1. One day as he was teaching the people in the temple area and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and scribes, together with the elders, approached him
2. and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Or who is the one who gave you this authority?”
3. He said to them in reply, “I shall ask you a question. Tell me,
4. was John’s baptism of heavenly or of human origin?”
5. They discussed this among themselves, and said, “If we say, ‘Of heavenly origin,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’
6. But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ then all the people will stone us, for they are convinced that John was a prophet.”
7. So they answered that they did not know from where it came.
8. Then Jesus said to them, “Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
9. Then he proceeded to tell the people this parable. “[A] man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and then went on a journey for a long time.
10. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenant farmers to receive some of the produce of the vineyard. But they beat the servant and sent him away empty-handed.
11. So he proceeded to send another servant, but him also they beat and insulted and sent away empty-handed.
12. Then he proceeded to send a third, but this one too they wounded and threw out.
13. The owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I shall send my beloved son; maybe they will respect him.’