Luke Chapter 20 Verse 2And spake unto him, saying, Tell us, by what authority doest thou these things? or who is he that gave thee this authority?

And he answered and said unto them, ‹I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.›

And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it,

Saying, ‹If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things› [which belong] ‹unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.›

‹For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side,›

‹And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.›

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

Saying unto them, ‹It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.›

And he taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy him,

And could not find what they might do: for all the people were very attentive to hear him.

And it came to pass, [that] on one of those days, as he taught the people in the temple, and preached the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon [him] with the elders,

And he answered and said unto them, ‹I will also ask you one thing; and answer me:›

‹The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?›

And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then believed ye him not?

But and if we say, Of men; all the people will stone us: for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.

And they answered, that they could not tell whence [it was].

And Jesus said unto them, ‹Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.›

Then began he to speak to the people this parable; ‹A certain man planted a vineyard, and let it forth to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.›

‹And at the season he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard: but the husbandmen beat him, and sent› [him] ‹away empty.›

‹And again he sent another servant: and they beat him also, and entreated› [him] ‹shamefully, and sent› [him] away ‹empty.›

‹And again he sent a third: and they wounded him also, and cast› [him] ‹out›.

The Book of Luke, Chapter 20, Verse 2