23. When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching, and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?”
24. Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question. If you tell Me, I likewise will tell you by what authority I do these things.
25. Where did the baptism of John come from? From heaven or from men?”They reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
26. But if we say, ‘From men,’ we are afraid of the people, for all hold John as a prophet.”
27. So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.”Then He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.
28. “What do you think? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
29. “He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he repented and went.
30. “Then he came to the second, and said likewise. He answered, ‘I will go, sir,’ but did not go.
31. “Which of the two did the will of his father?”They said, “The first.”Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, the tax collectors and prostitutes enter the kingdom of God before you.
32. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
33. “Listen to another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and built a wall around it. He dug a winepress in it and built a tower. Then he rented it to vinedressers and went into a distant country.
34. When the season of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers to receive his fruit.
35. “The vinedressers took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
36. Again, he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did likewise to them.
37. Last of all, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
38. “But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’
39. So they caught him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.