Matthew 20
Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.(A) 2 After agreeing with the workers on one denarius,[a] he sent them into his vineyard for the day. 3 When he went out about nine in the morning,[b] he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5 About noon and about three,[c] he went out again and did the same thing. 6 Then about five[d] he went and found others standing around[e] and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him.
“‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he told them.[f] 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay,(B) starting with the last and ending with the first.’
9 “When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius. 10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12 ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’(C)
13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius?(D) 14 Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealous[g] because I’m generous?’[h](E)
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”[i](F)
The Third Prediction of His Death
17 While going up to Jerusalem,(G) Jesus took the twelve disciples aside privately and said to them on the way, 18 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death.(H) 19 They will hand him over to the Gentiles(I) to be mocked, flogged,[j] and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised.”[k]
Suffering and Service
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached him with her sons.(J) She knelt down to ask him for something.(K) 21 “What do you want?” he asked her.
“Promise,”[l] she said to him, “that these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right and the other on your left, in your kingdom.”(L)
22 Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”[m](M)
“We are able,” they said to him.
23 He told them, “You will indeed drink my cup,[n] but to sit at my right and left is not mine to give; instead, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”(N)
24 When the ten disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 26 It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,(O) 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,(P) and to give his life as a ransom for many.”(Q)
Two Blind Men Healed
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.(R) 30 There were two blind men sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd demanded that they keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” (S)
32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said to him, “open our eyes.” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed him.
Footnotes
- 20:2 A denarius = one day’s wage, also in vv. 9,10,13
- 20:3 Lit about the third hour
- 20:5 Lit about the sixth hour and the ninth hour
- 20:6 Lit about the eleventh hour, also in v. 9
- 20:6 Other mss add doing nothing
- 20:7 Other mss add ‘and you’ll get whatever is right.’
- 20:15 Lit Is your eye evil; an idiom for jealousy or stinginess
- 20:15 Lit good
- 20:16 Other mss add “For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- 20:19 Or scourged
- 20:19 Other mss read will rise again
- 20:21 Lit Say
- 20:22 Other mss add and (or) to be baptized with the baptism which I am baptized?”
- 20:23 Other mss add and be baptized with the baptism with which I am baptized.
Matthew 20
Holman Christian Standard Bible
The Parable of the Vineyard Workers
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.(A) 2 After agreeing with the workers on one denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 When he went out about nine in the morning,[a] he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 To those men he said, ‘You also go to my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5 About noon and at three,[b] he went out again and did the same thing. 6 Then about five[c] he went and found others standing around,[d] and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’
7 “‘Because no one hired us,’ they said to him.
“‘You also go to my vineyard,’ he told them.[e] 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay,(B) starting with the last and ending with the first.’[f]
9 “When those who were hired about five[g] came, they each received one denarius. 10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12 ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat!’(C)
13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius?(D) 14 Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my business?[h] Are you jealous[i] because I’m generous?’[j](E)
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”[k](F)
The Third Prediction of His Death
17 While going up to Jerusalem,(G) Jesus took the 12 disciples aside privately and said to them on the way: 18 “Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death.(H) 19 Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles(I) to be mocked, flogged,[l] and crucified, and He will be resurrected[m] on the third day.”
Suffering and Service
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons approached Him with her sons.(J) She knelt down to ask Him for something.(K) 21 “What do you want?” He asked her.
“Promise,”[n] she said to Him, “that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom.”(L)
22 But Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup[o] that I am about to drink?”[p](M)
“We are able,” they said to Him.
23 He told them, “You will indeed drink My cup.[q] But to sit at My right and left is not Mine to give; instead, it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”(N) 24 When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. 26 It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,(O) 27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,(P) and to give His life—a ransom for many.”(Q)
Two Blind Men Healed
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.(R) 30 There were two blind men sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 31 The crowd told them to keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”(S)
32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33 “Lord,” they said to Him, “open our eyes!” 34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.
Footnotes
- Matthew 20:3 Lit about the third hour
- Matthew 20:5 Lit about the sixth hour and the ninth hour
- Matthew 20:6 Lit about the eleventh hour
- Matthew 20:6 Other mss add doing nothing
- Matthew 20:7 Other mss add ‘and you’ll get whatever is right.’
- Matthew 20:8 Lit starting from the last until the first
- Matthew 20:9 Lit about the eleventh hour
- Matthew 20:15 Lit with what is mine
- Matthew 20:15 Lit Is your eye evil; an idiom for jealousy or stinginess
- Matthew 20:15 Lit good
- Matthew 20:16 Other mss add For many are called, but few are chosen.”
- Matthew 20:19 Or scourged
- Matthew 20:19 Other mss read will rise again
- Matthew 20:21 Lit Say
- Matthew 20:22 Figurative language referring to His coming suffering; Mt 26:39; Jn 18:11
- Matthew 20:22 Other mss add and (or) to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”
- Matthew 20:23 Other mss add and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with.
Matthew 20
New King James Version
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. 2 Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise. 6 And 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?’ 7 They 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.’ 9 And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. 10 But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius. 11 And when they had received it, they [c]complained against the landowner, 12 saying, ‘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.’ 13 But he answered one of them and said, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take 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.
21 And 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.”
22 But 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.”
23 So 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. 25 But 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. 26 Yet (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. 30 And 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!”
31 Then 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!”
32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34 So Jesus had (AH)compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
Footnotes
- Matthew 20:6 NU omits idle
- Matthew 20:7 NU omits the rest of v. 7.
- Matthew 20:11 grumbled
- Matthew 20:16 NU omits the rest of v. 16.
- Matthew 20:22 NU omits and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with
- Matthew 20:23 NU omits and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
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Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
