Matthew 20:1-21 ▼

1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of an estate who went out in the morning at dawn to hire workmen for his vineyard.

2 When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 And he went out about the third hour (9:00 a.m.) and saw others standing idle in the market place;

4 and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right (an appropriate wage).’ And they went.

5 He went out about the sixth hour (noon) and the ninth hour (3:00 p.m.), and did the same thing.

6 And about the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’

7 They answered him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He told them, ‘You go into the vineyard also.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last [to be hired] and ending with the first [to be hired].’

9 Those who had been hired at the eleventh hour (5:00 p.m.) came and received a denarius each [a day’s wage].

10 Now when the first [to be hired] came, they thought they would get more; but each of them also received a denarius.

11 When they received it, they protested and grumbled at the owner of the estate,

12 saying, ‘These men who came last worked [only] one hour, and yet you have made them equal [in wages] to us who have carried [most of] the burden and [worked in] the scorching heat of the day.’

13 But the owner of the estate replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no injustice. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take what belongs to you and go, but I choose to give to this last man [hired] the same as I give to you.

15 Am I not lawfully permitted to do what I choose with what is mine? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?’

16 So those who are last [in this world] shall be first [in the world to come], and those who are first, last.”

17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve [disciples] aside, and along the way He said to them,

18 “Listen carefully: we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes (Sanhedrin, Jewish High Court), and they will [judicially] condemn Him and sentence Him to death,

19 and will hand Him over to the Gentiles (Roman authorities) to be mocked and scourged and crucified, and He will be raised [to life] on the third day.”

20 Then [Salome] the mother of Zebedee’s children [James and John] came up to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down [in respect], asked a favor of Him.

21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She answered Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit [in positions of honor and authority] one on Your right and one on Your left.”