1. The Malchut HaShomayim is like a man, the Baal Bayit, who went out early in the boker, to hire poalim (workers) for his kerem.
2. And having agreed with the poalim to salary them a denarius for their day's pay, the Baal Bayit sent them into his kerem.
3. And having gone out around the third hour, the Baal Bayit saw others loitering in the marketplace,
4. and he said to those, You go also into the kerem. And whatever is right, this is what your pay will be.
5. And they left. And again, having gone out around the sixth and the ninth hour, the Baal Bayit did the same thing.
6. And around the eleventh hour, having gone out, the Baal Bayit found others standing around, and he says to them, Why have you been standing here all the day not working?
7. The idle workers say to the Baal Bayit, Because no one hired us. The Baal Bayit says to them, You go also into the kerem.
8. And when erev had come, another man, the owner of the kerem, says to his foreman, Call the poalim and give to them the wage, beginning with the acharonim and going to the rishonim.
9. And the ones that came around the eleventh hour each received a denarius.
10. And when the rishonim came, they were under the impression that they would receive a larger sum; instead, they themselves each received a denarius.
11. And when they received the denarius, they were complaining against the Baal Bayit,
12. saying, These acharonim worked one hour, and you made them equal to us, the ones having endured the burden and the heat of the whole day.
13. But the Baal Bayit said in reply to one of them, Chaver, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree that I would pay you the usual day's wage, a denarius?
14. Take what belongs to you, your denarius, and go. But it is my ratzon, my good pleasure, to give to this one who is last also what I gave to you.
15. Or is it not allowable for me to do what I wish with the things that are mine? Or do you look with a jealous ayin horo upon my goodness?