¹ `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,

²⁴ Another simile he set before them, saying: `The reign of the heavens was likened to a man sowing good seed in his field,

¹¹ Solomon hath a vineyard in Baal-Hamon, He hath given the vineyard to keepers, Each bringeth for its fruit a thousand silverlings;

¹² My vineyard -- my own -- is before me, The thousand `is' for thee, O Solomon. And the two hundred for those keeping its fruit. O dweller in gardens!

³⁷ then saith he to his disciples, `The harvest indeed `is' abundant, but the workmen few;

³⁸ beseech ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he may put forth workmen to His harvest.'

³¹ Another simile he set before them, saying: `The reign of the heavens is like to a grain of mustard, which a man having taken, did sow in his field,

³³ Another simile spake he to them: `The reign of the heavens is like to leaven, which a woman having taken, hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.'

⁴⁴ `Again, the reign of the heavens is like to treasure hid in the field, which a man having found did hide, and from his joy goeth, and all, as much as he hath, he selleth, and buyeth that field.

⁴⁵ `Again, the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a merchant, seeking goodly pearls,

⁴⁷ `Again, the reign of the heavens is like to a net that was cast into the sea, and did gather together of every kind,

² `The reign of the heavens was likened to a man, a king, who made marriage-feasts for his son,

¹ `Then shall the reign of the heavens be likened to ten virgins, who, having taken their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom;

¹ Let me sing, I pray you, for my beloved, A song of my beloved as to his vineyard: My beloved hath a vineyard in a fruitful hill,

² And he fenceth it, and casteth out its stones, And planteth it `with' a choice vine, And buildeth a tower in its midst, And also a wine press hath hewn out in it, And he waiteth for the yielding of grapes, And it yieldeth bad ones!

²¹ make you perfect in every good work to do His will, doing in you that which is well-pleasing before Him, through Jesus Christ, to whom `is' the glory -- to the ages of the ages! Amen.

⁵⁸ so that, my brethren beloved, become ye stedfast, unmovable, abounding in the work of the Lord at all times, knowing that your labour is not vain in the Lord.

¹ `I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman;

³⁴ as a man who is gone abroad, having left his house, and given to his servants the authority, and to each one his work, did command also the porter that he may watch;

¹⁴ `For -- as a man going abroad did call his own servants, and did deliver to them his substance,

³³ `Hear ye another simile: There was a certain man, a householder, who planted a vineyard, and did put a hedge round it, and digged in it a wine-press, and built a tower, and gave it out to husbandmen, and went abroad.

³⁴ `And when the season of the fruits came nigh, he sent his servants unto the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it,

³⁵ and the husbandmen having taken his servants, one they scourged, and one they killed, and one they stoned.

³⁶ `Again he sent other servants more than the first, and they did to them in the same manner.

³⁷ `And at last he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son;

³⁸ and the husbandmen having seen the son, said among themselves, This is the heir, come, we may kill him, and may possess his inheritance;

³⁹ and having taken him, they cast `him' out of the vineyard, and killed him;

⁴⁰ whenever therefore the lord of the vineyard may come, what will he do to these husbandmen?'

⁴¹ They say to him, `Evil men -- he will evilly destroy them, and the vineyard will give out to other husbandmen, who will give back to him the fruits in their seasons.'

⁴² Jesus saith to them, `Did ye never read in the Writings, A stone that the builders disallowed, it became head of a corner; from the Lord hath this come to pass, and it is wonderful in our eyes.

⁴³ `Because of this I say to you, that the reign of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth its fruit;

² and saying, `Reform, for come nigh hath the reign of the heavens,'

²⁸ `And what think ye? A man had two children, and having come to the first, he said, Child, go, to-day be working in my vineyard.'

³⁷ `Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that art killing the prophets, and stoning those sent unto thee, how often did I will to gather thy children together, as a hen doth gather her own chickens under the wings, and ye did not will.

⁵ And this same also -- all diligence having brought in besides, superadd in your faith the worthiness, and in the worthiness the knowledge,

⁶ and in the knowledge the temperance, and in the temperance the endurance, and in the endurance the piety,

⁷ and in the piety the brotherly kindness, and in the brotherly kindness the love;

⁸ for these things being to you and abounding, do make `you' neither inert nor unfruitful in regard to the acknowledging of our Lord Jesus Christ,

⁹ for he with whom these things are not present is blind, dim-sighted, having become forgetful of the cleansing of his old sins;

¹⁰ wherefore, the rather, brethren, be diligent to make stedfast your calling and choice, for these things doing, ye may never stumble,

³ `From the thirteenth year of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah, and unto this day -- this three and twentieth year -- hath the word of Jehovah been unto me, and I speak unto you, rising early and speaking, and ye have not hearkened;

⁴ And Jehovah hath sent unto you all His servants, the prophets, rising early and sending, and ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear, saying: