Scriptures

New Living Translation (NLT)

Mark 11
³⁰ “Did John’s authority to baptize come from heaven, or was it merely human? Answer me!”
³¹ They talked it over among themselves. “If we say it was from heaven, he will ask why we didn’t believe John.
³² But do we dare say it was merely human?” For they were afraid of what the people would do, because everyone believed that John was a prophet.
³³ So they finally replied, “We don’t know.” And Jesus responded, “Then I won’t tell you by what authority I do these things.”
Mark 12
¹ Then Jesus began teaching them with stories: “A man planted a vineyard. He built a wall around it, dug a pit for pressing out the grape juice, and built a lookout tower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenant farmers and moved to another country.
² At the time of the grape harvest, he sent one of his servants to collect his share of the crop.
³ But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty-handed.
⁴ The owner then sent another servant, but they insulted him and beat him over the head.
⁵ The next servant he sent was killed. Others he sent were either beaten or killed,
⁶ until there was only one left—his son whom he loved dearly. The owner finally sent him, thinking, ‘Surely they will respect my son.’
⁷ “But the tenant farmers said to one another, ‘Here comes the heir to this estate. Let’s kill him and get the estate for ourselves!’