1. Then, using this illustration, Jesus spoke to them. He said, “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, made a vat for the winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to vineyard workers and went on a trip.
2. “At the right time he sent a servant to the workers to collect from them a share of the grapes from the vineyard.
3. The workers took the servant, beat him, and sent him back with nothing.
4. So the man sent another servant to them. They hit the servant on the head and treated him shamefully.
5. The man sent another, and they killed that servant. Then he sent many other servants. Some of these they beat, and others they killed.
6. “He had one more person to send. That person was his son, whom he loved. Finally, he sent his son to them. He thought, ‘They will respect my son.’
7. “But those workers said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’
8. So they took him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
9. “What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the workers and give the vineyard to others.
10. Have you never read the Scripture passage:‘The stone that the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone.