When harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the renters. He told the slaves to collect his share of the fruit.

收果子的时候近了，就打发仆人到园户那里去收果子。

收果子的时候快到了，他打发仆人到园户那里去收果子。

收果子的时候快到了，他打发仆人到园户那里去收果子。

到了收获的季节，园主派奴仆到佃户那里收果子。

到了收成的时候，园主派了仆人到佃户那里，收取应该纳给他的果子。

当收果子的季节近了，主人就派了奴仆们到那些农夫那里去收取他的果子。

收果子的時候近了，就打發僕人到園戶那裏去收果子。

收果子的時候快到了，他打發僕人到園戶那裏去收果子。

收果子的時候快到了，他打發僕人到園戶那裏去收果子。

到了收穫的季節，園主派奴僕到佃戶那裡收果子。

到了收成的時候，園主派了僕人到佃戶那裡，收取應該納給他的果子。

果子節候將近的時候，主人就差遣他的奴僕去找園工，要拿他的果子。

當收果子的季節近了，主人就派了奴僕們到那些農夫那裡去收取他的果子。

果期將近、遣僕就農夫收果、

果期、遣僕、就農夫收果、

果期將至、遣僕就園夫收果、

屆收菓之時、乃遣其僕向園戶取菓。

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

When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to get his fruit.

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

When the time came to harvest fruit, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect his fruit.

And when the harvest time approached, he sent his slaves to the vine growers to receive his fruit.

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

And when the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive his fruits.

When the grape harvest drew near, he sent his slaves to the farmers to collect his fruit.

And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop.

When the season for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the farmers, to receive his fruit.

“ For 23 years the Lord’ s messages have been coming to me. They began to come in the 13th year that Josiah was king of Judah. He was the son of Amon. The Lord’ s messages still come to me today. I’ve spoken to you people again and again. But you haven’t listened to me.“ The Lord has sent all his servants the prophets to you. They’ve come to you again and again. But you haven’t listened. You haven’t paid any attention to them.They said,‘ Each of you must turn from your evil ways and practices. Then you can stay in the land forever. It’s the land the Lord gave you and your people of long ago.Don’t follow other gods. Don’t serve them or worship them. Don’t make the Lord angry with the gods your own hands have made. Then he won’t harm you.’“‘ But you did not listen to me,’ announces the Lord.‘ You have made me very angry with the gods your hands have made. And you have brought harm on yourselves.’

At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters. He told the servant to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.But they grabbed the servant and beat him up. Then they sent him away with nothing.So the man sent another servant to the renters. They hit this one on the head and treated him badly.The man sent still another servant. The renters killed him. The man sent many others. The renters beat up some of them. They killed the others.

At harvest time he sent a slave to the renters. They were supposed to give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the renters beat the slave. Then they sent him away with nothing.So the man sent another slave. They beat that one and treated him badly. They also sent him away with nothing.The man sent a third slave. The renters wounded him and threw him out.“ Then the owner of the vineyard said,‘ What should I do? I have a son, and I love him. I will send him. Maybe they will respect him.’“ But when the renters saw the son, they talked the matter over.‘ This is the one who will receive all the owner’s property someday,’ they said.‘ Let’s kill him. Then everything will be ours.’So they threw him out of the vineyard. And they killed him.“ What will the owner of the vineyard do to the renters?He will come and kill them. He will give the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they said,“ We hope this never happens!”Jesus looked right at them and said,“ Here is something I want you to explain the meaning of. It is written,“‘ The stone the builders didn’t accept has become the most important stone of all.’( Psalm 118:22)Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces. But the stone will crush anyone it falls on.”The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest Jesus at once. They knew he had told that story against them. But they were afraid of the people.

And now he says to us,“ Return to me. Then I will return to you,” announces the Lord.“ Do not be like your people of long ago. The earlier prophets gave them my message. I said,‘ Stop doing what is evil. Turn away from your sinful practices.’ But they would not listen to me. They would not pay any attention,” announces the Lord.“ Where are those people now? And what about my prophets? Do they live forever?I commanded my servants the prophets what to say. I told them what I planned to do. But your people refused to obey me. So I had to punish them.“ Then they had a change of heart. They said,‘ The Lord who rules over all has punished us because of how we have lived. He was fair and right to do that. He has done to us just what he decided to do.’ ”

Here is what the Lord who rules over all said to his people.“ Treat everyone with justice. Show mercy and tender concern to one another.Do not take advantage of widows. Do not mistreat children whose fathers have died. Do not be mean to outsiders or poor people. Do not make evil plans against one another.”But they refused to pay attention to the Lord. They were stubborn. They turned their backs and covered their ears.They made their hearts as hard as the hardest stone. They wouldn’t listen to the law. They wouldn’t pay attention to the Lord’ s messages. So the Lord who rules over all was very angry. After all, his Spirit had spoken to his people through the earlier prophets.“ When I called, they did not listen,” says the Lord.“ So when they called, I would not listen.

Solomon, you had a vineyard in Baal Hamon. You rented your vineyard to others. They had to pay 25 pounds of silver for its fruit.But I can give my own vineyard to anyone I want to. So I give my 25 pounds of silver to you, Solomon. Give 5 pounds to those who take care of its fruit.”

He sent his slaves to those who had been invited to the dinner. The slaves told them to come. But they refused.

The Lord warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers. He said,“ Turn from your evil ways. Keep my commands and rules. Obey every part of my Law. I commanded your people who lived long ago to obey it. And I gave it to you through my servants the prophets.”But the people wouldn’t listen. They were as stubborn as their people of long ago had been. Those people didn’t trust in the Lord their God.They refused to obey his rules. They broke the covenant he had made with them. They didn’t pay any attention to the rules he had warned them to keep. They worshiped worthless statues of gods. Then they themselves became worthless. They followed the example of the nations around them. They did it even though the Lord had ordered them not to. He had said,“ Do not do as they do.”They turned away from all the commands of the Lord their God. They made two statues of gods for themselves. The statues were shaped like calves. They made a pole used to worship the female god named Asherah. They bowed down to all the stars. And they worshiped the god named Baal.They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced all kinds of evil magic. They gave up following God’s rules. They did only what was evil in the eyes of the Lord. All these things made him very angry.So the Lord was very angry with Israel. He removed them from his land. Only the tribe of Judah was left.And even Judah didn’t obey the commands of the Lord their God. They followed the practices Israel had started.So the Lord turned his back on all the people of Israel. He made them suffer. He handed them over to people who stole everything they had. And finally he threw them out of his land.The Lord took control of Israel away from the royal house of David. The Israelites made Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, their king. Jeroboam tried to get Israel to stop following the Lord. He caused them to commit a terrible sin.The Israelites were stubborn. They continued to commit all the sins Jeroboam had committed. They didn’t turn away from them.So the Lord removed them from his land. That’s what he had warned them he would do. He had given that warning through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken away from their country. They were forced to go to Assyria. And that’s where they still are.

What more could I have done for my vineyard? I did everything I could. I kept looking for a crop of good grapes. So why did it produce only bad ones?

Again and again I sent all my servants the prophets to you. They said,‘ Each of you must turn from your evil ways. You must change the way you act. Do not worship other gods. Do not serve them. Then you will live in the land. I gave it to you and your people of long ago.’ But you have not paid any attention. You have not listened to me.

The Lord, the God of Israel, sent word to his people through his messengers. He sent it to them again and again. He took pity on his people. He also took pity on the temple where he lived.But God’s people made fun of his messengers. They hated his words. They laughed at his prophets. Finally the Lord’ s great anger was stirred up against his people. Nothing could save them.

“ You warned them so that they would obey your law again. But they became proud. They didn’t obey your commands. They sinned against your rules. You said,‘ Anyone who obeys my rules will live by them.’ But the people didn’t care about that. They turned their backs on you. They became very stubborn. They refused to listen to you.For many years you put up with them. By your Spirit you warned them through your prophets. In spite of that, they didn’t pay any attention. So you handed them over to the nations that were around them.