Matthew 20

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

For the kingdom of the heavens is compared to a man, a house-ruler, who went out in the early morning at the same time to hire workmen for his vineyard.

2 He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.

And having gone out about the third hour, he saw others having stood idle in the marketplace.

4 ‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’

And he said to those men, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatever would be right I will give you, and they went.

5 So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.

Again having gone out about the sixth and the ninth hour, he did likewise.

6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.

And having gone out about the eleventh hour, he found others who have stood idle. And he says to them, Why have ye stood here idle the whole day?

7 ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. So he told them, ‘You also go into my vineyard.’

They say to him, Because no man has hired us. He says to them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatever would be right ye will receive.

8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’

And having become evening, the lord of the vineyard says to his manager, Call the workmen, and render to them their wage, having begun from the last until the first.

9 The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.

And those who came about the eleventh hour, each received a denarius.

10 So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.

But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more. And they also received a denarius each.

11 On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner.

And when they received it, they murmured against the house-ruler,

12 ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’

saying, These last did one hour, and thou have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the heat.

13 But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius?

But having answered, he said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong. Did thou not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take your pay and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you.

Take thine and go. But I want to give to this last man, as to thee also.

15 Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’

Is it not permitted for me to do what I want with my own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

So the last will be first, and the first last, for many are called, but few chosen.

17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside and said,

And while going up to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples in private on the way, and he said to them,

18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and scholars. And they will condemn him to death,

19 and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. And on the third day He will be raised to life.”

and will deliver him to the Gentiles to ridicule, and to scourge, and to crucify. And the third day he will rise.

20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him.

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, worshiping, and asking something from him.

21 “What do you want?” He inquired. She answered, “Declare that in Your kingdom one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right hand, and the other at Your left.”

And he said to her, What do thou want? She says to him, Speak that these my two sons may sit, one at thy right hand and one at thy left hand in thy kingdom.

22 “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” the brothers answered.

But having answered, Jesus said, Ye know not what ye are asking. Are ye able to drink the cup that I am going to drink, or to be immersed the immersion that I am immersed? They say to him, We are able.

23 “You will indeed drink My cup,” Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”

And he says to them, Ye will indeed drink my cup, and ye will be immersed the immersion that I am immersed. But to sit at my right hand and at my left hand is not mine to give, but to whom it has been prepared by my Father.

24 When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.

And when the ten heard it, they were indignant about the two brothers.

25 But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.

But having summoned them, Jesus said, Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord over them, and their eminent men have power over them.

26 It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

But it shall not be so among you. Rather whoever wants to become great among you, he shall be your helper,

27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—

and whoever wants be first among you shall be your bondman.

28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

Just as the Son of man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.

And when they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

30 And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

And behold, two blind men sitting by the wayside, having heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Be merciful to us, Lord, thou son of David.

31 The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”

And the multitude rebuked them, so that they would be quiet, but they cried out greater, saying, Be merciful to us, Lord, thou son of David.

32 Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.

And having stood still, Jesus called them and said, What do ye want that I would do to you?

33 “Lord,” they answered, “let our eyes be opened.”

They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and at once they received their sight and followed Him.

And having felt compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and straightaway they received their sight, and followed him.