Good News Translation GNT
World English Bible WEB
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.
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"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 He agreed to pay them the regular wage, a silver coin a day, and sent them to work in his vineyard.
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When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 He went out again to the marketplace at nine o'clock and saw some men standing there doing nothing,
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He went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
4 so he told them, "You also go and work in the vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage.'
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To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way.
5 So they went. Then at twelve o'clock and again at three o'clock he did the same thing.
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Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
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.
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About the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'
7 "No one hired us,' they answered. "Well, then, you go and work in the vineyard,' he told them.
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They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.'
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.'
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When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their hire, beginning from the last to the first.'
9 The men who had begun to work at five o'clock were paid a silver coin each.
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When they who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.
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.
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When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.
11 They took their money and started grumbling against the employer.
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When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,
12 "These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, "while we put up with a whole day's work in the hot sun - yet you paid them the same as you paid us!'
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saying, 'These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!'
13 "Listen, friend,' the owner answered one of them, "I have not cheated you. After all, you agreed to do a day's work for one silver coin.
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But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me for a denarius?
14 Now take your pay and go home. I want to give this man who was hired last as much as I gave you.
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Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my will to give to this last just as much as to you.
15 Don't I have the right to do as I wish with my own money? Or are you jealous because I am generous?' "
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Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?'
16 And Jesus concluded, "So those who are last will be first, and those who are first will be last."
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So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside and spoke to them privately, as they walked along.
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As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
18 "Listen," he told them, "we are going up to Jerusalem, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. They will condemn him to death
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"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,
19 and then hand him over to the Gentiles, who will make fun of him, whip him, and crucify him; but three days later he will be raised to life."
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and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up."
20 Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her two sons, bowed before him, and asked him for a favor.
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Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.
21 "What do you want?" Jesus asked her. She answered, "Promise me that these two sons of mine will sit at your right and your left when you are King."
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He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your kingdom."
22 "You don't know what you are asking for," Jesus answered the sons. "Can you drink the cup of suffering that I am about to drink?" "We can," they answered.
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But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able."
23 "You will indeed drink from my cup," Jesus told them, "but I do not have the right to choose who will sit at my right and my left. These places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them."
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He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand, and on my left hand, is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
24 When the other ten disciples heard about this, they became angry with the two brothers.
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When the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation concerning the two brothers.
25 So Jesus called them all together and said, "You know that the rulers of the heathen have power over them, and the leaders have complete authority.
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But Jesus called them to him, and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
26 This, however, is not the way it shall be among you. If one of you wants to be great, you must be the servant of the rest;
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It shall not be so among you, but whoever would become great among you will be your servant.
27 and if one of you wants to be first, you must be the slave of the others
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Whoever would be first among you will be your bondservant,
28 like the Son of Man, who did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life to redeem many people."
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even as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
29 As Jesus and his disciples were leaving Jericho, a large crowd was following.
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As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.
30 Two blind men who were sitting by the road heard that Jesus was passing by, so they began to shout, "Son of David! Have mercy on us, sir!"
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Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"
31 The crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, "Son of David! Have mercy on us, sir!"
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The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"
32 Jesus stopped and called them. "What do you want me to do for you?" he asked them.
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Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"
33 "Sir," they answered, "we want you to give us our sight!"
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They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."
34 Jesus had pity on them and touched their eyes; at once they were able to see, and they followed him.
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Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.
The World English Bible is in the public domain.