Font Size
Matthew 21:28-32
Modern English Version
Matthew 21:28-32
Modern English Version
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in my vineyard.’
29 “He answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he repented and went.
30 “Then he came to the second, and said likewise. He answered, ‘I will go, sir,’ but did not go.
31 “Which of the two did the will of his father?”
They said, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you, the tax collectors and prostitutes enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward repent and believe him.
Read full chapter
Matthew 21:28-32
Lexham English Bible
Matthew 21:28-32
Lexham English Bible
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “Now what do you think? A man had two sons. He approached[a] the first and[b] said, ‘Son, go work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered and[c] said, ‘I do not want to!’ But later he changed his mind and[d] went. 30 And he approached the second[e] and[f] said the same thing. So he answered and[g] said, ‘I will, sir,’ and he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his[h] father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God! 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And when[i] you saw it,[j] you did not even change your minds later so as to believe in him.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 21:28 Some manuscripts have “And he approached”
- Matthew 21:28 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“approached”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:29 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:29 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“changed his mind”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:30 Some manuscripts have “the other”
- Matthew 21:30 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“approached”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:30 Here “and” is supplied because the previous participle (“answered”) has been translated as a finite verb
- Matthew 21:31 Literally “the”; the Greek article is used here as a possessive pronoun
- Matthew 21:32 Here “when” is supplied as a component of the participle (“saw”) which is understood as temporal
- Matthew 21:32 *Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
Matthew 21:28-32
New International Version
Matthew 21:28-32
New International Version
The Parable of the Two Sons
28 “What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’(A)
29 “‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went.
30 “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go.
31 “Which of the two did what his father wanted?”
“The first,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors(B) and the prostitutes(C) are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. 32 For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness,(D) and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors(E) and the prostitutes(F) did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent(G) and believe him.
Modern English Version (MEV)
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Lexham English Bible (LEB)
2012 by Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.