Matthew 20
20
The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. #
Mt 13:24; 21:28,33 2After agreeing with the workers on one denarius,#20:2 A denarius = one day’s wage, also in vv. 9,10,13 he sent them into his vineyard for the day. 3When he went out about nine in the morning,#20:3 Lit about the third hour he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5About noon and about three,#20:5 Lit about the sixth hour and the ninth hour he went out again and did the same thing. 6Then about five#20:6 Lit about the eleventh hour, also in v. 9 he went and found others standing around#20:6 Other mss add doing nothing and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him.
“‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he told them. # 20:7 Other mss add ‘and you’ll get whatever is right.’ 8When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay,#Lv 19:13; Dt 24:15 starting with the last and ending with the first.’
9 “When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius. 10So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’#Jnh 4:8; Lk 12:55; Jms 1:11
13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius? #
Mt 22:12; 26:50 14Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous#20:15 Lit Is your eye evil; an idiom for jealousy or stinginess because I’m generous?’ #20:15 Lit good#Dt 15:9; Pr 23:6; Mt 6:23; Mk 7:22
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.” # 20:16 Other mss add “For many are called, but few are chosen.” #
Mt 19:30; Mk 10:31; Lk 13:30
The Third Prediction of His Death
17While going up to Jerusalem,#Mk 10:32–34; Lk 18:31–33 Jesus took the twelve disciples aside privately and said to them on the way, 18“See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.#Mt 16:21; 26:66; Jn 19:7 19They will hand him over to the Gentiles#Mt 27:2; Ac 2:23; 3:13; 4:27; 21:11 to be mocked, flogged,#20:19 Or scourged and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised.” #20:19 Other mss read will rise again
Suffering and Service
20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached him with her sons.#Mk 10:35–45; Lk 22:24–27 She knelt down to ask him for something.#Mt 4:21; 8:2 21“What do you want?” he asked her.
“Promise,”#20:21 Lit Say she said to him, “that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left, in your kingdom.”#Mt 16:28; 19:28; 25:31,34; Lk 23:42
22Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” #20:22 Other mss add and (or) to be baptized with the baptism which I am baptized?”#Is 51:22; Jr 49:12; Mk 14:36
“We are able,” they said to him.
23He told them, “You will indeed drink my cup,#20:23 Other mss add and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized. but to sit at my right and left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”#Ac 12:2; Rv 1:9
24When the ten disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers. 25Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 26It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,#Mt 23:11; Mk 9:35 27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; 28just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,#Lk 22:27; Jn 13:13–15; 2Co 8:9; Php 2:7 and to give his life as a ransom for many.”#Mt 26:28; 1Tm 2:6; Ti 2:14; Heb 9:28
Two Blind Men Healed
29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.#Mk 10:46–52; Lk 18:35–43 30There were two blind men sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31The crowd demanded that they keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” #Mt 9:27; 21:9; 22:42
32Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33“Lord,” they said to him, “open our eyes.” 34Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.
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Matthew 20: CSB
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© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
Matthew 20
20
Labourers in the Vineyard
1 For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. 2And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny 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 unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. 5Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise. 6And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive. 8So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first. 9And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny. 10But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. 11And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house, 12saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day. 13But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? 14Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. 15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? 16So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.
17And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, 18Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 19and shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.
Mother of James and John
20Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. 21And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. 22But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. 23And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of 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 shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. 25But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. 29And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
Two Blind Men
30And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 31And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou Son of David. 32And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you? 33They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
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