1. Then he began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
2. At harvest time he sent a slave to the tenants to collect from them his portion of the crop.
3. But those tenants seized his slave, beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.
4. So he sent another slave to them again. This one they struck on the head and treated outrageously.
5. He sent another, and that one they killed. This happened to many others, some of whom were beaten, others killed.
6. He had one left, his one dear son. Finally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
7. But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!’
8. So they seized him, killed him, and threw his body out of the vineyard.
9. What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.