Luke 20:9-18
The Parable of the Tenants
20:9 Then he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time.
20:10 When harvest time came, he sent a slave to the tenants so that they would give him his portion of the crop. However, the tenants beat his slave and sent him away empty-handed.
20:11 So he sent another slave. They beat this one too, treated him outrageously, and sent him away empty-handed.
20:12 So he sent still a third. They even wounded this one, and threw him out.
20:13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What should I do? I will send my one dear son; perhaps they will respect him.’
20:14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir; let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours!’
20:15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
20:16 He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said, “May this never happen!”
20:17 But Jesus looked straight at them and said, “Then what is the meaning of that which is written: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’?
20:18 Everyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”