Matthew 20

₁“For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ₂After agreeing with the laborers for a denariusa day, he sent them into his vineyard. ₃And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ₄and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ ₅So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. ₆And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ ₇They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ ₈And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ ₉And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. ₁₀Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. ₁₁And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, ₁₂saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ ₁₃But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ₁₄Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. ₁₅Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ ₁₆So the last will be first, and the first last.”

₁₇And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, ₁₈“See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death ₁₉and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

₂₀Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something. ₂₁And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” ₂₂Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” ₂₃He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.” ₂₄And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. ₂₅But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ₂₆It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, ₂₇and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, ₂₈even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

₂₉And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. ₃₀And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” ₃₁The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” ₃₂And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” ₃₃They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” ₃₄And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.