16 He will come and put those tenant farmers to death and turn over the vineyard to others.” When the people heard this, they exclaimed, “Let it not be so!”
17 But he looked at them and asked, “What then does this scripture passage mean:‘The stone which the builders rejectedhas become the cornerstone’?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces; and it will crush anyone on whom it falls.”
19 The scribes and chief priests sought to lay their hands on him at that very hour, but they feared the people, for they knew that he had addressed this parable to them.
20 They watched him closely and sent agents pretending to be righteous who were to trap him in speech, in order to hand him over to the authority and power of the governor.
21 They posed this question to him, “Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is correct, and you show no partiality, but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.
22 Is it lawful for us to pay tribute to Caesar or not?”