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
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.