Matthew:21:23-44
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Now when He came into the temple ,
the chief priests and the elders of the people confronted Him as He was teaching ,
and said , "
By what authority are You doing these things ?
And who gave You this authority ?"
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But Jesus answered and said to them , "
I also will ask you one thing ,
which if you tell Me ,
I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things :
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The baptism of John--where 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 ?'
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But if we say , "
From men ,'
we fear the multitude ,
for all count John as a prophet ."
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So they answered Jesus and said , "
We do not know ."
And He said to them , "
Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things .
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But what do you think ?
A man had two sons ,
and he came to the first and said , "
Son ,
go ,
work today in my vineyard .'
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He answered and said , "
I will not ,'
but afterward he regretted it and went .
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Then he came to the second and said likewise .
And he answered and said , "
I go ,
sir ,'
but he did not go .
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Which of the two did the will of his father ?"
They said to Him , "
The first ."
Jesus said to them , "
Assuredly ,
I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you .
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For John came to you in the way of righteousness ,
and you did not believe him ;
but tax collectors and harlots believed him ;
and when you saw it ,
you did not afterward relent and believe him .
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Hear another parable :
There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it ,
dug a winepress in it and built a tower .
And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country .
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Now when vintage-time drew near ,
he sent his servants to the vinedressers ,
that they might receive its fruit .
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And the vinedressers took his servants ,
beat one ,
killed one ,
and stoned another .
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Again he sent other servants ,
more than the first ,
and they did likewise to them .
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Then last of all he sent his son to them ,
saying , "
They will respect my son .'
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But when the vinedressers saw the son ,
they said among themselves , "
This is the heir .
Come ,
let us kill him and seize his inheritance .'
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So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him .
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Therefore ,
when the owner of the vineyard comes ,
what will he do to those vinedressers ?"
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They said to Him , "
He will destroy those wicked men miserably ,
and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons ."
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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 '?
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Therefore I say to you ,
the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it .
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And whoever falls on this stone will be broken ;
but on whomever it falls ,
it will grind him to powder ."
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