Mark 12:3

But ¹  those tenants ²  seized his slave, ³  beat him, ⁴  and sent him away empty-handed. ⁵ 

But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

"They took him, and beat him and sent him away empty-handed.

But the farmers grabbed the servant, beat him up, and sent him back empty–handed.

"They grabbed him, beat him up, and sent him off empty-handed.

And they took him, and gave him blows, and sent him away with nothing.

But they seized him, and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed.

"And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty–handed.

But ¹  those tenants ²  seized his slave, ³  beat him, ⁴  and sent him away empty-handed. ⁵ 

¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

² tn Grk “But they”; the referent (the tenants, v. 1) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ tn Grk “seizing him, they beat and sent away empty-handed.” The referent of the direct object of “seizing” (the slave sent by the owner) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The objects of the verbs “beat” and “sent away” have been supplied in the translation to conform to English style. Greek often omits direct objects when they are clear from the context.

⁴ sn The image of the tenants beating up the owner’s slave pictures the nation’s rejection of the prophets and their message.

⁵ sn The slaves being sent empty-handed suggests that the vineyard was not producing any fruit – and thus neither was the nation of Israel.