1. One day Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courtyard. He was preaching the good news to them. The chief priests and the teachers of the law came up to him. The elders came with them.
2. "Tell us by what authority you are doing these things," they all said. "Who gave you this authority?"
3. Jesus replied, "I will also ask you a question. Tell me,
4. was John's baptism from heaven? Or did it come from men?"
5. They talked to each other about it. They said, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will ask, 'Why didn't you believe him?'
6. But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will throw stones at us and kill us. They believe that John was a prophet."
7. So they answered Jesus, "We don't know where John's baptism came from."
8. Jesus said, "Then I won't tell you by what authority I am doing these things either."
9. Jesus went on to tell the people a story. "A man planted a vineyard," he said. "He rented it out to some farmers. Then he went away for a long time.
10. "At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the renters beat the servant. Then they sent him away with nothing.
11. So the man sent another servant. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing.
12. The man sent a third servant. The renters wounded him and threw him out.
13. "Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.'
14. "But when the renters saw the son, they talked the matter over. 'This is the one who will receive all the owner's property someday,' they said. 'Let's kill him. Then everything will be ours.'