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 heaven is like the master of a house, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 He agreed to pay the workers one denarius for the day, and sent them to work in his vineyard.

And when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 Around 9 a.m. he went out and saw others without work standing in the marketplace.

And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the market, idle;

4 ‘Go and work in the vineyard too, and I'll pay you what's right,’ he told them. So they went to work.

and he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.

5 Around noon and 3 p.m. he went out and did the same thing.

And they went. Again he went out about the sixth, and about the ninth hour, and did in like manner.

6 At 5 p.m. he went out and found others standing there. ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?’ he asked them.

And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why do you stand here all the day idle?

7 ‘Because nobody has hired us,’ they replied. ‘Go and work in the vineyard too,’ he told them.

They said to him: No man has hired us. He said to them: Go you also into the vineyard, and whatever is right you shall receive.

8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his manager, ‘Call the workers in, and pay them their wages. Begin with the workers hired last and then move on to those hired first.’

When the evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward: Call the laborers, and, beginning with the last, pay them their hire even to the first.

9 When those who were hired at 5 p.m. came in, they each received one denarius.

And when those came who had been hired about the eleventh hour, they received each one a denarius.

10 So when those who were hired first came in, they thought they would get more, but they also received one denarius.

But when those came who had been hired first, they thought that they would receive more; and they received each one a denarius.

11 When they received their pay, they complained to the owner.

And when they received it, they murmured against the master of the house,

12 ‘Those who were hired last only worked for an hour, and you've paid them the same as us who worked the whole day in the burning heat,’ they grumbled.

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

13 The owner answered one of them, ‘My friend, I haven't treated you unfairly. Didn't you agree with me to work for one denarius?

But he answered and said to one of them: Friend, I do you no injustice; did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take your pay and go. I want to pay those who were hired last the same as I paid you.

Take what is yours, and go; I will give to this last even as to you.

15 Can't I choose to do what I want with my own money? Why should you give me evil looks because I want to do good?’

Is it not allowed me to do what I will with my own? Or, is your eye envious, because I am good?

16 In this way the last shall be first and the first shall be last.”

So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.

17 On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples aside as they walked along and told them,

And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside on his journey, and said to them:

18 “Look, we're going to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be betrayed to the chief priests and religious teachers. They will condemn him to death

Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death,

19 and hand him over to the foreigners to mock him, whip him, and crucify him. But on the third day he will be raised from the dead.”

and will deliver him to the Gentiles to deride, and to scourge, and to crucify: and on the third day he shall rise again.

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came with her two sons to Jesus. She kneeled down before him to make a request.

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

21 “What is it you are asking me for?” Jesus said to her. “Please appoint my sons to sit beside you in your kingdom, one on your right and the other on your left,” she asked.

He said to her: What do you wish? She said to him: Command that these two sons of mine may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.

22 “You don't know what you're asking,” Jesus told them. “Are you able to drink the cup I'm about to drink?” “Yes, we are able to do that,” they told him.

But Jesus answered and said: You know not what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and to be immersed with the immersion with which I am immersed? They said to him: We are able.

23 “You will certainly drink from my cup,” he said to them, “but the privilege to sit on my right or on my left isn't mine to give. My Father is the one who has decided who that will be.”

And he said to them: You shall drink my cup, and be immersed with the immersion with which I am immersed: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it has been prepared by my Father.

24 When the other ten disciples heard what they had asked, they were annoyed with the two brothers.

And when the ten heard it, their anger was aroused against the two brothers.

25 Jesus called them together and told them, “You know that foreign rulers lord it over their subjects, and powerful leaders oppress them.

But Jesus called them to him, and said: You know that the rulers of the Gentiles act as lords over them, and their great men have authority over them.

26 It shall not be like that for you. Whoever among you wants to be the most important will be your servant.

It shall not be so among you. But whoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.

27 Whoever among you wants to be first will be like a slave.

And whoever will be first among you, let him be your servant;

28 In the same way the Son of man didn't come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

even as the Son of man came, not to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

29 As they left Jericho, a huge crowd followed Jesus.

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

30 Two blind men were sitting at the side of the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they called out, “Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David!”

And behold, two blind men, sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying: Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David.

31 The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted even louder, “Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David!”

And the multitude charged them to be silent. But they cried the more, saying: Have mercy on us, Lord, son of David.

32 Jesus stopped. He called them over, asking, “What do you want me to do for you?”

And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said: What do you wish me to do for you?

33 “Lord, please make us able to see,” they replied.

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

34 Jesus had pity on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.

Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes; and their eyes immediately received sight, and they followed him.