1 And he began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it and dug a place for the winefat and built a tower and let it out to husbandmen and went far away. 2 And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a slave that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And taking him, they beat him and sent him away empty. 4 And again he sent unto them another slave, and casting stones at him, they wounded him in the head and sent him away shamefully handled. 5 And again he sent another, and him they killed and many others, beating some and killing some. 6 Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, They will reverence my son. 7 But those husbandmen said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the place shall be ours. 8 And taking hold of him, they killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What, therefore, shall the lord of the vineyard do? He shall come and destroy those husbandmen and shall give his vineyard unto others.
10 And have ye not read this scripture: The stone which the builders rejected is placed as the head of the corner; 11 This was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?
12 And they sought to lay hold on him but feared the multitude, for they understood that he had spoken the parable against them, and leaving him, they went away.