Then He began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, leased it to tenant farmers, and went away for a long time.
I planted you, a choice vine from the very best seed. How then could you turn into a degenerate, foreign vine?
“For it is just like a man going on a journey. He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them.
Therefore He said: “A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king and then return.
At harvest time he sent a slave to the farmers so that they might give him some fruit from the vineyard. But the farmers beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”
“Appoint judges and officials for your tribes in all your towns the Lord your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.