Matthew 20
1 “For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
2 After agreeing with the workers on a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 Going out around nine in the morning, he saw others standing in the marketplace, idle.
4 He said to them, ‘You too go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is fair.’
5 They went. Going out again around noon and three in the afternoon, he did the same.
6 Around five in the afternoon, he went out and found others standing there, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day without work?’
7 They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into the vineyard.’
8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last and ending with the first.’
9 Those who came at five in the afternoon came and received a denarius each.
10 When the first ones came, they thought they would receive more; but they too received a denarius each.
11 When they received it, they grumbled against the landowner.
12 They said, ‘These last workers put in only one hour, and you made them equal to us, who bore the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
13 But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius?
14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give this last one as much as I give you.
15 Am I not allowed to do what I want with what is mine? Or is your eye evil because I am good?’
16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
17 As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside and said to them on the way,
18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law; they will condemn him to death.
19 They will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock him, flog him, and crucify him; and on the third day he will rise again.”
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, bowing down and asking him for something.
21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Say that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right and one at your left, in your Kingdom.”
22 Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We can.”
23 He said to them, “You will drink my cup; but to sit at my right or my left is not mine to grant. It is for those for whom my Father has prepared it.”
24 When the ten heard this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations dominate them, and their great ones wield power over them.
26 It must not be so among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave.
28 In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
30 Two blind men were sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be quiet, but they cried out even louder, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 They answered him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”
34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. At once they could see again, and they followed him.
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