1. One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up
2. and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.”
3. He answered them, “I also will ask you a question. Now tell me,
4. was the baptism of John from heaven or from man?”
5. And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
6. But if we say, ‘From man,’ all the people will stone us to death, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
7. So they answered that they did not know where it came from.
8. And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
9. And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard and let it out to tenants and went into another country for a long while.
10. When the time came, he sent a servantto the tenants, so that they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11. And he sent another servant. But they also beat and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed.