Sunday 4 October 2026

1Let me sing for my well beloved a song of my beloved about his vineyard.My beloved had a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.2He dug it up,gathered out its stones,planted it with the choicest vine,built a tower in the middle of it,and also cut out a wine press in it.He looked for it to yield grapes,but it yielded wild grapes.3“Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,please judge between me and my vineyard.4What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it?Why, when I looked for it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes?5Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up.I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.6I will lay it a wasteland.It won’t be pruned or hoed,but it will grow briers and thorns.I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain on it.”7For the vineyard of the Lord of Armies is the house of Israel,and the men of Judah his pleasant plant.He looked for justice, but behold, oppression,for righteousness, but behold, a cry of distress.

9You brought a vine out of Egypt.You drove out the nations, and planted it.

12It sent out its branches to the sea,its shoots to the River.

13Why have you broken down its walls,so that all those who pass by the way pluck it?14The boar out of the wood ravages it.The wild animals of the field feed on it.

15Turn again, we beg you, God of Armies.Look down from heaven, and see, and visit this vine,16the stock which your right hand planted,the branch that you made strong for yourself.

19So we will not turn away from you.Revive us, and we will call on your name.20Turn us again, Lord God of Armies.Cause your face to shine, and we will be saved.

6In nothing be anxious,but in everything,by prayer and petition with thanksgiving,let your requests be made known to God.7And the peace of God,which surpasses all understanding,will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

8Finally, brothers,whatever things are true,whatever things are honorable,whatever things are just,whatever things are pure,whatever things are lovely,whatever things are of good report:if there is any virtueand if there is anything worthy of praise,think about these things.9Do the things which you learned,received, heard, and saw in me,and the God of peace will be with you.

33“Hear another parable.There was a man who was a master of a householdwho planted a vineyard,set a hedge about it,dug a wine press in it,built a tower, leased it out to farmers,and went into another country.34When the season for the fruit came near,he sent his servants to the farmers to receive his fruit.35The farmers took his servants,beat one, killed another,and stoned another.36Again, he sent other servants more than the first;and they treated them the same way.37But afterward he sent to them his son,saying, ‘They will respect my son.’38But the farmers, when they saw the son,said among themselves,‘This is the heir.Come, let’s kill him and seize his inheritance.’39So they took himand threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him.40When therefore the lord of the vineyard comes,what will he do to those farmers?”

41They told him, “He will miserably destroy those miserable men,and will lease out the vineyard to other farmerswho will give him the fruit in its season.”

42Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures,

‘The stone which the builders rejectedwas made the head of the corner.This was from the Lord.It is marvelous in our eyes’?

43“Therefore I tell you,God’s Kingdom will be taken away from youand will be given to a nation producing its fruit.