Gospel according to Luke

He entered into the temple, and began to drive out those who bought and sold in it,

saying to them, "It is written, 'My house is a house of prayer,' but you have made it a 'den of robbers'!"

He was teaching daily in the temple, but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people sought to destroy him.

They couldn't find what they might do, for all the people hung on to every word that he said.

It happened on one of those days, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, that the chief priests and scribes came to him with the elders.

They asked him, "Tell us: by what authority do you do these things? Or who is giving you this authority?"

He answered them, "I also will ask you one question. Tell me:

the baptism of John, was it from heaven, or from men?"

They reasoned with themselves, saying, "If we say, 'From heaven,' he will say, 'Why didn't you believe him?'

But if we say, 'From men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

They answered that they didn't know where it was from.

Jesus said to them, "Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things."

He began to tell the people this parable. "A man planted a vineyard, and rented it out to some farmers, and went into another country for a long time.

At the proper season, he sent a servant to the farmers to collect his share of the fruit of the vineyard. But the farmers beat him, and sent him away empty.

He sent yet another servant, and they also beat him, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

He sent yet a third, and they also wounded him, and threw him out.

The lord of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son. It may be that seeing him, they will respect him.'

"But when the farmers saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

They threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What therefore will the lord of the vineyard do to them?

He will come and destroy these farmers, and will give the vineyard to others." When they heard it, they said, "May it never be!"