Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

²¹ All I live for is Christ, and to die would give me more blessing.

²² If I keep on living, then I will keep on doing my good work. I really do not know which I want more, to live or to die.

²³ I am caught between these two. I want to die and go to be with Christ, which would be very much better.

²⁴ But you need me more to stay here.

²⁵ Because I am sure of this, I know that I will stay on and be here with you all. That will help you to be better Christians and happy ones.

²⁶ Then you will be even more happy about what Christ Jesus has done for me because I have come back to you.

²⁷ So whatever happens, live as people who believe the good news of Christ should live. Then, if I come and see you, or if I am away and hear about you, you will be standing strong together in one spirit. With one mind you will be working hard together for the good news.

²⁸ Do not fear in any way those who are working against you. It is God who shows them they are lost and you are saved.

²⁹ God has given you a special gift. You can not only believe in Christ but also suffer for him.

³⁰ You have the same trouble which you saw me have. And you hear now that I still have it.

20 The kingdom of heaven is like this. A man owned a farm. Early in the morning he went out to look for men to work on his farm.

² He agreed to pay them a day's wages and sent them out to his farm.

³ `About nine o'clock he went out again. He saw some men standing around at the market. They were not working.

⁴ He said to them, "You go out to work on the farm too. I will pay you what is right." And they went to work.

⁵ `The man went out again at twelve o'clock and at three o'clock. He did the same as he had done before.

⁶ `About five o'clock he went out again and found other men standing around. He said to them, "Why have you been standing here all day? Why are you not working?"

⁷ They said, "No man has asked us to work." So he said to them, "You go out to work on the farm too."

⁸ `When evening came, the man who owned the farm said to his manager, "Call the workmen and pay them. Begin with those who came last and end with those who came first."

⁹ Each of the men who started work at five o'clock was paid a day's wages.

¹⁰ Those who started work first thought they would get more than that. But they also were paid a day's wages.

¹¹ They took it, but they were angry and talked against the man who owned the farm.

¹² `They said, "These men came last, and worked only one hour. Yet you paid them the same as you paid us. We worked all day, when the sun was hot."

¹³ `But he said to one of them, "My friend, I am not doing any wrong to you. You agreed that I should pay you a day's wages. Did you not?

¹⁴ Take your money and go. I want to give the last man the same pay as I gave you.

¹⁵ It is my own money. Can I not do with it as I like? Do you think it is a wrong thing for me to be kind?"

¹⁶ `In the same way, people who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last.'