The Parable of the Vineyard Owner
9 Then He began to tell the people this parable: "A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time.
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At 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.
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He sent yet another slave, but they beat that one too, treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.
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And he sent yet a third, but they wounded this one too and threw him out.
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"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I will send my beloved son. Perhaps they will respect him.'
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"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!'
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So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. "Therefore, what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
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He will come and destroy those farmers and give the vineyard to others." But when they heard this they said, "No-never!"
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But He looked at them and said, "Then what is the meaning of this Scripture: The stone that the builders rejected- this has become the cornerstone ?
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Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, and if it falls on anyone, it will grind him to powder!"
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Then the scribes and the chief priests looked for a way to get their hands on Him that very hour, because they knew He had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.