< Matthew 20 >

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man, the lord of a house, who went out, at dawn of day, to hire laborers for his vineyard.
"For the Kingdom of the Heavens is like an employer who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard,
2 And he contracted with the labors for a denarius a day: and sent them into his vineyard.
and having made an agreement with them for a shilling a day, sent them into his vineyard.
3 And he went out at the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the market-place:
About nine o'clock he went out and saw others loitering in the market-place.
4 and he said to them, Go ye also into my vineyard, and what is right I will give you;
To these also he said, "'You also, go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'
5 and they went. And again he went out at the sixth and ninth hours, and did the same.
"So they went. Again about twelve, and about three o'clock, he went out and did the same.
6 And about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others who were standing and idle; and he said to them: Why stand ye all the day, and are idle?
And going out about five o'clock he found others loitering, and he asked them, "'Why have you been standing here all day long, doing nothing?'
7 They say to him, Because no one hath hired us. He saith to them: Go ye also into the vineyard; and what is right ye shall receive.
"'Because no one has hired us,' they replied. "'You also, go into the vineyard,' he said.
8 And when it was evening, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward: Call the laborers, and give them their wages; and commence with the last, and proceed to the first.
"When evening came, the master said to his steward, "'Call the men and pay them their wages. Begin with the last set and finish with the first.'
9 And those of the eleventh hour came, and received each a denarius.
"When those came who had begun at five o'clock, they received a shilling apiece;
10 And when the first came, they supposed they should receive more; but they also received each a denarius.
and when the first came, they expected to get more, but they also each got the shilling.
11 And when they received it, they murmured against the lord of the house,
So when they had received it, they grumbled against the employer, saying,
12 and said: These last have labored but one hour, and thou hast made them equal with us who have borne the burden of the day and the heat of it.
"'These who came last have done only one hour's work, and you have put them on a level with us who have worked the whole day and have borne the scorching heat.'
13 But he answered, and said to one of them: My friend, I do thee no injustice: was it not for a denarius that thou didst contract with me?
"'My friend,' he answered to one of them, 'I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a shilling?
14 Take what belongeth to thee, and go: for I am disposed to give to this last, as to thee.
Take your money and go. I choose to give this last comer just as much as I give you.
15 Is it not lawful for me, to do what I please with what belongeth to me; or is thy eye evil, because I am good?
Have I not a right to do what I choose with my own property? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
16 Thus the last shall be first, and the first last: for the called are many, but the chosen are few.
"So the last shall be first, and the first last."
17 And Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem: and he took his twelve disciples aside, on the way, and said to them:
Jesus was now going up to Jerusalem, and He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,
18 Behold we are going to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered up to the chief priests and to the Scribes, and they will condemn him to death.
"We are going up to Jerusalem, and there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the High Priests and Scribes. They will condemn Him to death,
19 And they will deliver him over to the Gentiles: and they will mock him, and will scourge him, and will crucify him; and the third day, he will arise.
and hand Him over to the Gentiles to be made sport of and scourged and crucified; and on the third day He will be raised to life."
20 Then came, to him the mother of Zebedee's children, she and her sons; and she worshipped him, and asked something from him.
Then the mother of the sons of Zabdi came to Him with her sons, and knelt before Him to make a request of Him.
21 And he said to her, What desirest thou? She said to him: Say, that these my two sons shall sit, the one on thy right hand and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.
"What is it you desire?" He asked. "Command," she replied, "that these my two sons may sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your Kingdom."
22 Jesus answered and said: Ye know not what ye ask for. Can ye drink of the cup, of which I am to drink? or be baptized with the baptism, that I am baptized with? They say to him: We can.
"None of you know what you are asking for," said Jesus; "can you drink out of the cup from which I am about to drink?" "We can," they replied.
23 He saith to them: Ye will indeed drink of my cup, and will be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but that ye should sit on my right hand and on my left, is not mine to give, except to those for whom it is prepared by my Father.
"You shall drink out of my cup," He said, "but a seat at my right hand or at my left it is not for me to allot, but it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
24 And when the ten heard it, they were angry against the two brothers.
The other ten heard of this, and their indignation was aroused against the two brothers.
25 And Jesus called them, and said to them: Ye know that the princes of the nations are their lords, and their great men exercise authority over them.
But Jesus called them to Him, and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.
26 Not so shall it be among you. But whoever among you desireth to be great, let him be to you, a ministerer:
Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant,
27 and whoever among you desireth to be first, let him be your servant:
and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant;
28 even as the Son of man came, not to be served, but to serve; and to give his life a ransom for many.
just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as the redemption-price for many."
29 And as Jesus passed out of Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
As they were leaving Jericho, an immense crowd following Him,
30 And lo, two blind men were sitting by the way side. And when they heard that Jesus was passing, they called out, and said: Have compassion on us, my Lord, thou son of David!
two blind men sitting by the roadside heard that it was Jesus who was passing by, and cried aloud, "Sir, Son of David, pity us."
31 And the multitudes rebuked them, that they might be silent. But they raised their voice the more, and said: Our Lord, have compassion on us, thou son of David.
The people angrily tried to silence them, but they cried all the louder. "O Sir, Son of David, pity us," they said.
32 And Jesus stopped, and called them, and said: What wish ye, that I should do for you?
So Jesus stood still and called to them. "What shall I do for you?" He asked.
33 They said to him: Our Lord, that our eyes may be opened.
"Sir, let our eyes be opened," they replied.
34 And he had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes were opened, and they followed him.
Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

< Matthew 20 >