Hebrews 13:12
  • 15. [Luke 19:27]
  • 16. [Matthew 24:50; Matthew 25:19]
  • 17. Matthew 21:43; Acts 13:46; Acts 18:6; Acts 28:28; [Matthew 8:11, 12]
  • 18. See Mark 10:21
  • 19. Acts 4:11; 1 Peter 2:7; Cited from Psalms 118:22
  • 20. Isaiah 8:14, 15; Romans 9:32, 33; 1 Peter 2:8
  • 21. Dan. 2:34, 35, 44, 45

Footnotes 2

  • [a]. Greek bondservant; also verse 11
  • [b]. Greek the head of the corner
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.