Matthew 21:18-46 ▼

18 Now in the morning, when returning into the city, he was hungry:

19 and seeing a fig-tree at the road side, he went up to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only: and saith unto it, Let no fruit spring from thee henceforth for ever: and immediately the fig-tree withered entirely away.

20 And when his disciples saw it, they marvelled, saying, How suddenly is the fig-tree withered away!

21 But Jesus addressing them, said, Verily I tell you, if ye have faith, and entertain no doubt, not only shall ye do what is done to the fig-tree, but if ye should even say to this mountain, Be lifted up, and be cast into the sea, it be done.

22 And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

23 And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him, as he was teaching, demanding, By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?

24 Then Jesus answering, said to them, I also will ask you one question, which if ye answer me, then will I tell you by what authority I do these things.

25 The baptism of John whence was it? from heaven, or from men? Hereupon they reasoned among themselves, saying, If we reply, From heaven, he will say to us, Why then did ye not believe him?

26 But if we say, From men, we are afraid of the populace, for they all hold John as a prophet.

27 So they answered Jesus, and said, We cannot tell. Then said he also to them, Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

28 But what think ye? A man had two sons; and coming to the first he said, Son, go work to-day in my vineyard.

29 But he answering said, I will not: yet repenting afterwards, he went.

30 And coming to the other, he spake after the same manner, and he replying, said, I go, sir; yet went not.

31 Which of the two did the will of his father? They say to him, The first. Jesus saith to them, Verily I say unto you, That tax-gatherers and harlots shall go before you into the kingdom of God.

32 For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the tax-gatherers and harlots believed on him. But ye, when ye saw it, repented not afterwards, that ye should believe on him.

33 Hear another parable: There was a certain man, the master of a family, who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and hired it out to husbandmen, and went into a distant country.

34 But when the season for fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen to receive his fruits.

35 And the husbandmen took his servants, one they beat, and another they killed, and a third they stoned.

36 Again he sent other servants more than the first, and they treated them in the same manner.

37 Then at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son.

38 But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come let us kill him, and let us seize on the inheritance.

39 And they took him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him.

40 When therefore the master of the vineyard cometh, what will he do with these husbandmen?

41 They say unto him, He will dreadfully destroy those wicked wretches, and will let out his vineyard to other husbandmen, who will render him the fruits in their seasons.

42 Jesus saith unto them, Have ye not read in the Scriptures, ?The stone, which the builders rejected; the same is become the head of the corner; this is done by the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes.?

43 Therefore I tell you, That the kingdom of God shall be taken away from you, and given to a nation, producing the fruits thereof.

44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken in pieces, but on whomsoever it shall fall, it shall grind him to powder.

45 And when the chief priests and Pharisees heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking concerning them.

46 And they sought to apprehend him; but were afraid of the people, for they held him as a prophet.