“For the reign of the heavens is like a man, a householder who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
And when he had agreed with the workers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
“And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market-place,
and said to them, ‘You too go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I shall give you.’ And they went.
“Having gone out again about the sixth and the ninth hour, he did likewise.
“And about the eleventh hour, having gone out, he found others standing idle, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you shall receive.’ ”
“And when evening came, the master of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’
And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius.
“And when the first came, they thought they would receive more. But they too received each a silver piece.
And when they received it, they grumbled against the householder,”
saying, ‘These last have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’
But he answering, said to one of them, ‘Friend, I do you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
Take yours and go. But I wish to give to this last man as also to you.
Is it not right for me to do what I wish with my own? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
“Thus the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few chosen.”
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