Matthew 20
20
A Story About Workers
1“The kingdom of heaven is like a person who owned some land. One morning, he went out very early to hire some people to work in his vineyard. 2The man agreed to pay the workers one coin for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work. 3About nine o’clock the man went to the marketplace and saw some other people standing there, doing nothing. 4So he said to them, ‘If you go and work in my vineyard, I will pay you what your work is worth.’ 5So they went to work in the vineyard. The man went out again about twelve o’clock and three o’clock and did the same thing. 6About five o’clock the man went to the marketplace again and saw others standing there. He asked them, ‘Why did you stand here all day doing nothing?’ 7They answered, ‘No one gave us a job.’ The man said to them, ‘Then you can go and work in my vineyard.’
8“At the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard said to the boss of all the workers, ‘Call the workers and pay them. Start with the last people I hired and end with those I hired first.’
9“When the workers who were hired at five o’clock came to get their pay, each received one coin. 10When the workers who were hired first came to get their pay, they thought they would be paid more than the others. But each one of them also received one coin. 11When they got their coin, they complained to the man who owned the land. 12They said, ‘Those people were hired last and worked only one hour. But you paid them the same as you paid us who worked hard all day in the hot sun.’ 13But the man who owned the vineyard said to one of those workers, ‘Friend, I am being fair to you. You agreed to work for one coin. 14So take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same pay that I gave you. 15I can do what I want with my own money. Are you jealous because I am good to those people?’
16“So those who are last now will someday be first, and those who are first now will someday be last.”
Jesus Talks About His Own Death
17While Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he took his twelve followers aside privately and said to them, 18“Look, we are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be turned over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they will say that he must die. 19They will give the Son of Man to the non-Jewish people to laugh at him and beat him with whips and crucify him. But on the third day, he will be raised to life again.”
A Mother Asks Jesus a Favor
20Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons. She bowed before him and asked him to do something for her.
21Jesus asked, “What do you want?”
She said, “Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right side and the other will sit at your left side in your kingdom.”
22But Jesus said, “You don’t understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?”
The sons answered, “Yes, we can.”
23Jesus said to them, “You will drink from my cup. But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or my left; those places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.”
24When the other ten followers heard this, they were angry with the two brothers.
25Jesus called all the followers together and said, “You know that the rulers of the non-Jewish people love to show their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority. 26But it should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant. 27Whoever wants to become first among you must serve the rest of you like a slave. 28In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29When Jesus and his followers were leaving Jericho, a great many people followed him. 30Two blind men sitting by the road heard that Jesus was going by, so they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31The people warned the blind men to be quiet, but they shouted even more, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32Jesus stopped and said to the blind men, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33They answered, “Lord, we want to see.”
34Jesus felt sorry for the blind men and touched their eyes, and at once they could see. Then they followed Jesus.
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Matthew 20: NCV
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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 20
20
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man—the master of the house—who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2And after#*Here “after” is supplied as a component of the participle (“coming to an agreement”) which is understood as temporal coming to an agreement with the workers for a denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace. 4And to those people he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.’ 5So they went. Going out#Some manuscripts have “And going out” again about the sixth and ninth hour he did the same thing. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“went out”) has been translated as a finite verb found others standing there and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here the whole day unemployed?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go also into the vineyard.’ 8And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“came”) evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their#Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun wages, beginning from the last up to the first.’ 9And when the ones hired about the eleventh hour came, they received a denarius apiece. 10And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“came”) which is understood as temporal the first came, they thought that they would receive more, and they also received a denarius apiece. 11And when they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“received”) which is understood as temporal received it,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation they began to complain#The imperfect tense has been translated as ingressive here (“began to complain”) against the master of the house, 12saying, ‘These last people worked one hour and you made them equal to us who have endured the burden of the day and the burning heat!’ 13But he answered one of them and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said, ‘Friend, I am not doing you wrong. Did you not come to an agreement with me for a denarius? 14Take what is yours and go! But I want to give to this last person the same as I gave#The words “I gave” are an implied repetition from the verb earlier in the verse to you also. 15Is it not#Some manuscripts have “Or is it not” permitted for me to do whatever I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am generous?’ 16Thus the last will be first and the first last.”
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time
17And as#*Here “as” is supplied as a component of the participle (“was going up”) which is understood as temporal Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples by themselves and said to them on the way, 18“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, 19and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock him#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and flog him#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and crucify him,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation and on the third day he will be raised.”
A Request by the Mother of James and John
20Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and#*Here “and” is supplied because the participle (“kneeling down”) has been translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style kneeling down she asked#*Here the participle (“asked”) is translated as a finite verb because of English style something from him. 21And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your kingdom.” 22But Jesus answered and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb said, “You do not know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine#Some manuscripts have “this is not mine” to grant, but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
24And when#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal the ten heard this,#*Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation they were indignant concerning the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to himself and#*Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“called … to himself”) has been translated as a finite verb said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions exercise authority over them. 26It will not be like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be most prominent among you must be your slave—28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Two Blind Men Healed at Jericho
29And as#*Here “as” is supplied as a component of the temporal genitive absolute participle (“were going out”) they were going out of Jericho, a large crowd followed him. 30And behold, there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they#*Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“heard”) which is understood as temporal heard that Jesus was passing by, they called out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us,#Some manuscripts have “Have mercy on us, Lord” Son of David!” 31And the crowd rebuked them so that they would be quiet. But they called out all the more, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us,#Some manuscripts have “Have mercy on us, Lord” Son of David!” 32And Jesus stopped,#*Here the participle (“stopped”) is translated as a finite verb because of English style called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33They said to him, “Lord, that our eyes be opened!” 34And having compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him.
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