Matthew 20

1 "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,

For the Administration of Heaven will resemble the conduct of a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 and having made an agreement with them for a shilling a day, sent them into his vineyard.

Having agreed with some for a denarius a-day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 About nine o'clock he went out and saw others loitering in the market-place.

About the third hour he went out, and seeing others unemployed in the market place,

4 To these also he said, "'You also, go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'

said to them, Go you likewise into my vineyard, and I will give you what is reasonable. Accordingly they went.

5 "So they went. Again about twelve, and about three o'clock, he went out and did the same.

Again, about the sixth hour, and about the ninth, he went out and did the same.

6 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?'

Lastly, about the eleventh hour, he went out, and finding others standing, said to them, Why do you stand here all the day doing nothing?

7 "'Because no one has hired us,' they replied. "'You also, go into the vineyard,' he said.

They answered, Because no person has hired us. He said to them, Go you also into my vineyard, and you shall receive what is reasonable.

8 "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.'

When it was night, the proprietor of the vineyard said to his steward, Call the laborers, and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, and ending with the first.

9 "When those came who had begun at five o'clock, they received a shilling apiece;

Then they who had been hired at the eleventh hour came, and received each a denarius.

10 and when the first came, they expected to get more, but they also each got the shilling.

When the first came, they imagined they should receive more; but they got only a denarius a-piece.

11 So when they had received it, they grumbled against the employer, saying,

Upon receiving it, they murmured against the householder,

12 "'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.'

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

13 "'My friend,' he answered to one of them, 'I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a shilling?

He answering, said to one of them, Friend, I do you no injury. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take your money and go. I choose to give this last comer just as much as I give you.

Take what is yours, and depart. It is my will to give to this last as much as to you.

15 Have I not a right to do what I choose with my own property? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

And may not I do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil, because I am good?

16 "So the last shall be first, and the first last."

Thus the last shall be first, and first last; for there are many called, but few chosen.

17 Jesus was now going up to Jerusalem, and He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,

When Jesus was on the road to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside, and said to them,

18 "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,

We are now going to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, who will condemn him to die,

19 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."

and deliver him to the Gentiles to be mocked, and scourged, and crucified; but the third day he will rise again.

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zabdi came to Him with her sons, and knelt before Him to make a request of Him.

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to him with her sons, and, prostrating herself, entreated he would grant the request she had to make.

21 "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."

He said to her, What do you wish? She answered, That, in your Reign, one of these my two sons may sit at your right hand, the other at your left.

22 "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.

Jesus replying, said, You know not what you ask. Can you drink such a cup as I must drink? They said to him, We can.

23 "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."

He answered, You shall indeed drink such a cup. But to sit on my right hand, and at my left, I can not give, unless to those for whom it is prepared by my Father.

24 The other ten heard of this, and their indignation was aroused against the two brothers.

The then, hearing this, were full of indignation against the two brothers;

25 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.

but Jesus, calling them to him, said, You know that the Princes of the nations domineer over them, and the great exercise their authority upon them.

26 Not so shall it be among you; but whoever desires to be great among you shall be your servant,

It must not be so amongst you: on the contrary, whosoever would become great amongst you, let him be your servant;

27 and whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant;

and whosoever would be chief amongst you, let him be your slave:

28 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."

even 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, an immense crowd following Him,

As they left Jericho, followed by a great multitude,

30 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."

two blind men, who sat by the way-side, hearing that Jesus passed by cried, saying, Master, Son of David, have pity on us.

31 The people angrily tried to silence them, but they cried all the louder. "O Sir, Son of David, pity us," they said.

The multitude charged them to be silent: but they cried the louder, saying, Master, Son of David, have pity on us.

32 So Jesus stood still and called to them. "What shall I do for you?" He asked.

Then Jesus stopping, called them, and said, What do you want me to do for you?

33 "Sir, let our eyes be opened," they replied.

They answered, Sir, to make us see.

34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.

Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. Immediately they received sight, and followed him.