Luke 20:1-12 ▼

1 One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard and telling them the Good News. The chief priests, scribes, and leaders came up to him.

2 They asked him, |Tell us, what gives you the right to do these things? Who told you that you could do this?|

3 Jesus answered them, |I, too, have a question for you. Tell me,

4 did John's right to baptize come from heaven or from humans?|

5 They talked about this among themselves. They said, |If we say, 'from heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?'

6 But if we say, 'from humans,' everyone will stone us to death. They're convinced that John was a prophet.|

7 So they answered that they didn't know who gave John the right to baptize.

8 Jesus told them, |Then I won't tell you why I have the right to do these things.|

9 Then, using this illustration, Jesus spoke to the people: |A man planted a vineyard, leased it to vineyard workers, and went on a long trip.

10 |At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to obtain from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard. But the workers beat the servant and sent him back with nothing.

11 So he sent a different servant. The workers beat him, treated him shamefully, and sent him back with nothing.

12 Then he sent a third servant. But they injured this one and threw him out [of the vineyard].