Matthew 20
20
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
1“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.’
8“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ 9And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, 12saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ 13But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. 15#(Rom. 9:20, 21)Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or #Deut. 15:9; Prov. 23:6; (Matt. 6:23); Mark 7:22is your eye evil because I am good?’ 16#Matt. 19:30; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30So the last will be first, and the first last. #Matt. 22:14For many are called, but few chosen.”
Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection
17#Matt. 20:17–19; Mark 10:32–34; Luke 18:31–33; John 12:12Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, 18#Matt. 16:21; 26:47–57; Mark 14:42, 64; John 18:5; 19:7“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, 19#Matt. 27:2; Mark 15:1, 16; Luke 23:1; John 18:28; Acts 3:13and deliver Him to the Gentiles to #Matt. 26:67, 68; 27:29, 41; Mark 15:20, 31mock and to #Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1scourge and to #Matt. 27:35; Luke 23:33; Acts 3:13–15crucify. And the third day He will #Matt. 28:5, 6; Mark 16:6, 9; Luke 24:5–8, 46; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:4rise again.”
Greatness Is Serving
20#Mark 10:35–45Then the mother of #Matt. 4:21; 10:2Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.
21And He said to her, “What do you wish?”
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine #(Matt. 19:28)may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”
22But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink #Is. 51:17, 22; Jer. 49:12; Matt. 26:39, 42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; John 18:11the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with #Luke 12:50the baptism that I am baptized with?”
They said to Him, “We are able.”
23So He said to them, #(Acts 12:2; Rom. 8:17; 2 Cor. 1:7; Rev. 1:9)“You will indeed drink My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”
24#Mark 10:41; Luke 22:24, 25And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. 26Yet #(1 Pet. 5:3)it shall not be so among you; but #Matt. 23:11; Mark 9:35; 10:43; Luke 22:26whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. 27#(Matt. 18:4)And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— 28#John 13:4just as the #(Matt. 26:28; John 13:13; 2 Cor. 8:9; Phil. 2:6, 7; 1 Tim. 2:5, 6; Titus 2:14; Heb. 9:28; Rev. 1:5)Son of Man did not come to be served, #Luke 22:27; John 13:14but to serve, and #(Is. 53:10, 11; Dan. 9:24, 26; John 11:51, 52; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19)to give His life a ransom #(Rom. 5:15, 19; Heb. 9:28)for many.”
Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight
29#Mark 10:46–52; Luke 18:35–43Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30And behold, #Matt. 9:27two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, #(2 Sam. 7:14–17; Ps. 89:3–5, 19–37; Is. 11:10–12; Ezek. 37:21–25); Matt. 1:1; Luke 1:31, 32; (Acts 15:14–17)Son of David!”
31Then the multitude #Matt. 19:13warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
32So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34So Jesus had #Matt. 9:36; 14:14; 15:32; 18:27compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
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Matthew 20: NKJV
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.
Matthew 20
20
The Workers in the Vineyard
1 “The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a man who went out early in the morning to hire some men to work in his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day, and sent them to work in his vineyard. 3He went out again to the market place at nine o'clock and saw some men standing there doing nothing, 4so he told them, ‘You also go and work in the vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage.’ 5So they went. Then at twelve o'clock and again at three o'clock he did the same thing. 6It was nearly five o'clock when he went to the market place and saw some other men still standing there. ‘Why are you wasting the whole day here doing nothing?’ he asked them. 7‘No one hired us,’ they answered. ‘Well, then, you also go and work in the vineyard,’ he told them.
8 #
Lev 19.13; Deut 24.15 “When evening came, the owner told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with those who were hired last and ending with those who were hired first.’ 9The men who had begun to work at five o'clock were paid a silver coin each. 10So when the men who were the first to be hired came to be paid, they thought they would get more; but they too were given a silver coin each. 11They took their money and started grumbling against the employer. 12‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘while we put up with a whole day's work in the hot sun — yet you paid them the same as you paid us!’
13 “ ‘Listen, friend,’ the owner answered one of them, ‘I have not cheated you. After all, you agreed to do a day's work for one silver coin. 14Now take your pay and go home. I want to give this man who was hired last as much as I have given you. 15Don't I have the right to do as I wish with my own money? Or are you jealous because I am generous?’ ”
16 #
Mt 19.30; Mk 10.31; Lk 13.30 And Jesus concluded, “So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.”
Jesus Speaks a Third Time about his Death
(Mk 10.32–34; Lk 18.31–34)
17As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and spoke to them privately, as they walked along. 18“Listen,” he told them, “we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death 19and then hand him over to the Gentiles, who will mock him, whip him, and crucify him; but three days later he will be raised to life.”
A Mother's Request
(Mk 10.35–45)
20Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons, bowed before him, and asked him a favour.
21 “What do you want?” Jesus asked her.
She answered, “Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you are King.”
22 “You don't know what you are asking for,” Jesus answered the sons. “Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23 “You will indeed drink from my cup,” Jesus told them, “but I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left. These places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.”
24When the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. 25#Lk 22.25–26So Jesus called them all together and said, “You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority. 26#Mt 23.11; Mk 9.35; Lk 22.26This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, he must be the servant of the rest; 27and if one of you wants to be first, he must be your slave — 28like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
(Mk 10.46–52; Lk 18.35–43)
29As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd was following. 30Two blind men who were sitting by the road heard that Jesus was passing by, so they began to shout, “Son of David! Take pity on us, sir!”
31The crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Son of David! Take pity on us, sir!”
32Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked them.
33“Sir,” they answered, “we want you to give us our sight!”
34Jesus had pity on them and touched their eyes; at once they were able to see, and they followed him.
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Good News Bible. Scripture taken from the Good News Bible (r) (Today's English Version Second Edition, UK/British Edition). Copyright © 1992 British & Foreign Bible Society. Used by permission.