Study Desk

`For the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a householder, who went forth with the morning to hire workmen for his vineyard,

and having agreed with the workmen for a denary a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

`And evening having come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward, Call the workmen, and pay them the reward, having begun from the last -- unto the first.

even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

`And when the season of the fruits came nigh, he sent his servants unto the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it,

and the husbandmen having taken his servants, one they scourged, and one they killed, and one they stoned.

`And at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son;

and the husbandmen having seen the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come, we may kill him, and may possess his inheritance;

And the chief priests and the Pharisees having heard his similes, knew that of them he speaketh,

`The reign of the heavens was likened to a man, a king, who made marriage-feasts for his son,

and he sent forth his servants to call those having been called to the marriage-feasts, and they were not willing to come.

and they, having disregarded [it], went away, the one to his own field, and the other to his merchandise;

and the rest, having laid hold on his servants, did insult and slay [them].

`And the king having heard, was wroth, and having sent forth his soldiers, he destroyed those murderers, and their city he set on fire;

then saith he to his servants, The marriage-feast indeed is ready, and those called were not worthy,

`Then said the king to the ministrants, Having bound his feet and hands, take him up and cast forth to the outer darkness, there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth;

`Teacher, Moses said, If any one may die not having children, his brother shall marry his wife, and shall raise up seed to his brother.

`And there were with us seven brothers, and the first having married did die, and not having seed, he left his wife to his brother;

And having heard, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching;

If then David doth call him lord, how is he his son?'