Matthew 20
20
Workers in a Vineyard
1As Jesus was telling what the kingdom of heaven would be like, he said:
Early one morning a man went out to hire some workers for his vineyard. 2After he had agreed to pay them the usual amount for a day's work, he sent them off to his vineyard.
3About nine that morning, the man saw some other people standing in the market with nothing to do. 4He promised to pay them what was fair, if they would work in his vineyard. 5So they went.
At noon and again about three in the afternoon he returned to the market. And each time he made the same agreement with others who were loafing around with nothing to do.
6Finally, about five in the afternoon the man went back and found some others standing there. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?”
7“Because no one has hired us,” they answered. Then he told them to go work in his vineyard.
8 #
Lv 19.13; Dt 24.15. That evening the owner of the vineyard told the man in charge of the workers to call them in and give them their money. He also told the man to begin with the ones who were hired last. 9When the workers arrived, the ones who had been hired at five in the afternoon were given a full day's pay.
10The workers who had been hired first thought they would be given more than the others. But when they were given the same, 11they began complaining to the owner of the vineyard. 12They said, “The ones who were hired last worked for only one hour. But you paid them the same that you did us. And we worked in the hot sun all day long!”
13The owner answered one of them, “Friend, I didn't cheat you. I paid you exactly what we agreed on. 14Take your money now and go! What business is it of yours if I want to pay them the same that I paid you? 15Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Why should you be jealous, if I want to be generous?”
16 #
Mt 19.30; Mk 10.31; Lk 13.30. Jesus then said, “So it is. Everyone who is now last will be first, and everyone who is first will be last.”
Jesus Again Tells about His Death
(Mark 10.32-34; Luke 18.31-34)
17As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he took his twelve disciples aside and told them in private:
18We are now on our way to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law of Moses. They will sentence him to death, 19and then they will hand him over to foreigners#20.19 foreigners: The Romans, who ruled Judea at this time. who will make fun of him. They will beat him and nail him to a cross. But on the third day he will rise from death.
A Mother's Request
(Mark 10.35-45)
20The mother of James and John#20.20 mother of James and John: The Greek text has “mother of the sons of Zebedee” (see 26.37). came to Jesus with her two sons. She knelt down and started begging him to do something for her. 21Jesus asked her what she wanted, and she said, “When you come into your kingdom, please let one of my sons sit at your right side and the other at your left.”#20.21 right side … left: The most powerful people in a kingdom sat at the right and left side of the king.
22Jesus answered, “Not one of you knows what you are asking. Are you able to drink from the cup#20.22 drink from the cup: In the Scriptures a cup is sometimes used as a symbol of suffering. To “drink from the cup” is to suffer. that I must soon drink from?”
James and John said, “Yes, we are!”
23Jesus replied, “You certainly will drink from my cup! But it isn't for me to say who will sit at my right side and at my left. This is for my Father to say.”
24When the ten other disciples heard this, they were angry with the two brothers. 25#Lk 22.25,26. But Jesus called the disciples together and said:
You know foreign rulers like to order their people around. And their great leaders have full power over everyone they rule. 26#Mt 23.11; Mk 9.35; Lk 22.26. But don't act like them. If you want to be great, you must be the servant of all the others. 27And if you want to be first, you must be the slave of the rest. 28The Son of Man did not come to be a slave master, but a slave who will give his life to rescue#20.28 rescue: The Greek word often, though not always, means the payment of a price to free a slave or a prisoner. many people.
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
(Mark 10.46-52; Luke 18.35-43)
29Jesus was followed by a large crowd as he and his disciples were leaving Jericho. 30Two blind men were sitting beside the road. And when they heard that Jesus was coming their way, they shouted, “Lord and Son of David,#20.30 Son of David: See the note at 9.27. have pity on us!”
31The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted even louder, “Lord and Son of David, have pity on us!”
32When Jesus heard them, he stopped and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33They answered, “Lord, we want to see!”
34Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. At once they could see, and they became his followers.
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Matthew 20: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Matthew 20
20
Laborers in the Vineyard
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius#20:2 A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6And #[1 Cor. 15:8]about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8And #Lev. 19:13; Deut. 24:15 when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his #Luke 8:3; [ch. 24:45]foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and #Luke 12:55; James 1:11 (Gk.)the scorching heat.’ 13But he replied to one of them, #ch. 22:12; 26:50‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take #ch. 25:25what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15#[Rom. 9:15-24] Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or #ch. 6:23; Deut. 15:9; Prov. 23:6do you begrudge my generosity?’#20:15 Or is your eye bad because I am good? 16So #See ch. 19:30the last will be first, and the first last.”
Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
17 # For ver. 17-19, see Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-33; [ch. 16:21-28; 17:12, 22, 23] And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18“See, #See ch. 16:21 we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will #ch. 26:66; John 19:7condemn him to death 19and #ch. 27:2; John 18:30, 31; Acts 3:13; [Acts 2:23; 4:27; 21:11] deliver him over to the Gentiles #ch. 27:26-31 to be mocked and flogged and #ch. 26:2; Luke 24:7; John 12:32, 33; 18:32 crucified, and he will be raised on #ch. 16:21; 27:63the third day.”
A Mother’s Request
20 # For ver. 20-28, see Mark 10:35-45 Then #ch. 4:21; 27:56 the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and #See ch. 8:2kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine #[ch. 19:28] are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, #ch. 16:28; 25:31, 34; Luke 23:42in your kingdom.” 22Jesus answered, #[Luke 9:33; 23:34] “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able #ch. 26:29, 42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42; John 18:11; [Isa. 51:22]to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23He said to them, #[Rom. 8:17; Phil. 3:10] “You will drink #Acts 12:2; Rev. 1:9 my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, #[ch. 19:11] but it is for those for whom it has been #ch. 25:34prepared by my Father.” 24And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25But Jesus called them to him and said, #For ver. 25-28, [ch. 18:1-4; Luke 22:25-27] “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles #1 Pet. 5:3lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26#ch. 23:11; [Luke 9:48]It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,#20:26 Greek diakonos 27and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,#20:27 Or bondservant, or servant (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface) 28even as the Son of Man came not to be served but #John 13:4, 13-15; Phil. 2:7; [2 Cor. 8:9] to serve, and #Isa. 53:10; Dan. 9:26; John 10:15; 11:51, 52; Rom. 4:25; Gal. 1:4; 2:20; 1 Tim. 2:6; Titus 2:14; 1 Pet. 1:18, 19 to give his life as a ransom for #ch. 26:28; Isa. 53:11, 12; Heb. 2:10; 9:28; [Rom. 5:15; Rev. 5:9]many.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 # For ver. 29-34, see Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43; [ch. 9:27-31] And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,#20:30 Some manuscripts omit Lord have mercy on us, #ch. 21:9; 22:42; See ch. 1:1Son of David!” 31The crowd #ch. 19:13rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
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