Matthew 20

1The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.

2He agreed to pay them a silver coin for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

3About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace with nothing to do.

4He said to them: You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is fair. So they went.

5He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing.

6About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing there. He asked them: Why have you stood here all day with nothing to do?

7They answered: Because no one has hired us. He said to them: You also go and work in my vineyard.

8When 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 ending with the first.

9When those who were hired about five in the afternoon came, each received a silver coin.

10When those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more, but each of them also received a silver coin.

11When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner.

12They said: These last workers only worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have worked hard all day in the heat.

13The owner answered one of them: Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree to work for a silver coin?

14Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give this last worker the same as I gave you.

15Do I not have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you jealous because I am generous?

16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

17As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside privately and said to them:

18We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and they will condemn Him to death.

19They will hand Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked, whipped, and crucified, and on the third day He will rise again.

20Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt before Him, asking Him for something.

21Jesus asked her: What do you want? She said to Him: Promise that these two sons of mine may sit, one at Your right hand and the other at Your left, in Your kingdom.

22Jesus answered: You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink? They said to Him: We can.

23Jesus said to them: You will indeed drink my cup, but sitting at my right hand or my left is not mine to give. Those places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them.

24When the other ten disciples heard this, they were angry with the two brothers.

25Jesus called them all together and said: You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials use their power over the people.

26It must not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

27And whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave —

28Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.

29As Jesus and His disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.

30Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted: Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!

31The crowd told them to be quiet, but they shouted even louder: Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!

32Jesus stopped and called them. He asked: What do you want me to do for you?

33They answered: Lord, we want our eyes to be opened.

34Jesus felt compassion for them and touched their eyes. At once they could see, and they followed Him.