Matthew 20
New Testament for Everyone
The workers in the vineyard
20 “So you see,” Jesus continued, “the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed with the workers to give them a dinar a day, and sent them off to his vineyard.
3 “He went out again in the middle of the morning, and saw some others standing in the market-place with nothing to do.
4 “ ‘You too can go to the vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I’ll give you what’s right.’ 5 So off they went.
“He went out again about midday, and then in the middle of the afternoon, and did the same. 6 Then, with only an hour of the day left, he went out and found other people standing there.
“ ‘Why are you standing here all day with nothing to do?’ he asked them.
7 “ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they replied. “ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘you too can go into the vineyard.’
8 “When evening came, the vineyard-owner said to his servant, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay. Start with the last, and go on to the first.’
9 “So the ones who had worked for one hour came, and each of them received a dinar. 10 When the first ones came, they thought they would get something more; but they, too, each received a dinar.
11 “When they had been given it, they grumbled against the landowner. 12 ‘This lot who came in last,’ they said, ‘have only worked for one hour—and they’ve been put on a level with us! And we did all the hard work, all day, and in the heat as well!’
13 “ ‘My friend,’ he said to one of them, ‘I’m not doing you any wrong. You agreed with me on one dinar, didn’t you? 14 Take it! It’s yours! And be on your way. I want to give this fellow who came at the end the same as you. 15 Or are you suggesting that I’m not allowed to do what I like with my own money? Or are you giving me the evil eye because I’m good?’
16 “So those at the back will be at the front, and the front ones at the back.”
The cup he had to drink
17 Jesus was on his way up to Jerusalem. He took the twelve disciples aside in private, while they were on the road, and said to them, 18 “Look here. We’re going up to Jerusalem. The son of man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they’re going to condemn him to death. 19 They will hand him over to the pagans, and they’re going to mock him, flog him and crucify him. And on the third day he will be raised.”
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came up, with her sons, to Jesus. She bowed low in front of him and indicated that she had a special request to make.
21 “What d’you want?” he asked her.
“It’s about these two sons of mine,” she said to him. “Please say that, when you’re king, they may sit, one at your right hand and one at your left.”
22 “You don’t know what you’re asking for,” said Jesus. “Can you two drink the cup I’m going to drink?”
“Yes, we can,” they replied.
23 “Well,” said Jesus, “so you will drink my cup, then! But sitting at my right and left is not something I can grant. That’s up to my father to give to whoever he has in mind.”
24 When the other ten heard this they were annoyed with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them together.
“You know how it is with pagan rulers,” he said. “They lord it over their subjects. They get all high and mighty and let everybody know it. 26 But that’s not how it’s to be with you. If any of you wants to be great, he must be your servant. 27 If any of you wants to be first, he must be the slave of all. 28 That’s how it is with the son of man: he didn’t come to have servants obey him, but to be a servant—and to give his life as ‘a ransom for many.’ ”
The healing of two blind men
29 As they were going out of Jericho, a large crowd was following Jesus. 30 Just then two blind men were sitting by the wayside, and heard that Jesus was going by. “Have pity on us, Master, son of David!” they shouted.
31 The crowd scolded them and told them to be silent. But they shouted out all the more, “Have pity on us, Master, son of David!”
32 Jesus came to a stop. He called them. “What d’you want me to do for you?” he asked.
33 “Master,” they replied, “we want you to open our eyes.”
34 Jesus was very moved. He touched their eyes. At once they could see again, and they followed him.
Matthew 20
English Standard Version
Laborers in the Vineyard
20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius[a] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And (A)about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And (B)when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his (C)foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and (D)the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, (E)‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take (F)what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 (G)Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or (H)do you begrudge my generosity?’[b] 16 So (I)the last will be first, and the first last.”
Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time
17 (J)And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them, 18 “See, (K)we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will (L)condemn him to death 19 and (M)deliver him over to the Gentiles (N)to be mocked and flogged and (O)crucified, and he will be raised on (P)the third day.”
A Mother's Request
20 (Q)Then (R)the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and (S)kneeling before him she asked him for something. 21 And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine (T)are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, (U)in your kingdom.” 22 Jesus answered, (V)“You do not know what you are asking. Are you able (W)to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, (X)“You will drink (Y)my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, (Z)but it is for those for whom it has been (AA)prepared by my Father.” 24 And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them to him and said, (AB)“You know that the rulers of the Gentiles (AC)lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 26 (AD)It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[c] 27 and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,[d] 28 even as the Son of Man came not to be served but (AE)to serve, and (AF)to give his life as a ransom for (AG)many.”
Jesus Heals Two Blind Men
29 (AH)And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. 30 And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,[e] have mercy on us, (AI)Son of David!” 31 The crowd (AJ)rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” 32 And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” 33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” 34 And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
Footnotes
- Matthew 20:2 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer
- Matthew 20:15 Or is your eye bad because I am good?
- Matthew 20:26 Greek diakonos
- Matthew 20:27 Or bondservant, or servant (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)
- Matthew 20:30 Some manuscripts omit Lord
Scripture quotations from The New Testament for Everyone are copyright © Nicholas Thomas Wright 2011, 2018, 2019.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
