Matthew 20:1-11

1 "The Kingdom of heaven is like this. Once there was a man who went out early in the morning to hire some men to work in his vineyard.

2 He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day, and sent them to work in his vineyard.

3 He went out again to the marketplace at nine o'clock and saw some men standing there doing nothing,

4 so he told them, "You also go and work in the vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage.'

5 So they went. Then at twelve o'clock and again at three o'clock he did the same thing.

6 It was nearly five o'clock when he went to the marketplace and saw some other men still standing there. "Why are you wasting the whole day here doing nothing?' he asked them.

7 "No one hired us,' they answered. "Well, then, you go and work in the vineyard,' he told them.

8 "When evening came, the owner told his foreman, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with those who were hired last and ending with those who were hired first.' ¹

9 The men who had begun to work at five o'clock were paid a silver coin each.

10 So when the men who were the first to be hired came to be paid, they thought they would get more; but they too were given a silver coin each.

11 They took their money and started grumbling against the employer.

Cross References

• 1. 20.8Leviticus 19.13;Deuteronomy 24.15.