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
Mattityahu 20
Orthodox Jewish Bible
20 The Malchut HaShomayim is like a man, the Baal Bayit, who went out early in the boker, to hire poalim (workers) for his kerem.
2 And having agreed with the poalim to salary them a denarius for their day’s pay, the Baal Bayit sent them into his kerem.
3 And having gone out around the third hour, the Baal Bayit saw others loitering in the marketplace,
4 and he said to those, You go also into the kerem. And whatever is right, this is what your pay will be.
5 And they left. And again, having gone out around the sixth and the ninth hour, the Baal Bayit did the same thing.
6 And around the eleventh hour, having gone out, the Baal Bayit found others standing around, and he says to them, Why have you been standing here all the day not working?
7 The idle workers say to the Baal Bayit, Because no one hired us. The Baal Bayit says to them, You go also into the kerem.
8 And when erev had come, another man, the owner of the kerem, says to his foreman, Call the poalim and give to them the wage, beginning with the acharonim and going to the rishonim.
9 And the ones that came around the eleventh hour each received a denarius.
10 And when the rishonim came, they were under the impression that they would receive a larger sum; instead, they themselves each received a denarius.
11 And when they received the denarius, they were complaining against the Baal Bayit,
12 saying, These acharonim worked one hour, and you made them equal to us, the ones having endured the burden and the heat of the whole day.
13 But the Baal Bayit said in reply to one of them, Chaver, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree that I would pay you the usual day’s wage, a denarius?
14 Take what belongs to you, your denarius, and go. But it is my ratzon, my good pleasure, to give to this one who is last also what I gave to you.
15 Or is it not allowable for me to do what I wish with the things that are mine? Or do you look with a jealous ayin horo upon my goodness?
16 Thus the Rishonim will be Acharonim, and the Acharonim will be Rishonim. For the invited ones are many, but the nivcharim (chosen ones) are few.
17 And going up to Yerushalayim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach took the Shneym Asar Talmidim aside in a yechidus and, on the way, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them,
18 Hinei! We are going up to Yerushalayim, and the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] will be handed over to the Rashei Hakohanim and the Sofrim (scribes, Torah-teachers, or rabbonim), and they will condemn him to death.
19 And they will hand Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach over to the Goyim in order to mock and to whip and to hang him up TALUI AL HAETZ (being hanged on the Tree DEVARIM 21:23), and after his histalkus (passing), on the Yom HaShlishi (Third Day) there will be Techiyas HaMoshiach.
20 Then the Em of Zavdai’s banim, along with the sons, approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and, prostrating herself before him, she made a bakosha (request) of him.
21 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to her, What do you wish? She says to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Say that these, my two banim, may sit, one on your right, the other on your left, in your [the Moshiach’s] Malchut.
22 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply, You do not have daas of what you are asking. Are you able to drink the Kos which I am about to drink? They say, We are able.
23 Moshiach says to them, Indeed, you will drink my Kos, but to sit on the right and on the left of me, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my [Moshiach’s] Av.
24 And having heard this, HaAsarah (The Ten) became indignant about the two achim (brothers).
25 But Moshiach, having summoned them, said, You have daas that those who have the rule over the Goyim domineer them like tyrants.
26 But it will not be thus among you. For whoever wishes to be gadol among you will become your mesharet (servant, minister).
27 And whoever wishes among you to be rishon (first) will be your eved (servant).
28 Just as the Ben HaAdam [Moshiach] did not come to be served, to be ministered to, but to serve, to minister, and to give his neshamah, his nefesh, as a kofer (ransom, pedut) LARABBIM (for the sake of many, for the Geulah Redemption of many, YESHAYAH 53:11).
29 And, as they were going out from Yericho, a great multitude followed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
30 And hinei! Two ivrim (blind men), sitting beside the road, having heard that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach is passing by, shouted, crying out, Adoneinu, Ben Dovid, chaneinu, yhi chasedcha aleinu (have mercy on us TEHILLIM 33:22)!
31 However, the crowd rebuked the two ivrim, that they be silent, but they shouted even more, saying Chaneinu, Adoneinu Ben Dovid!
32 And having stopped, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach called to them and said, What do you wish that I should do for you?
33 They say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach: Adoneinu, that our eyes may be opened!
34 And having been filled with rachmei shomayim (heavenly mercy, compassion), he touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes were opened and they followed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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