1"For 1the kingdom of heaven is like a landownerwhowent out early in the morning to hirelaborers for his 2vineyard.
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"When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
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"And he went out about the thirdhour and sawothersstandingidle in the marketplace;
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and to those he said, 'You alsogo into the vineyard, and whatever* is right I will give you.' And so they went.
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"Again he went out about the sixth and the ninthhour, and did the samething.
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"And about the eleventh hour he went out and foundothersstanding around; and he said to them, 'Why have you been standinghereidleallday long?'
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"They said to him, 'Becausenoonehired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyardtoo.'
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"When 3eveningcame, the owner of the vineyardsaid to his 4foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.'
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"Whenthose hired about the eleventhhourcame, eachonereceived a denarius.
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"When those hired firstcame, they thought that they would receivemore; but each of them alsoreceived a denarius.
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"When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,
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saying, 'Theselastmen have worked only onehour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the 5scorchingheat of the day.'
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"But he answered and said to one of them, '6Friend, I am doing you nowrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
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'Takewhat is yours and go, but I wish to give to thislastman the same as to you.
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'Is it not lawful for me to dowhat I wish with what is my own? Or is your 7eyeenviousbecause I amgenerous?'
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"So8the last shall be first, and the firstlast."