Matthew 21:18-46

18 Now in the morning as he was returning into the city, he was hungry.

19 And when he saw a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, and found nothing on it, but leaves only, and said to it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth for ever. And immediately the fig-tree withered.

20 And when the disciples saw [it], they marveled, saying, How soon is the fig-tree withered!

21 Jesus answered and said to them, Verily I say to you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig-tree, but also, if ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

22 And all things whatever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

23 And when he had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things; and who gave thee this authority?

24 And Jesus answered and said to them, I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell me, I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.

25 The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven, or from men? And they reasoned with themselves, saying, if we shall say, From heaven; he will say to us, Why then did ye not believe him?

26 But if we shall say, From men; we fear the people: for all hold John as a prophet.

27 And they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. And he said to them, Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things.

28 But what think ye? A [certain] man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go, work to-day in my vineyard.

29 He answered and said, I will not; but afterward he repented, and went.

30 And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I [go], sir: and went not.

31 Which of the two did the will of [his] father? They say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Verily I say to you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.

32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen [it], repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

33 Hear another parable; There was a certain householder, who planted a vineyard, and hedged it around, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a remote country:

34 And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

35 And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another.

36 Again he sent other servants more than the first: and they did to them in like manner.

37 But last of all he sent to them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

38 But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

39 And they caught him, and cast [him] out of the vineyard, and slew [him].

40 When therefore the Lord of the vineyard cometh, what will he do to those husbandmen?

41 They say to him, He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out [his] vineyard to other husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.

42 Jesus saith to them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?

43 Therefore I say to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits of it.

44 And whoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spoke of them.

46 But when they sought to lay hands on him, they feared the multitude, because they took him for a prophet.