Matt.21.33

"Here's another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip.

Matt.21.33

"Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a winepress in it and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.

Matt.21.33

"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.

Matt.21.33

"Now listen to this story. A certain landowner planted a vineyard, built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.

Matt.21.34

When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.

Matt.21.34

When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.

Matt.21.34

Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.

Matt.21.34

At the time of the grape harvest he sent his servants to collect his share of the crop.

Matt.21.35

"The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away.

Matt.21.35

"The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.

Matt.21.35

And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

Matt.21.35

But the farmers grabbed his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.

Matt.21.36

The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment.

Matt.21.36

Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.

Matt.21.36

Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.

Matt.21.36

So the landowner sent a larger group of his servants to collect for him, but the results were the same.

Matt.21.37

The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. "Surely,' he thought, "they will respect my son.'

Matt.21.37

Last of all, he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

Matt.21.37

Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, "They will respect my son.'

Matt.21.37

"Finally, the owner sent his son, thinking, 'Surely they will respect my son.'

Matt.21.38

"But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. "This is the heir! Let's kill him and have it all for ourselves.'

Matt.21.38

"But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him and take his inheritance.'

Matt.21.38

But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, "This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.'

Matt.21.38

"But when the farmers saw his son coming, they said to one another, 'Here comes the heir to this estate. Come on, let's kill him and get the estate for ourselves!'

Matt.21.39

They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him.

Matt.21.39

So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Matt.21.39

So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him.

Matt.21.39

So they grabbed him, took him out of the vineyard, and murdered him.

Matt.21.40

"Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?"

Matt.21.40

"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?"

Matt.21.40

"Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?"

Matt.21.40

"When the owner of the vineyard returns," Jesus asked, "what do you think he will do to those farmers?"

Matt.21.41

"He'll kill them--a rotten bunch, and good riddance," they answered. "Then he'll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it's time."

Matt.21.41

"He will bring those wretches to a wretched end," they replied, "and he will rent the vineyard to other tenants, who will give him his share of the crop at harvest time."

Matt.21.41

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."

Matt.21.41

The religious leaders replied, "He will put the wicked men to a horrible death and lease the vineyard to others who will give him his share of the crop after each harvest."

Matt.21.42

Jesus said, "Right--and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles: The stone the masons threw out is now the cornerstone. This is God's work; we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!

Matt.21.42

Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

Matt.21.42

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'?

Matt.21.42

Then Jesus asked them, "Didn't you ever read this in the Scriptures? 'The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous to see.'

Matt.21.43

"This is the way it is with you. God's kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life.

Matt.21.43

"Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Matt.21.43

"Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.

Matt.21.43

What I mean is that the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will produce the proper fruit.

Matt.21.44

Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed."

Matt.21.44

He who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed."

Matt.21.44

And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."

Matt.21.44

Anyone who stumbles over that stone will be broken to pieces, and it will crush anyone on whom it falls. "

Matt.21.45

When the religious leaders heard this story, they knew it was aimed at them.

Matt.21.45

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus' parables, they knew he was talking about them.

Matt.21.45

Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.

Matt.21.45

When the leading priests and Pharisees heard Jesus, they realized he was pointing at them--that they were the farmers in his story.

Matt.21.46

They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in jail, but, intimidated by public opinion, they held back. Most people held him to be a prophet of God.

Matt.21.46

They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet.

Matt.21.46

But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet.

Matt.21.46

They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid to try because the crowds considered Jesus to be a prophet.

Matt.22.1

Jesus responded by telling still more stories.

Matt.22.1

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:

Matt.22.1

And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said:

Matt.22.1

Jesus told them several other stories to illustrate the Kingdom. He said,

Matt.22.2

"God's kingdom," he said, "is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son.

Matt.22.2

"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.

Matt.22.2

"The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son,

Matt.22.2

"The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a king who prepared a great wedding feast for his son.

Matt.22.3

He sent out servants to call in all the invited guests. And they wouldn't come!

Matt.22.3

He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

Matt.22.3

and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come.

Matt.22.3

Many guests were invited, and when the banquet was ready, he sent his servants to notify everyone that it was time to come. But they all refused!

Matt.22.4

"He sent out another round of servants, instructing them to tell the guests, "Look, everything is on the table, the prime rib is ready for carving. Come to the feast!'

Matt.22.4

"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'

Matt.22.4

Again, he sent out other servants, saying, "Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding."'

Matt.22.4

So he sent other servants to tell them, 'The feast has been prepared, and choice meats have been cooked. Everything is ready. Hurry!'

Matt.22.5

"They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop.

Matt.22.5

"But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business.

Matt.22.5

But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business.

Matt.22.5

But the guests he had invited ignored them and went about their business, one to his farm, another to his store.

Matt.22.6

The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them.

Matt.22.6

The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.

Matt.22.6

And the rest seized his servants, treated them spitefully, and killed them.

Matt.22.6

Others seized his messengers and treated them shamefully, even killing some of them.

Matt.22.7

The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.

Matt.22.7

The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

Matt.22.7

But when the king heard about it, he was furious. And he sent out his armies, destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

Matt.22.7

"Then the king became furious. He sent out his army to destroy the murderers and burn their city.

Matt.22.8

"Then he told his servants, "We have a wedding banquet all prepared but no guests. The ones I invited weren't up to it.

Matt.22.8

"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.

Matt.22.8

Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.

Matt.22.8

And he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, and the guests I invited aren't worthy of the honor.

Matt.22.9

Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.'

Matt.22.9

Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'

Matt.22.9

Therefore go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.'

Matt.22.9

Now go out to the street corners and invite everyone you see.'

Matt.22.10

The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on--every place filled.

Matt.22.10

So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Matt.22.10

So those servants went out into the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Matt.22.10

"So the servants brought in everyone they could find, good and bad alike, and the banquet hall was filled with guests.

Matt.22.11

"When the king entered and looked over the scene, he spotted a man who wasn't properly dressed.

Matt.22.11

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.

Matt.22.11

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he saw a man there who did not have on a wedding garment.

Matt.22.11

But when the king came in to meet the guests, he noticed a man who wasn't wearing the proper clothes for a wedding.

Matt.22.12

He said to him, "Friend, how dare you come in here looking like that!' The man was speechless.

Matt.22.12

'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.

Matt.22.12

So he said to him, "Friend, how did you come in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.

Matt.22.12

'Friend,' he asked, 'how is it that you are here without wedding clothes?' And the man had no reply.

Matt.22.13

Then the king told his servants, "Get him out of here--fast. Tie him up and ship him to hell. And make sure he doesn't get back in.'

Matt.22.13

"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matt.22.13

Then the king said to the servants, "Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matt.22.13

Then the king said to his aides, 'Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Matt.22.14

"That's what I mean when I say, "Many get invited; only a few make it.'"

Matt.22.14

"For many are invited, but few are chosen."

Matt.22.14

"For many are called, but few are chosen."

Matt.22.14

For many are called, but few are chosen."