Then Jesus began to speak to the people in parables, saying, "Hear another parable: There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and put a fence around it, and dug an upper and lower wine-vat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went abroad for a long time. Now when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent a servant to the husbandmen that he might receive from them of the fruits of the vineyard. But the husbandmen took him and beat him and sent him away empty. And again he sent to them another servant, but they beat him, and wounded him on the head, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty. And he sent still a third, and they wounded him also and cast him out and killed him. And so the husbandmen taking his servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent many other servants, more than the first, and they did to them likewise. Now the lord of the vineyard had yet one beloved son. And he said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; perhaps they will reverence him." So he sent him last to them. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they reasoned with one another, saying among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours." And they took him and cast him forth out of the vineyard and killed him. When therefore, the lord of the vineyard shall come, what will he do to those husbandmen?' They say to Him, "He will come and miserably destroy those wicked husbandmen, and will let out the vineyard to other husbandmen who shall render to him the fruits in their seasons." But when some heard it, they said, "May it not be!' But Jesus, looking at them, said to them, "What then is this that is written? Have ye not even read this scripture?

"'A stone which the builders rejected, the same became head of a corner; This was from the Lord, And it is wonderful in our eyes."

"Therefore, I say to you, The kingdom of God shall be taken away from you and given to a people bringing forth the fruit thereof. And he that falleth on this stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall , it will scatter him as chaff."

Now when the scribes and the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that He spake of them. But when, in that very hour, they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they held Him as a prophet.