Matthew 20:1-21 ▼

1 For the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

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

3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing in the market, idle;

4 and he said to them: Go you also into my vine yard, and whatever is right I will give you.

5 And they went. Again he went out about the sixth, and about the ninth hour, and did in like manner.

6 And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and said to them, Why do you stand here all the day idle?

7 They said to him: No man has hired us. He said to them: Go you also into the vineyard, and whatever is right you shall receive.

8 When the evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward: Call the laborers, and, beginning with the last, pay them their hire even to the first.

9 And when those came who had been hired about the eleventh hour, they received each one a denarius.

10 But when those came who had been hired first, they thought that they would receive more; and they received each one a denarius.

11 And when they received it, they murmured against the master of the house,

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

13 But he answered and said to one of them: Friend, I do you no in justice; did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14 Take what is yours, and go; I will give to this last even as to you.

15 Is it not allowed me to do what I will with my own? Or, is your eye envious, because I am good?

16 So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen.

17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside on his journey, and said to them:

18 Be hold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death,

19 and will deliver him to the Gentiles to deride, and to scourge, and to crucify: and on the third day he shall rise again.

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

21 He said to her: What do you wish? She said to him: Command that these two sons of mine may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left, in thy kingdom.