Matthew 20
20
Jesus told a story about work-men in a garden
1Jesus said to his followers, “This picture story is about the people that will be in God’s family. There was a man that owned a garden, and he wanted some work-men to get a job finished in one day. So he went out early in the morning, to the place in the town where men waited around looking for a job. 2He talked to the men there, and they agreed to work for him. He agreed to give them the right pay, the pay that men always get for a day’s work. Then he sent them to work in his garden.
3At 9 o’clock in the morning he went again to that place in the town, and he saw some other men standing around doing nothing. 4So he gave each of them a job too. He told them, ‘Come and work in my garden today, and I will pay you the right money at the end of the day.’ 5So they went to work in his garden.
Then, in the middle of the day, the boss went to that place in the town again. And he found some more men there, and he did the same for them. He gave them jobs. At 3 o’clock in the afternoon, he did the same thing. He found some more men and gave them jobs too.
6Then, at 5 o’clock in the afternoon, he went into town again, and he saw some more men standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’
7They said, ‘Because nobody gave us a job.’
The boss said to them, ‘All right, I’ll give each of you a job. Go and work in my garden.’
8At the end of the day, he told his manager, ‘Tell all the work-men to come here, and we will pay them their money. Tell the last work-men to come first.’#Leviticus 19:13; Deuteronomy 24:15 9So he paid the men that started their job at 5 o’clock, and he gave each of them a full day’s pay. Then he kept on paying the other men, and he gave each man a full day’s pay. 10Last of all, he paid the men that started their job early in the morning. They thought they were going to get more money, but they didn’t. Each of them got a full day’s pay, just like the other men. 11When they got their money, they complained to the boss. They said, 12‘Those men only worked for one hour, and you paid them just as much money as you paid us. That’s not fair. We worked all day in the hot sun.’
13The boss said to one of them, ‘My friend, I’m not cheating you. You agreed to work all day for one day’s pay, right? 14Well, take your money and go home. You see, I wanted to pay these last work-men the same as you. 15It’s all right for me to do what I want with my own money, right? If I’m good to somebody, don’t get upset with me.’ ”
16Then Jesus told them what that story means. He said, “One day, those people that are the last ones now, they will be the first ones. And those people that are the first ones now, they will be the last ones.”#Matthew 19:30; Mark 10:31; Luke 13:30
(We have not yet translated 20:17—21:27. You can read that story and those messages in Mark 10:32—11:33.)
Currently Selected:
Matthew 20: PEV
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 2021, Wycliffe Bible Translators, Inc. All rights reserved.
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.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.