Bible Gateway passage: Matthew 20 - New King James Version (2024)

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

20“For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ²Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. ⁵Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. ⁶And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing ^[a]idle, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’ ⁷They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, ^[b]and whatever is right you will receive.’

⁸“So when evening had come, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, beginning with the last to the first.’ ⁹And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. ¹¹And when they had received it, they ^[c]complained against the landowner, ¹²saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ ¹³But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ^15(A)Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or ^(B)is your eye evil because I am good?’ ^16(C)So the last will be first, and the first last. ^(D)For^[d] many are called, but few chosen.”

Jesus a Third Time Predicts His Death and Resurrection^(E)

^17(F)Now Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and said to them, ^18(G)“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death, ^19(H)and deliver Him to the Gentiles to ^(I)mock and to ^(J)scourge and to ^(K)crucify. And the third day He will ^(L)rise again.”

Greatness Is Serving^(M)

^20(N)Then the mother of ^(O)Zebedee’s sons came to Him with her sons, kneeling down and asking something from Him.

²¹And He said to her, “What do you wish?”

She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine ^(P)may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on the left, in Your kingdom.”

²²But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink ^(Q)the cup that I am about to drink, ^[e]and be baptized with ^(R)the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

²³So He said to them, ^(S)“You will indeed drink My cup, ^[f]and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared by My Father.”

^24(T)And when the ten heard it, they were greatly displeased with the two brothers. ²⁵But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. ²⁶Yet ^(U)it shall not be so among you; but ^(V)whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. ^27(W)And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave— ^28(X)just as the ^(Y)Son of Man did not come to be served, ^(Z)but to serve, and ^(AA)to give His life a ransom ^(AB)for many.”

Two Blind Men Receive Their Sight^(AC)

^29(AD)Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. ³⁰And behold, ^(AE)two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, ^(AF)Son of David!”

³¹Then the multitude ^(AG)warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”

³²So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

³³They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” ³⁴So Jesus had ^(AH)compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.