Matthew 20:1–16

¹For the kingdom of the heavens is like a householder who went out with the early morn to hire workmen for his vineyard. ²And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³And having gone out about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle; ⁴and to them he said, Go also ye into the vineyard, and whatsoever may be just I will give you. And they went their way. ⁵Again, having gone out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise. ⁶But about the eleventh hour, having gone out, he found others standing, and says to them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? ⁷They say to him, Because no man has hired us. He says to them, Go also ye into the vineyard and whatsoever may be just ye shall receive. ⁸But when the evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the workmen and pay them their wages, beginning from the last even to the first. ⁹And when they who came to work about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius. ¹⁰And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they received also themselves each a denarius. ¹¹And on receiving it they murmured against the master of the house, ¹²saying, These last have worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the heat. ¹³But he answering said to one of them, My friend, I do not wrong thee. Didst thou not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴Take what is thine and go. But it is my will to give to this last even as to thee: ¹⁵is it not lawful for me to do what I will in my own affairs? Is thine eye evil because I am good? ¹⁶Thus shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called ones, but few chosen ones.