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Matthew 21:33-46
“ 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 moved to another place.When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit.“ The tenants seized his servants; they beat one, killed another, and stoned a third.Then he sent other servants to them, more than the first time, and the tenants treated them the same way.Last of all, he sent his son to them.‘ They will respect my son,’ he said.“ 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.’So they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.“ Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”“ 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.”Jesus said to them,“ Have you never read in the Scriptures:“‘ The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’“ 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.Anyone who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; anyone on whom it falls will be crushed.”When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard Jesus’ parables, they knew he was talking about them.They looked for a way to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowd because the people held that he was a prophet. (niv)
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Mark 12:1-12
Jesus then began to speak to them in parables:“ A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and moved to another place.At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.“ He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying,‘ They will respect my son.’“ But the tenants said to one another,‘ This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.“ What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.Haven’t you read this passage of Scripture:“‘ The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone;the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?Then the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away. (niv)
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Isaiah 5:1-7
I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside.He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.“ Now you dwellers in Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad?Now I will tell you what I am going to do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it will be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled.I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will command the clouds not to rain on it.”The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the nation of Israel, and the people of Judah are the vines he delighted in. And he looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard cries of distress. (niv)
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John 15:1-8
“ I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.“ I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. (niv)
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Psalms 80:8-14
You transplanted a vine from Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it.You cleared the ground for it, and it took root and filled the land.The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches.Its branches reached as far as the Sea, its shoots as far as the River.Why have you broken down its walls so that all who pass by pick its grapes?Boars from the forest ravage it, and insects from the fields feed on it.Return to us, God Almighty! Look down from heaven and see! Watch over this vine, (niv)
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Jeremiah 2:21
I had planted you like a choice vine of sound and reliable stock. How then did you turn against me into a corrupt, wild vine? (niv)
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Song of Solomon 8 11-Song of Solomon 8 12
Solomon had a vineyard in Baal Hamon; he let out his vineyard to tenants. Each was to bring for its fruit a thousand shekels of silver.But my own vineyard is mine to give; the thousand shekels are for you, Solomon, and two hundred are for those who tend its fruit. (niv)
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Luke 19:12
He said:“ A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. (niv)
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Matthew 25:14
“ Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. (niv)
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1 Corinthians 3 6-1 Corinthians 3 9
I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor.For we are co- workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building. (niv)
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Deuteronomy 1:15-18
So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you— as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials.And I charged your judges at that time,“ Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you.Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.”And at that time I told you everything you were to do. (niv)
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Deuteronomy 17:8-15
If cases come before your courts that are too difficult for you to judge— whether bloodshed, lawsuits or assaults— take them to the place the Lord your God will choose.Go to the Levitical priests and to the judge who is in office at that time. Inquire of them and they will give you the verdict.You must act according to the decisions they give you at the place the Lord will choose. Be careful to do everything they instruct you to do.Act according to whatever they teach you and the decisions they give you. Do not turn aside from what they tell you, to the right or to the left.Anyone who shows contempt for the judge or for the priest who stands ministering there to the Lord your God is to be put to death. You must purge the evil from Israel.All the people will hear and be afraid, and will not be contemptuous again.When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say,“ Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,”be sure to appoint over you a king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your fellow Israelites. Do not place a foreigner over you, one who is not an Israelite. (niv)
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Deuteronomy 16:18
Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. (niv)