Matthew 20
20
Workers in the vineyard
1 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2After he agreed with the workers to pay them a denarion,#20.2 A denarion was a typical day’s wage. he sent them into his vineyard.
3 “Then he went out around nine in the morning and saw others standing around the marketplace doing nothing. 4He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I’ll pay you whatever is right.’ 5And they went.
“Again around noon and then at three in the afternoon, he did the same thing. 6Around five in the afternoon he went and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why are you just standing around here doing nothing all day long?’
7 “‘Because nobody has hired us,’ they replied.
“He responded, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and moving on finally to the first.’ 9When those who were hired at five in the afternoon came, each one received a denarion. 10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarion. 11When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, 12‘These who were hired last worked one hour, and they received the same pay as we did even though we had to work the whole day in the hot sun.’
13“But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I did you no wrong. Didn’t I agree to pay you a denarion? 14Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give to this one who was hired last the same as I give to you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you resentful because I’m generous?’ 16So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”
Jesus predicts his death and resurrection
17As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the Twelve aside by themselves on the road. He told them, 18“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Human One#20.18 Or Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and legal experts. They will condemn him to death. 19They will hand him over to the Gentiles to be ridiculed, tortured, and crucified. But he will be raised on the third day.”
Request from James and John’s mother
20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus along with her sons. Bowing before him, she asked a favor of him.
21“What do you want?” he asked.
She responded, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one on your right hand and one on your left, in your kingdom.”
22Jesus replied, “You don’t know what you’re asking! Can you drink from the cup that I’m about to drink from?”
They said to him, “We can.”
23He said to them, “You will drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left hand isn’t mine to give. It belongs to those for whom my Father prepared it.”
24Now when the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that those who rule the Gentiles show off their authority over them and their high-ranking officials order them around. 26But that’s not the way it will be with you. Whoever wants to be great among you will be your servant. 27Whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave— 28just as the Human One#20.28 Or Son of Man didn’t come to be served but rather to serve and to give his life to liberate many people.”
Healing of two blind men
29As Jesus and his disciples were going out of Jericho a large crowd followed him. 30When two blind men sitting along the road heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!”
31Now the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even louder, “Show us mercy, Lord, Son of David!”
32Jesus stopped in his tracks and called to them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33“Lord, we want to see,” they replied.
34Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they followed him.
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Matthew 20: CEB
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2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.
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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The Holy Bible, New Century Version, Copyright © 2005 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.