Matthew 20
20
Laborers in the Vineyard
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius#20:2 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And #[1 Cor. 15:8]about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8And #Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15 when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his #Luke 8:3; [ch. 24:45]foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and #Luke 12:55; James 1:11 (Gk.)the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, #ch. 22:12; 26:50‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take #ch. 25:25what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15#[Rom. 9:15-24] Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or #ch. 6:23; Deut. 15:9; Prov. 23:6do you begrudge my generosity?’#20:15 Or is your eye bad because I am good? 16So #See ch. 19:30the last will be first, and the first last.”
Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
17 # For ver. 17-19, see Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33; [ch. 16:21-28; 17:12, 22, 23] And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18“See, #See ch. 16:21 we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will #ch. 26:66; John 19:7condemn him to death 19and #ch. 27:2; John 18:30, 31; Acts 3:13; [Acts 2:23; 4:27; 21:11] deliver him over to the Gentiles #ch. 27:26-31 to be mocked and flogged and #ch. 26:2; Luke 24:7; John 12:32, 33; 18:32 crucified, and he will be raised on #ch. 16:21; 27:63the third day.”
A Mother’s Request
20 # For ver. 20-28, see Mark 10:35-45 Then #ch. 4:21; 27:56 the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and #See ch. 8:2kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine #[ch. 19:28] are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, #ch. 16:28; 25:31, 34; Luke 23:42in your kingdom.” 22Jesus answered, #[Luke 9:33; 23:34] “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able #ch. 26:29, 42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; John 18:11; [Isa. 51:22]to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23He said to them, #[Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:10] “You will drink #Acts 12:2; Rev. 1:9 my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, #[ch. 19:11] but it is for those for whom it has been #ch. 25:34prepared by my Father.” 24And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, #For ver. 25-28, [ch. 18:1-4; Luke 22:25-27] “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles #1 Pet. 5:3lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26#ch. 23:11; [Luke 9:48]It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,#20:26 Greek diakonos 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,#20:27 Or bondservant, or servant (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface) 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but #John 13:4, 13-15; Phil. 2:7; [2 Cor. 8:9] to serve, and #Isa. 53:10; Dan. 9:26; John 10:15; 11:51, 52; Rom. 4:25; Gal. 1:4; 2:20; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 to give his life as a ransom for #ch. 26:28; Isa. 53:11, 12; Heb. 2:10; 9:28; [Rom. 5:15; Rev. 5:9]many.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 # For ver. 29-34, see Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43; [ch. 9:27-31] And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,#20:30 Some manuscripts omit Lord have mercy on us, #ch. 21:9; 22:42; See ch. 1:1Son of David!” 31The crowd #ch. 19:13rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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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.
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First published in 1890. This edition is maintained by the British and Foreign Bible Society.