Matthew 20

1 “[In order to illustrate how God rewards people], I will compare [the way] God [MTY/EUP] rules his people with what the owner of an estate [did]. Early in the morning the owner of the estate went to [the market] where [people who wanted work gathered]. He went there to hire laborers to work in his vineyard.

'For the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a householder, who went forth with the morning to hire workmen for his vineyard,

2 He promised the men whom he hired that he would pay them the standard wage [for working] one day. Then he sent them to his vineyards.

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

3 At nine o’clock [that same morning] he went back [to the market]. There he saw more men who did not have work.

'And having gone forth about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle,

4 He said to them, ‘Go to my vineyard as other men have done, [and work there]. I will pay you whatever is a just [wage].’ [So they also went to his vineyard and began to work].

and to these he said, Go ye — also ye — to the vineyard, and whatever may be righteous I will give you;

5 At noon and at three o’clock he again went [to the market] and found [other laborers whom he promised to pay a fair wage].

and they went away. 'Again, having gone forth about the sixth and the ninth hour, he did in like manner.

6 At five o’clock he went [to the market again] and saw other [men] standing [there who were not working]. He said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day and not working?’

And about the eleventh hour, having gone forth, he found others standing idle, and saith to them, Why here have ye stood all the day idle?

7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘[I will hire you]. Go to my vineyard as other men have done, [and work there.’ So they went].

they say to him, Because no one did hire us; he saith to them, Go ye — ye also — to the vineyard, and whatever may be righteous ye shall receive.

8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Tell the men to come so that you can give them their wages. First, pay the men who started working last, and pay the men last who started working first.’

'And evening having come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward, Call the workmen, and pay them the reward, having begun from the last — unto the first.

9 The [manager] paid the standard daily wage to each of the men who did not start working until five o’clock [in the afternoon].

And they of about the eleventh hour having come, did receive each a denary.

10 When the men who had begun working early [in the morning] went [to get their wages], they thought that they would receive more than the standard wage. But they also received only the standard wage.

'And the first having come, did suppose that they shall receive more, and they received, they also, each a denary,

11 So they complained to the owner of the vineyard [because they thought their payment was unfair].

and having received [it], they were murmuring against the householder, saying,

12 They said [to him], ‘[You are not being fair!] The men who started working after [all of the rest of us started] worked for [only] one hour! You have [paid] them the same [wage] as [you paid] us! But we worked hard [all] day [IDM], [including working in the] hottest part of the day!’

that These, the last, wrought one hour, and thou didst make them equal to us, who were bearing the burden of the day — and the heat.

13 The owner of the vineyard said to one of those [who complained], ‘Friend, I did not treat you unfairly. You agreed with me [to work the whole day] for the standard wage [RHQ].

'And he answering said to one of them, Comrade, I do no unrighteousness to thee; for a denary didst not thou agree with me?

14 [Stop complaining to me]! Take your wage and go! I desire to give the same wage that I gave you to the men who began working after all of you [had begun working].

take that which is thine, and go; and I will to give to this, the last, also as to thee;

15 I certainly have a right to [spend my money] as I desire [RHQ], [including paying those laborers what I desire to pay them]. (You should not be envious about my being generous!/Are you angry [MET] because I am generous?) [RHQ]’”

is it not lawful to me to do what I will in mine own? is thine eye evil because I am good?

16 [Then Jesus said to us], “Similarly, [God will reward] well [some] people who [seem to be] less important now, and he will not reward [some] people who [seem to be] more important [now].”

So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many are called, and few chosen.'

17 When Jesus was walking [on the road] up to Jerusalem, [along with us] twelve [disciples], he took us to a place by ourselves [in order that he could talk to us privately]. Then he said to us,

And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples by themselves in the way, and said to them,

18 “Listen carefully! We are [now] going up to Jerusalem. [While we are there, someone] will enable the chief priests and the men who teach the [Jewish] laws to seize [me], the one who came from heaven, [and they will put me on trial]. They will condemn me [and say] that I should be killed {the authorities should kill me}.

'Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests and scribes,

19 [Then they] will put me in the hands of non-Jews so that they can make fun of me, whip me, [and kill me by] nailing me to a cross. But on the third day [after that], [God] will cause me to live again.”

and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the nations to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify, and the third day he will rise again.'

20 Then the mother of James and John brought her two sons to Jesus. She bowed down before Jesus and asked him to do her a favor.

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

21 Jesus said to her, “What do you want [me to do for you]?” She said to him, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit next to you (OR, Permit these two sons of mine to sit next to you at your right side and at your left side) [and rule with you] [MTY] when you become king.”

and he said to her, 'What wilt thou?' She saith to him, 'Say, that they may sit — these my two sons — one on thy right hand, and one on the left, in thy reign.'

22 Jesus said to [her and her sons], “You do not understand what you are asking for. Can you suffer like I am about to suffer [IDM]?” [James and John] answered him, “Yes, we are able [to do that].”

And Jesus answering said, 'Ye have not known what ye ask for yourselves; are ye able to drink of the cup that I am about to drink? and with the baptism that I am baptized with, to be baptized?' They say to him, 'We are able.'

23 Then Jesus said to them, “Yes, you will suffer as I will suffer [IDM]. But I am not the one who chooses the ones who [will] sit next to me [and rule with me]. [God], my Father, will give those places [MTY] to the ones whom he appoints.”

And he saith to them, 'Of my cup indeed ye shall drink, and with the baptism that I am baptized with ye shall be baptized; but to sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but — to those for whom it hath been prepared by my father.'

24 When we ten [other disciples] heard [what James and John had requested], we became angry with them [because we also wanted to rule with Jesus in the highest positions].

And the ten having heard, were much displeased with the two brothers,

25 [So] Jesus called all of us together and said [to us], “You know that those who rule the non-Jews [enjoy] showing them that they are powerful. Their chief rulers [enjoy] commanding the people under them.

and Jesus having called them near, said, 'Ye have known that the rulers of the nations do exercise lordship over them, and those great do exercise authority over them,

26 You [should] not be like them. On the contrary, everyone among you who wants [God to consider] him great must become [like] a servant for [the rest of] you.

but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant;

27 And everyone among you who wants [God to consider him] to be the most important must become [like] a slave for [the rest of] you.

and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant;

28 [You should imitate me]. [Even though I am] the one who came from heaven, I did not come to be served {in order that people would serve me}. On the contrary, I [came in order] to serve [others] and to [IDM] allow myself to be killed {other people to kill me}, so that [my dying would be like] a payment to rescue many [people from being punished for their sins].” [MTY]

even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.'

29 As we were leaving Jericho [city], a large crowd of people followed [us].

And they going forth from Jericho, there followed him a great multitude,

30 [As we walked along, we saw] two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they yelled [to him], “Lord, Descendant of [King] David, [you are the Messiah] Take pity on us!”

and lo, two blind men sitting by the way, having heard that Jesus doth pass by, cried, saying, 'Deal kindly with us, sir — Son of David.'

31 [People in] the crowd scolded them [and] told them to be quiet. But the blind men yelled even louder, “Lord, Descendant of [King] David, [you are the Messiah] Have pity on us!”

And the multitude charged them that they might be silent, and they cried out the more, saying, 'Deal kindly with us sir — Son of David.'

32 Jesus stopped and called them [to come to him]. [Then] he said [to them], “What do you want me to do for you?”

And having stood, Jesus called them, and said, 'What will ye [that] I may do to you?'

33 They said to him, “Lord, heal our eyes [IDM] [so that we can see]!”

they say to him, 'Sir, that our eyes may be opened;'

34 Jesus [felt] sorry [for them and] touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they went with Jesus.

and having been moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.