Common(i)
23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?"
24 Jesus answered them, "I also will ask you one question; and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25 The baptism of Johnwhere was it from? From heaven or from men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say to us, 'Why then did you not believe him?'
26 But if we say, 'From men,' we are afraid of the multitude; for all hold that John was a prophet."
27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know." And he said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28 "What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work in the vineyard today.'
29 He answered, 'I will not,' but afterward he regretted it and went.
30 Then he went to the second and said the same thing. And he answered, 'I go, sir,' but he did not go.
31 Which of the two did the will of his father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you.
32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the harlots believed him; and even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
33 "Hear another parable: there was a landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it and built a tower. And he leased it to vine dressers and went into a far country.
34 When the harvest time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit.
35 And the tenants took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.
36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did the same to them.
37 Last of all, he sent his son to them saying, 'They will respect my son,'
38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'
39 So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.
40 Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"
41 They said to him, "He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons."
42 Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone; this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?
43 "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.
44 [And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."]