Matthew 21:33-46

The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

33 Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a tower. Then he rented it out to some tenants and went away on a journey. ¹

34 When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the fruit.

35 But the tenants seized his servants. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

36 Again, he sent other servants, more than the first group. But the tenants did the same to them.

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

38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us 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 returns, what will he do to those tenants?”

41 “He will bring those wretches to a wretched end,” they replied, “and will rent out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his share of the fruit at harvest time.”

42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’ ^[a]?

43 Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

44 He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed. ^[b]”

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

46 Although they wanted to arrest Him, they were afraid of the crowds, because the people regarded Him as a prophet.

Cross References

• 1. (Mark 12:1–12; Luke 20:9–18)

Footnotes

• [a] Psalms 118:22–23
• [b] Tischendorf and some early manuscripts do not include verse 44; see also Luke 20:18.