Matthew 20
1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
“[In order to illustrate how God rewards people], I will compare [the way] God [MTY/EUP] rules his people with what the owner of an estate [did]. Early in the morning the owner of the estate went to [the market] where [people who wanted work gathered]. He went there to hire laborers to work in his vineyard.
2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
He promised the men whom he hired that he would pay them the standard wage [for working] one day. Then he sent them to his vineyards.
3 He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
At nine o’clock [that same morning] he went back [to the market]. There he saw more men who did not have work.
4 He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.
He said to them, ‘Go to my vineyard as other men have done, [and work there]. I will pay you whatever is a just [wage].’ [So they also went to his vineyard and began to work].
5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
At noon and at three o’clock he again went [to the market] and found [other laborers whom he promised to pay a fair wage].
6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’
At five o’clock he went [to the market again] and saw other [men] standing [there who were not working]. He said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day and not working?’
7 “They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ “He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.’
They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘[I will hire you]. Go to my vineyard as other men have done, [and work there.’ So they went].
8 “When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.’
When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Tell the men to come so that you can give them their wages. First, pay the men who started working last, and pay the men last who started working first.’
9 “When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.
The [manager] paid the standard daily wage to each of the men who did not start working until five o’clock [in the afternoon].
10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.
When the men who had begun working early [in the morning] went [to get their wages], they thought that they would receive more than the standard wage. But they also received only the standard wage.
11 When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,
So they complained to the owner of the vineyard [because they thought their payment was unfair].
12 saying, ‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’
They said [to him], ‘[You are not being fair!] The men who started working after [all of the rest of us started] worked for [only] one hour! You have [paid] them the same [wage] as [you paid] us! But we worked hard [all] day [IDM], [including working in the] hottest part of the day!’
13 “But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me for a denarius?
The owner of the vineyard said to one of those [who complained], ‘Friend, I did not treat you unfairly. You agreed with me [to work the whole day] for the standard wage [RHQ].
14 Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.
[Stop complaining to me]! Take your wage and go! I desire to give the same wage that I gave you to the men who began working after all of you [had begun working].
15 Isn’t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?’
I certainly have a right to [spend my money] as I desire [RHQ], [including paying those laborers what I desire to pay them]. (You should not be envious about my being generous!/Are you angry [MET] because I am generous?) [RHQ]’”
16 So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
[Then Jesus said to us], “Similarly, [God will reward] well [some] people who [seem to be] less important now, and he will not reward [some] people who [seem to be] more important [now].”
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
When Jesus was walking [on the road] up to Jerusalem, [along with us] twelve [disciples], he took us to a place by ourselves [in order that he could talk to us privately]. Then he said to us,
18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
“Listen carefully! We are [now] going up to Jerusalem. [While we are there, someone] will enable the chief priests and the men who teach the [Jewish] laws to seize [me], the one who came from heaven, [and they will put me on trial]. They will condemn me [and say] that I should be killed {the authorities should kill me}.
19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up.”
[Then they] will put me in the hands of non-Jews so that they can make fun of me, whip me, [and kill me by] nailing me to a cross. But on the third day [after that], [God] will cause me to live again.”
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.
Then the mother of James and John brought her two sons to Jesus. She bowed down before Jesus and asked him to do her a favor.
21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom.”
Jesus said to her, “What do you want [me to do for you]?” She said to him, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit next to you (OR, Permit these two sons of mine to sit next to you at your right side and at your left side) [and rule with you] [MTY] when you become king.”
22 But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They said to him, “We are able.”
Jesus said to [her and her sons], “You do not understand what you are asking for. Can you suffer like I am about to suffer [IDM]?” [James and John] answered him, “Yes, we are able [to do that].”
23 He said to them, “You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give, but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
Then Jesus said to them, “Yes, you will suffer as I will suffer [IDM]. But I am not the one who chooses the ones who [will] sit next to me [and rule with me]. [God], my Father, will give those places [MTY] to the ones whom he appoints.”
24 When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.
When we ten [other disciples] heard [what James and John had requested], we became angry with them [because we also wanted to rule with Jesus in the highest positions].
25 But Jesus summoned them, and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
[So] Jesus called all of us together and said [to us], “You know that those who rule the non-Jews [enjoy] showing them that they are powerful. Their chief rulers [enjoy] commanding the people under them.
26 It shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant.
You [should] not be like them. On the contrary, everyone among you who wants [God to consider] him great must become [like] a servant for [the rest of] you.
27 Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,
And everyone among you who wants [God to consider him] to be the most important must become [like] a slave for [the rest of] you.
28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
[You should imitate me]. [Even though I am] the one who came from heaven, I did not come to be served {in order that people would serve me}. On the contrary, I [came in order] to serve [others] and to [IDM] allow myself to be killed {other people to kill me}, so that [my dying would be like] a payment to rescue many [people from being punished for their sins].” [MTY]
29 As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
As we were leaving Jericho [city], a large crowd of people followed [us].
30 Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!”
[As we walked along, we saw] two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they yelled [to him], “Lord, Descendant of [King] David, [you are the Messiah] Take pity on us!”
31 The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, “Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!”
[People in] the crowd scolded them [and] told them to be quiet. But the blind men yelled even louder, “Lord, Descendant of [King] David, [you are the Messiah] Have pity on us!”
32 Jesus stood still and called them, and asked, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Jesus stopped and called them [to come to him]. [Then] he said [to them], “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 They told him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”
They said to him, “Lord, heal our eyes [IDM] [so that we can see]!”
34 Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.
Jesus [felt] sorry [for them and] touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they went with Jesus.
