"For athe kingdom of heaven
is like
1a landowner
who
went
out early
in the morning
to hire
laborers
for his bvineyard
.
"When he had agreed with the laborers
for a 1denarius
for the day
, he sent
them into his vineyard
.
"And he went out about
the 1third
hour
and saw
others
standing
idle
in the market
place
;
and to those he said
, `You also
go
into the vineyard
, and whatever
is right
I will give
you.' And so they went
.
"Again he went
out about
the 1sixth
and the ninth
hour
, and did
2the same
thing
.
"And about the 1eleventh
hour he went
out and found
others
standing
around; and he *said
to them, `Why
have you been standing
here
idle
all
day
long?'
"They *said to him, `Because
no
one
hired
us.' He *said
to them, `You go
into the vineyard
too
.'
"When aevening came
, the 1owner
of the vineyard
*said
to his bforeman
, `Call
the laborers
and pay
them their wages
, beginning
with the last
group to the first
.'
"When those
hired about
the eleventh
hour
came
, each
one
received
a 1denarius
.
"When those hired first
came
, they thought
that they would receive
more
; 1but each
of them also
received
a denarius
.
"When they received it, they grumbled
at the landowner
,
saying, `These
last
men
have worked
only one
hour
, and you have made
them equal
to us who
have borne
the burden
and the ascorching
heat
of the day
.'
"But he answered and said
to one
of them, ` aFriend
, I am doing
you no
wrong
; did you not agree
with me for a denarius
?
`Take what
is yours
and go
, but I wish
to give
to this
last
man
the same
as to you.
`Is it not lawful for me to do
what
I wish
with what
is my own
? Or
is your aeye
1envious
because
I am
2generous
?'
"So athe last
shall be first
, and the first
last
."
aAs Jesus was about
to go
up to Jerusalem
, He took
the twelve
disciples aside by themselves
, and on the way
He said
to them,
"Behold, we are going
up to Jerusalem
; and the Son
of Man
awill be 1delivered
to the chief
priests
and scribes
, and they will condemn
Him to death
,
and awill hand Him over to the Gentiles
to mock
and scourge
and crucify
Him, and on bthe third
day
He will be raised
up."
aThen the mother
of bthe sons
of Zebedee
came
to 1Jesus with her sons
, cbowing
down
and making
a request
of Him.
And He said to her, "What
do you wish
?" She *said
to Him, "Command
that in Your kingdom
these
two
sons
of mine
amay sit
one
on Your right
and one
on Your left
."
But Jesus answered
, "You do not know
what
you are asking
. Are you able
ato drink
the cup
that I am
about
to drink
?" They *said
to Him, "We are able
."
He *said to them, " aMy cup
you shall drink
; but to sit
on My right
and on My left
, this
is not Mine
to give
, bbut it is for those for whom
it has been cprepared
by My Father
."
And hearing this, the ten
became indignant
with the two
brothers
.
aBut Jesus called
them to Himself and said
, "You know
that the rulers
of the Gentiles
lord
it over
them, and their great
men
exercise
authority
over
them.
"It is not this way
among
you, abut whoever
wishes
to become
great
among
you shall be your servant
,
and whoever wishes
to be first
among
you shall be your slave
;
just as athe Son
of Man
bdid not come
to be served
, but to serve
, and to give
His 1life
a ransom
for many
."
aAs they were leaving Jericho
, a large
crowd
followed
Him.
And two blind
men
sitting
by the road
, hearing
that Jesus
was passing
by, cried
out, "Lord
, ahave
mercy
on us, bSon
of David
!"
The crowd sternly
told
them to be quiet
, but they cried
out all
the more
, "Lord
, aSon
of David
, have
mercy
on us!"
And Jesus stopped
and called
them, and said
, "What
do you want
Me to do
for you?"
They *said to Him, "Lord
, we want our eyes
to be opened
."
Moved with compassion
, Jesus
touched
their eyes
; and immediately
they regained
their sight
and followed
Him.