English Standard Version

Matthew 20:4-21 English Standard Version (ESV)

4. and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’

5. So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.

6. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’

7. They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’

8. And 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.’

9. And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.

10. Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.

11. And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,

12. saying, ‘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.’

13. But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?

14. Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.

15. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’

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

17. And 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

19. and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

20. Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something.

21. And 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.”