The owner of a vineyard left
His country for a while;
The men he left in charge of it
Were filled with craft and guile.

The owner sent his servant there
To get the fruit when ripe,
But he was beaten and was sent
Away with many a stripe.

Other servants then he sent,
They did no better fare;
They all were tortured, stoned or killed:
Shame and outrage was there.

The master then sent his own son;
He reverence should command.
But, no, the wicked workers scoffed
And said, “We’ll take the land!

“If we destroy the master’s heir
The vineyard then is ours.”
And so they killed his only son,
Exulting in their powers.

But then the righteous master came
And utterly destroyed
The wicked men who killed his son;
New laborers employed.

As the new workers in His field
We must our Lord obey;
His servants we must reverence
And toil from day to day.

We’re not on earth for our delight,
Our own desires or gain;
We’re here to serve our Master’s cause
Through pleasure and through pain.

The works that He has planned for us
He gives us strength to do;
With thankfulness we carry on
Till our life’s walk is through.