Laborers in the Vineyard

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

⁸ “Now when ^(C)evening came, the ^[g]owner of the vineyard *said to his ^[h](D)foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.’ ⁹ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a ^[i]denarius. ¹⁰ And when those hired first came, they supposed that they would receive more; ^[j]but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ Now when they received it, they were grumbling at the landowner, ¹² saying, ‘These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the ^(E)scorching heat.’ ¹³ But he answered and said to one of them, ‘^(F)Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your ^(G)eye ^[k]envious because I am ^[l]generous?’ ¹⁶ So ^(H)the last shall be first, and the first last.”

Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection

^17 (I)And as Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them, ¹⁸ “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man ^(J)will be betrayed to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, ¹⁹ and ^(K)will deliver Him over to the Gentiles to mock and flog and crucify Him, and on ^(L)the third day He will be raised up.”

A Request for Status

^20 (M)Then the mother of ^(N)the sons of Zebedee came to Him with her sons, ^(O)bowing down and making a request of Him. ²¹ And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She *said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine ^(P)may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” ²² But Jesus answered and said, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ^(Q)to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They *said to Him, “We are able.” ²³ He *said to them, “^(R)My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, ^(S)but it is for those for whom it has been ^(T)prepared by My Father.”

²⁴ And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers. ^25 (U)But 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. ²⁶ It is not this way among you, ^(V)but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave; ²⁸ just as ^(W)the Son of Man ^(X)did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His ^[m]life a ransom for many.”

Sight for the Blind

^29 (Y)And as they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. ³⁰ And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus *was passing by, cried out, saying, “Lord, ^(Z)have mercy on us, ^(AA)Son of David!” ³¹ But the crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, saying, “Lord, ^(AB)Son of David, have mercy on us!” ³² And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” ³³ They *said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes be opened.” ³⁴ And moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.