The Workers in the Vineyard
20 “The kingdom from[a] heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing to pay the workers one denarius[b] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine o’clock,[c] he saw others standing in the marketplace without work. 4 He told them, ‘You go into the vineyard, too, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5 So off they went. He went out again about noon[d] and about three o’clock[e] and did the same thing. 6 About five o’clock[f] he went out and found some others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why are you standing here all day long without work?’ 7 They told him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He told them, ‘You go into the vineyard as well.’
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his manager, ‘Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last and ending with[g] the first.’ 9 Those who were hired at five o’clock[h] came, and each received a denarius.
10 “When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received a denarius as well. 11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner, 12 ‘These last fellows worked only one hour, but you paid them the same as us, and we’ve been working all day,[i] enduring the scorching heat!’
13 “But he told one of them, ‘Friend, I’m not treating you unfairly. You did agree with me for a denarius, didn’t you? 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give this last man as much as I gave you.[j] 15 I am allowed to do what I want with my own money,[k] am I not? Or are you envious[l] because I’m generous?’
16 “In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen.”[m]
Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time(A)
17 When Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples[n] aside and told them as they were walking along, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death. 19 Then they will hand him over to unbelievers[o] to be mocked, whipped, and crucified, but on the third day he will be raised.”
The Request of James and John(B)
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus[p] with her sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor. 21 He asked her, “What do you want?”
She told him, “Promise[q] that in your kingdom these two sons of mine will sit on your right and on your left.”
22 Jesus replied, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink from the cup that I’m going to drink from?”[r]
They told him, “We can.”
23 He told them, “You will indeed drink from my cup. But it’s not up to me to grant you a seat at my right hand or at my left. These positions have already been prepared for others by my Father.”
24 When the ten heard this, they became furious with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called the disciples[s] and said, “You know that the rulers of the unbelievers[t] lord it over them and their superiors act like tyrants over them. 26 That’s not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. 28 That’s the way it is with the Son of Man. He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men(C)
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Jesus.[u] 30 When two blind men who were sitting by the roadside heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, Lord,[v] Son of David!” 31 When the crowd told them harshly to be silent, they shouted even louder, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!”
32 Jesus stopped and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 They told him, “Lord, we want to be able to see!”[w] 34 Then Jesus, deeply moved with compassion, touched their eyes, and at once they could see again. So they followed him.
Footnotes
- Matthew 20:1 Lit. of
- Matthew 20:2 The denarius was the usual day’s wage for a laborer.
- Matthew 20:3 Lit. the third hour
- Matthew 20:5 Lit. the sixth hour
- Matthew 20:5 Lit. the ninth hour
- Matthew 20:6 Lit. the eleventh hour
- Matthew 20:8 Lit. and up to
- Matthew 20:9 Lit. the eleventh hour
- Matthew 20:12 Lit. we’ve endured the burden of the day
- Matthew 20:14 Lit. to this last man as also to you
- Matthew 20:15 Lit. things
- Matthew 20:15 Lit. Or is your eye evil
- Matthew 20:16 Other mss. lack For many are called, but few are chosen
- Matthew 20:17 Other mss. lack disciples
- Matthew 20:19 Lit. to the gentiles; i.e. unbelieving non-Jews
- Matthew 20:20 Lit. him
- Matthew 20:21 Lit. Say
- Matthew 20:22 Other mss. read to drink from, or be baptized with the baptism with which I’m going to be baptized?
- Matthew 20:25 Lit. them
- Matthew 20:25 Lit. gentiles; i.e. unbelieving non-Jews
- Matthew 20:29 Lit. him
- Matthew 20:30 Other mss. read Jesus
- Matthew 20:33 Lit. Lord, that our eyes be opened