THE PARABLE OF THE VINEYARD WORKERS

20 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.t 2 After agreeing with the workers on one denarius,* he sent them into his vineyard for the day. 3 When he went out about nine in the morning,J he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went. 5 About noon and about three,K he went out again and did the same thing. 6 Then about five* he went and found others standing aroundM and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?’

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

“ ‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he told them.N 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay,a starting with the last and ending with the first.’

9 “When those who were hired about five came, they each received one denarius. 10 So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. 11 When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: 12 ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’b

13 “He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me on a denarius?c 14 Take what’s yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do what I want with what is mine? Are you jealousA because I’m generous?’B,d

16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”C,e