1. On one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the Good News, the priests and scribes came to him with the elders.
2. They asked him, “Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?”
3. He answered them, “I also will ask you one question. Tell me:
4. the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?”
5. They reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’
6. But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”
7. They answered that they didn’t know where it was from.
8. Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
9. He began to tell the people this parable. “A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.
10. At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.
11. He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.
12. He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out.
13. The lord of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.’
14. “But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’