13
Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. Probably they will respect him when they see him.'
14
But when the vinedressers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'
15
So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do to them?
16
He will come and destroy those vinedressers and give the vineyard to others." And when they heard it they said, "Certainly not!"
17
Then He looked at them and said, "What then is this that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone'?
18
"Whoever falls on that stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
19
And the chief priests and the scribes that very hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people--for they knew He had spoken this parable against them.
20
So they watched Him, and sent spies who pretended to be righteous, that they might seize on His words, in order to deliver Him to the power and the authority of the governor.
21
Then they asked Him, saying, "Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth:
22
Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?"
23
But He perceived their craftiness, and said to them, "Why do you test Me?