Matthew 20
20
The Story of the Workers in the Vineyard
1“The kingdom of heaven is like a man who owned land. He went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to give them the usual pay for a day’s work. Then he sent them into his vineyard.
3“About nine o’clock in the morning he went out again. He saw others standing in the market doing nothing. 4He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard. I’ll pay you what is right.’ 5So they went.
“He went out again about noon and at three o’clock and did the same thing. 6About five o’clock he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’
7“ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’
8“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard spoke to the person who was in charge of the workers. He said, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay. Begin with the last ones I hired. Then go on to the first ones.’
9“The workers who were hired about five o’clock came. Each received the usual day’s pay. 10So when those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them also received the usual day’s pay. 11When they received it, they began to complain about the owner. 12‘These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said. ‘You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.’
13“The owner answered one of them. ‘Friend,’ he said, ‘I’m being fair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for the usual day’s pay? 14Take your money and go. I want to give the one I hired last the same pay I gave you. 15Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Do you feel cheated because I gave so freely to the others?’
16“So those who are last will be first. And those who are first will be last.”
Jesus Speaks a Third Time About His Coming Death
17Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took his 12 disciples to one side to talk to them. 18“We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said. “The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will sentence him to death. 19Then they will hand him over to the Gentiles. The people will make fun of him and whip him. They will nail him to a cross. On the third day, he will rise from the dead!”
A Mother Asks a Favor of Jesus
20The mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus. Her sons came with her. Getting on her knees, she asked a favor of him.
21“What do you want?” Jesus asked.
She said, “Promise me that one of my two sons may sit at your right hand in your kingdom. Promise that the other one may sit at your left hand.”
22“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup of suffering I am going to drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23Jesus said to them, “You will certainly drink from my cup. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or left hand. These places belong to those my Father has prepared them for.”
24The other ten disciples heard about this. They became angry at the two brothers. 25Jesus called them together. He said, “You know about the rulers of the Gentiles. They hold power over their people. Their high officials order them around. 26Don’t be like that. Instead, anyone who wants to be important among you must be your servant. 27And anyone who wants to be first must be your slave. 28Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came to serve others. He came to give his life as the price for setting many people free.”
Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight
29Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho. A large crowd followed him. 30Two blind men were sitting by the side of the road. They heard that Jesus was going by. So they shouted, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
31The crowd commanded them to stop. They told them to be quiet. But the two men shouted even louder, “Lord! Son of David! Have mercy on us!”
32Jesus stopped and called out to them. “What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33“Lord,” they answered, “we want to be able to see.”
34Jesus felt deep concern for them. He touched their eyes. Right away they could see. And they followed him.
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Matthew 20: NIrV
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Matthew 20
20
1‘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,
2and having agreed with the workmen for a denary a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3‘And having gone forth about the third hour, he saw others standing in the marketplace idle,
4and to these he said, Go ye — also ye — to the vineyard, and whatever may be righteous I will give you;
5and they went away. ‘Again, having gone forth about the sixth and the ninth hour, he did in like manner.
6And 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?
7they 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‘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.
9And they of about the eleventh hour having come, did receive each a denary.
10‘And the first having come, did suppose that they shall receive more, and they received, they also, each a denary,
11and having received [it], they were murmuring against the householder, saying,
12that 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‘And he answering said to one of them, Comrade, I do no unrighteousness to thee; for a denary didst not thou agree with me?
14take that which is thine, and go; and I will to give to this, the last, also as to thee;
15is it not lawful to me to do what I will in mine own? is thine eye evil because I am good?
16So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many are called, and few chosen.’
17And Jesus going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples by themselves in the way, and said to them,
18‘Lo, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered to the chief priests and scribes,
19and 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.’
20Then came near to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing and asking something from him,
21and 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.’
22And 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.’
23And 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.’
24And the ten having heard, were much displeased with the two brothers,
25and 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,
26but not so shall it be among you, but whoever may will among you to become great, let him be your ministrant;
27and whoever may will among you to be first, let him be your servant;
28even as the Son of Man did not come to be ministered to, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.’
29And they going forth from Jericho, there followed him a great multitude,
30and 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.’
31And the multitude charged them that they might be silent, and they cried out the more, saying, ‘Deal kindly with us sir — Son of David.’
32And having stood, Jesus called them, and said, ‘What will ye [that] I may do to you?’
33they say to him, ‘Sir, that our eyes may be opened;’
34and having been moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.
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