Matthew 20:1-9

1 "The kingdom of heaven is like a person who owned some land. One morning, he went out very early to hire some people to work in his vineyard.

2 The man agreed to pay the workers one coinn for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work.

3 About nine o'clock the man went to the marketplace and saw some other people standing there, doing nothing.

4 So he said to them, 'If you go and work in my vineyard, I will pay you what your work is worth.'

5 So they went to work in the vineyard. The man went out again about twelve o'clock and three o'clock and did the same thing.

6 About five o'clock the man went to the marketplace again and saw others standing there. He asked them, 'Why did you stand here all day doing nothing?'

7 They answered, 'No one gave us a job.' The man said to them, 'Then you can go and work in my vineyard.'

8 "At the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard said to the boss of all the workers, 'Call the workers and pay them. Start with the last people I hired and end with those I hired first.'

9 "When the workers who were hired at five o'clock came to get their pay, each received one coin.