The Parable of the Workers in
the
Vineyard
1
“For the
kingdom of
heaven is
like a
landowner
who went
out early
in the
morning to
hire
workers
for his
vineyard.
2 He
agreed to
pay them a
denarius
for the
day and
sent them
into his
vineyard.
3 “About
nine in
the
morning he
went out
and saw
others
standing
in the
marketplace
doing
nothing.
4 He
told them,
‘You also
go and
work in my
vineyard,
and I will
pay you
whatever
is right.’
5 So
they went.
“He went out again about noon and
about
three in
the
afternoon
and did
the same
thing.
6 About
five in
the
afternoon
he went
out and
found
still
others
standing
around. He
asked
them, ‘Why
have you
been
standing
here all
day long
doing
nothing?’
7 “‘Because
no one has
hired us,’
they
answered.
“He said to them, ‘You also go and
work in my
vineyard.’
8 “When
evening
came, the
owner of
the
vineyard
said to
his
foreman,
‘Call the
workers
and pay
them their
wages,
beginning
with the
last ones
hired and
going on
to the
first.’
9 “The
workers
who were
hired
about five
in the
afternoon
came and
each
received a
denarius.
10 So
when those
came who
were hired
first,
they
expected
to receive
more. But
each one
of them
also
received a
denarius.
11 When
they
received
it, they
began to
grumble
against
the
landowner.
12 ‘These
who were
hired last
worked
only one
hour,’
they said,
‘and you
have made
them equal
to us who
have borne
the burden
of the
work and
the heat
of the
day.’
13 “But
he
answered
one of
them, ‘I
am not
being
unfair to
you,
friend.
Didn’t you
agree to
work for a
denarius?
14 Take
your pay
and go. I
want to
give the
one who
was hired
last the
same as I
gave you.
15 Don’t
I have the
right to
do what I
want with
my own
money? Or
are you
envious
because I
am
generous?’
16 “So
the last
will be
first, and
the first
will be
last.”
Jesus Predicts His Death a
Third Time
17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem.
On the
way, he
took the
Twelve
aside and
said to
them,
18 “We
are going
up to
Jerusalem,
and the
Son of Man
will be
delivered
over to
the chief
priests
and the
teachers
of the
law. They
will
condemn
him to
death
19 and
will hand
him over
to the
Gentiles
to be
mocked and
flogged
and
crucified.
On the
third day
he will be
raised to
life!”
A Mother’s Request
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came
to Jesus
with her
sons and,
kneeling
down,
asked a
favor of
him.
21 “What
is it you
want?”
he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two
sons of
mine may
sit at
your right
and the
other at
your left
in your
kingdom.”
22 “You
don’t know
what you
are
asking,”
Jesus said
to them.
“Can you
drink the
cup I am
going to
drink?”
“We can,” they answered.
23 Jesus said to them,
“You will
indeed
drink from
my cup,
but to sit
at my
right or
left is
not for me
to grant.
These
places
belong to
those for
whom they
have been
prepared
by my
Father.”
24 When the ten heard about this, they
were
indignant
with the
two
brothers.
25 Jesus
called
them
together
and said,
“You know
that the
rulers of
the
Gentiles
lord it
over them,
and their
high
officials
exercise
authority
over them.
26 Not
so with
you.
Instead,
whoever
wants to
become
great
among you
must be
your
servant,
27 and
whoever
wants to
be first
must be
your
slave—
28 just
as the Son
of Man did
not come
to be
served,
but to
serve, and
to give
his life
as a
ransom for
many.”
Two Blind Men Receive Sight
29 As Jesus and his disciples were
leaving
Jericho, a
large
crowd
followed
him.
30 Two
blind men
were
sitting by
the
roadside,
and when
they heard
that Jesus
was going
by, they
shouted,
“Lord, Son
of David,
have mercy
on us!”
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them
to be
quiet, but
they
shouted
all the
louder,
“Lord, Son
of David,
have mercy
on us!”
32 Jesus stopped and called them.
“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 “Lord,” they answered, “we want our
sight.”
34 Jesus had compassion on them and
touched
their
eyes.
Immediately
they
received
their
sight and
followed
him.