Matthew 20
20
The Story of the Workers in the Vineyard
1“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day’s work. Then he sent them into his vineyard.
3“About nine o’clock in the morning he went out again. He saw others standing in the market doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard. I’ll pay you what is right.’ 5So they went.
“He went out again about noon and at three o’clock and did the same thing. 6About five o’clock he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard spoke to the person who was in charge of the workers. He said, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay. Begin with the last ones I hired. Then go on to the first ones.’
9“The workers who were hired about five o’clock came. Each received the usual day’s pay. 10So when those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received the usual day’s pay. 11When they received it, they began to complain about the owner. 12‘These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said. ‘You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.’
13“The owner answered one of them. ‘Friend,’ he said, ‘I’m being fair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay? 14Take your money and go. I want to give the one I hired last the same pay I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’
16“So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”
Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Coming Death
17Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took his 12 disciples to one side to talk to them. 18“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said. “The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death. 19Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles. The people will make fun of him and whip him. They will nail him to a cross. On the third day, he will rise from the dead!”
A Mother Asks a Favor of Jesus
20The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus. Her sons came with her. Getting on her knees, she asked a favor of him.
21“What do you want?” Jesus asked.
She said, “Promise me that one of my two sons may sit at your right hand in your kingdom. Promise that the other one may sit at your left hand.”
22“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup of suffering I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23Jesus said to them, “You will certainly drink from my cup. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those my Father has prepared them for.”
24The other ten disciples heard about this. They became angry at the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together. He said, “You know about the rulers of the Gentiles. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. 26Don’t be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. 27And anyone who wants to be first must be your slave. 28Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”
Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight
29Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho. A large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the side of the road. They heard that Jesus was going by. So they shouted, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
31The crowd commanded them to stop. They told them to be quiet. But the two men shouted even louder, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
32Jesus stopped and called out to them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33“Lord,” they answered, “we want to be able to see.”
34Jesus felt deep concern for them. He touched their eyes. Right away they could see. And they followed him.
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Matthew 20: NIrV
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Holy Bible, New International Reader’s Version®, NIrV®
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Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Matthew 20
20
1For the kingdom of the heavens is like a householder who went out with the early morn to hire workmen for his vineyard. 2And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And having gone out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle; 4and to them he said, Go also ye into the vineyard, and whatsoever may be just I will give you. And they went their way. 5Again, having gone out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise. 6But about the eleventh hour, having gone out, he found others standing, and says to them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7They say to him, Because no man has hired us. He says to them, Go also ye into the vineyard and whatsoever may be just ye shall receive. 8But when the evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning from the last even to the first. 9And when they who came to work about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius. 10And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they received also themselves each a denarius. 11And on receiving it they murmured against the master of the house, 12saying, These last have worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the heat. 13But he answering said to one of them, My friend, I do not wrong thee. Didst thou not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what is thine and go. But it is my will to give to this last even as to thee: 15is it not lawful for me to do what I will in my own affairs? Is thine eye evil because I am good? 16Thus shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called ones, but few chosen ones.
17And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples with him apart in the way, and said to them, 18Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19and they will deliver him up to the nations to mock and to scourge and to crucify, and the third day he shall rise again.
20Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, doing homage, and asking something of him. 21And he said to her, What wilt thou? She says to him, Speak the word that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand and one on thy left in thy kingdom. 22And Jesus answering said, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink the cup which I am about to drink? They say to him, We are able. 23And he says to them, Ye shall drink indeed my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24And the ten, having heard of it, were indignant about the two brothers. 25But Jesus having called them to him, said, Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them. 26It shall not be thus amongst you, but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant; 27and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your bondman; 28as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
29And as they went out from Jericho a great crowd followed him. 30And lo, two blind men, sitting by the wayside, having heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David. 31But the crowd rebuked them, that they might be silent. But they cried out the more, saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David. 32And Jesus, having stopped, called them and said, What will ye that I shall do to you? 33They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34And Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes had sight restored to them, and they followed him.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.