Matthew 20

1 For the kingdom of the heavens is like a householder who went out with the early morn to hire workmen for his vineyard.

"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,

2 And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

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

3 And having gone out about [the] third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle;

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

4 and to them he said, Go also ye into the vineyard, and whatsoever may be just I will give you. And they went their way.

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

5 Again, having gone out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise.

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

6 But about the eleventh [hour], having gone out, he found others standing, and says to them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

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?'

7 They say to him, Because no man has hired us. He says to them, Go also ye into the vineyard [and whatsoever may be just ye shall receive].

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

8 But when the evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the workmen and pay [them] their wages, beginning from the last even to the first.

"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.'

9 And when they [who came to work] about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius.

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

10 And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they received also themselves each a denarius.

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

11 And on receiving it they murmured against the master of the house,

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

12 saying, These last have worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the heat.

"'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.'

13 But he answering said to one of them, [My] friend, I do not wrong thee. Didst thou not agree with me for a denarius?

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

14 Take what is thine and go. But it is my will to give to this last even as to thee:

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

15 is it not lawful for me to do what I will in my own affairs? Is thine eye evil because I am good?

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

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

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

17 And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples with [him] apart in the way, and said to them,

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

18 Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death;

"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,

19 and they will deliver him up to the nations to mock and to scourge and to crucify, and the third day he shall rise again.

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."

20 Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, doing homage, and asking something of him.

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

21 And he said to her, What wilt thou? She says to him, Speak [the word] that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand and one on thy left in thy kingdom.

"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."

22 And Jesus answering said, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink the cup which I am about to drink? They say to him, We are able.

"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.

23 [And] he says to them, Ye shall drink indeed my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on [my] left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared of my Father.

"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."

24 And the ten, having heard [of it], were indignant about the two brothers.

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

25 But Jesus having called them to [him], said, Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them.

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.

26 It shall not be thus amongst you, but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant;

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

27 and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your bondman;

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

28 as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many.

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."

29 And as they went out from Jericho a great crowd followed him.

As they were leaving Jericho, an immense crowd following Him,

30 And lo, two blind men, sitting by the wayside, having heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.

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."

31 But the crowd rebuked them, that they might be silent. But they cried out the more, saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David.

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

32 And Jesus, having stopped, called them and said, What will ye that I shall do to you?

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

33 They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

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

34 And Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes had sight restored to them, and they followed him.

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