Matthew 20

1 “For the kingdom of the heavens is like a man, a master of a house, who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. † 2 And when he had agreed with the workers on a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. [a] 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 And they went. Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did the same. 6 And about the eleventh he went out and found others standing, and he says to them, ‘Why have you stood here all day idle?’ 7 They say to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He says to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard.’

8 “And when evening came, the lord of the vineyard says to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wage, beginning from the last to the first.’ 9 And those who came about the eleventh hour received a denarius each. 10 And when the first came they thought they would receive more; and they also received a denarius each. 11 And when they had received it they grumbled against the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have carried the weight of the day and the burning heat.’

13 “But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me on a denarius? [b] 14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last one as also to you. 15 Is it not permitted to me 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.” [c]

17 And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the road he said to them, 18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death, 19 and they will hand him over to the nations to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised.”

20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, bowing down and asking something from him. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She says to him, “Say that these two sons of mine may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.” 22 But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They say to him, “We are able.” [d] 23 He says to them, “You will drink my cup; but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to give, but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”

24 And when the ten heard it they were indignant about the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them. 26 It will not be so among you. But 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 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom in place of many.” [e] †

29 And as they were going out from Jericho a large crowd followed him. 30 And look, two blind men sitting beside the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 But the crowd rebuked them, to make them be quiet; but they cried out the more, saying, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”

32 And Jesus stopped and called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They say to him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34 And Jesus was moved with compassion and touched their eyes, and at once they saw again and followed him.