1. On one of the days while Yeshua was teaching the people in the Temple and proclaiming the Good News, the ruling kohanim and the Torah scholars, together with the elders, confronted Him.
2. And they spoke, saying to Him, “Tell us by what authority are You doing these things? Or who is the one who gave You this authority?”
3. But answering, Yeshua said to them, “I also will ask you a question, and you tell Me:
4. the immersion of John—was it from heaven or from men?”
5. They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’
6. But if we say, ‘From men,’ then all the people will stone us, because they are convinced that John is a prophet.”
7. So they answered that they didn’t know where it came from.
8. And Yeshua said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
9. Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went on a journey for a long time.
10. And at the season, he sent a servant to the tenants so that they would give him part of the vineyard’s fruit. But the tenants beat him up and sent him away empty-handed.
11. So he proceeded to send another servant. They beat him too and treated him shamefully, and they sent him away empty-handed.
12. And he proceeded to send a third one. They wounded this one too, and they threw him out.
13. “Now the master of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love. Probably they will show him respect.’
14. But when the tenants saw him, they discussed the matter among themselves, saying, ‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him so the inheritance will be ours.’
15. So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the master of the vineyard do to them?
16. He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” But when they heard this, they said, “May it never happen!”
17. Then Yeshua looked right at them and said, “Then what is this that has been written, ‘The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the chief cornerstone’?
18. Everyone who falls on that stone will be shattered; but the one upon whom it falls, it will crush him.”
19. The Torah scholars and the ruling kohanim tried to grab Him that very hour, because they realized that He spoke this parable against them—but they feared the people.