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?
24
Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription does it have?" They answered and said, "Caesar's."
25
And He said to them, "Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's."
26
But they could not catch Him in His words in the presence of the people. And they marveled at His answer and kept silent.