Matthew 20
1 For the kingdom of the heavens is like a householder who went out with the early morn to hire workmen for his vineyard.
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
2 And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 And having gone out about [the] third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle;
About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
4 and to them he said, Go also ye into the vineyard, and whatsoever may be just I will give you. And they went their way.
‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’
5 Again, having gone out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise.
So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
6 But about the eleventh [hour], having gone out, he found others standing, and says to them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
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.
7 They 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].
‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. So he told them, ‘You also go into my vineyard.’
8 But 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.
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.’
9 And when they [who came to work] about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius.
The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
10 And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they received also themselves each a denarius.
So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.
11 And on receiving it they murmured against the master of the house,
On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner.
12 saying, 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.
‘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.’
13 But he answering said to one of them, [My] friend, I do not wrong thee. Didst thou not agree with me for a denarius?
But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius?
14 Take what is thine and go. But it is my will to give to this last even as to thee:
Take your pay and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you.
15 is it not lawful for me to do what I will in my own affairs? Is thine eye evil because I am good?
Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 Thus shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called ones, but few chosen ones.
So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
17 And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples with [him] apart in the way, and said to them,
As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside and said,
18 Behold 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;
“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
19 and they will deliver him up to the nations to mock and to scourge and to crucify, and the third day he shall rise again.
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.”
20 Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, doing homage, and asking something of him.
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him.
21 And 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.
“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.”
22 And 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.
“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.
23 [And] 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.
“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.”
24 And the ten, having heard [of it], were indignant about the two brothers.
When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25 But 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.
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.
26 It shall not be thus amongst you, but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant;
It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your bondman;
and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—
28 as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.
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.”
29 And as they went out from Jericho a great crowd followed him.
As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.
30 And 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.
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!”
31 But the crowd rebuked them, that they might be silent. But they cried out the more, saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.
The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 And Jesus, having stopped, called them and said, What will ye that I shall do to you?
Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.
33 They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
“Lord,” they answered, “let our eyes be opened.”
34 And Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes had sight restored to them, and they followed him.
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and at once they received their sight and followed Him.
