Mark 12:1-7

1 Then Jesus started telling them stories. "A man planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, erected a watchtower, turned it over to the farmhands, and went off on a trip.

2 At the time for harvest, he sent a servant back to the farmhands to collect his profits.

3 "They grabbed him, beat him up, and sent him off empty-handed.

4 So he sent another servant. That one they tarred and feathered.

5 He sent another and that one they killed. And on and on, many others. Some they beat up, some they killed.

6 "Finally there was only one left: a beloved son. In a last-ditch effort, he sent him, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.'

7 "But those farmhands saw their chance. They rubbed their hands together in greed and said, 'This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.'