¹“ For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household , who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard.

²When he had agreed with the labourers for a denarius a day , he sent them into his vineyard.[#20:2 A denarius is a silver Roman coin worth 1/25th of a Roman aureus. This was a common wage for a day of farm labour.]

³He went out about the third hour , and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.[#20:3 Time was measured from sunrise to sunset, so the third hour would be about 9:00 a.m.]

⁴He said to them , ‘ You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you .’ So they went their way .

⁵Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour , and did likewise .[#20:5 noon and 3:00 p.m.]

⁶About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle. He said to them , ‘ Why do you stand here all day idle?’[#20:6 5:00 p.m.]

⁷“ They said to him , ‘ Because no one has hired us .’

“ He said to them , ‘ You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right .’

⁸“ When evening had come , the lord of the vineyard said to his manager , ‘ Call the labourers and pay them their wages , beginning from the last to the first .’

⁹“ When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came , they each received a denarius .

¹⁰When the first came , they supposed that they would receive more ; and they likewise each received a denarius .

¹¹When they received it , they murmured against the master of the household ,

¹²saying , ‘ These last have spent one hour , and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat !’

¹³“ But he answered one of them , ‘ Friend , I am doing you no wrong. Didn’ t you agree with me for a denarius ?

¹⁴Take that which is yours , and go your way . It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you .

¹⁵Isn’ t it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own ? Or is your eye evil , because I am good ?’

¹⁶So the last will be first , and the first last . For many are called , but few are chosen.”

¹⁷As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem , he took the twelve disciples aside , and on the way he said to them ,

¹⁸“ Behold , we are going up to Jerusalem , and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes , and they will condemn him to death ,

¹⁹and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock , to scourge , and to crucify ; and the third day he will be raised up .”

²⁰Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons , kneeling and asking a certain thing of him .

²¹He said to her , “ What do you want ?”

She said to him , “Command that these , my two sons , may sit , one on your right hand and one on your left hand , in your Kingdom.”

²²But Jesus answered , “ You don’ t know what you are asking . Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink , and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with ?”

They said to him , “We are able .”

²³He said to them , “ You will indeed drink my cup , and be baptised with the baptism that I am baptised with ; but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give , but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father .”

²⁴When the ten heard it , they were indignant with the two brothers.

²⁵But Jesus summoned them , and said , “ You know that the rulers of the nations lord it over them , and their great ones exercise authority over them .

²⁶It shall not be so amongst you ; but whoever desires to become great amongst you shall be your servant .[#20:26 TR reads “let him be” instead of “shall be”]

²⁷Whoever desires to be first amongst you shall be your bondservant,

²⁸even as the Son of Man came not to be served , but to serve , and to give his life as a ransom for many .”

²⁹As they went out from Jericho , a great multitude followed him .

³⁰Behold , two blind men sitting by the road , when they heard that Jesus was passing by , cried out , “Lord , have mercy on us , you son of David !”

³¹The multitude rebuked them , telling them that they should be quiet , but they cried out even more , “Lord , have mercy on us , you son of David !”

³²Jesus stood still and called them , and asked , “ What do you want me to do for you ?”

³³They told him , “Lord , that our eyes may be opened.”

³⁴Jesus , being moved with compassion , touched their eyes ; and immediately their eyes received their sight , and they followed him .