New Revised Standard NRS
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
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For the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house, who went out early in the morning to get workers into his vine-garden.
2 After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
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And when he had made an agreement with the workmen for a penny a day, he sent them into his vine-garden.
3 When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace;
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And he went out about the third hour, and saw others in the market-place doing nothing;
4 and he said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went.
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And he said to them, Go into the vine-garden with the others, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went to work.
5 When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same.
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Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same.
6 And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, "Why are you standing here idle all day?'
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And about the eleventh hour he went out and saw others doing nothing; and he says to them, Why are you here all the day doing nothing?
7 They said to him, "Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, "You also go into the vineyard.'
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They say to him, Because no man has given us work. He says to them, Go in with the rest, into the vine-garden.
8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, "Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.'
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And when evening came, the lord of the vine-garden said to his manager, Let the workers come, and give them their payment, from the last to the first.
9 When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage.
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And when those men came who had gone to work at the eleventh hour, they were given every man a penny.
10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.
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Then those who came first had the idea that they would get more; and they, like the rest, were given a penny.
11 And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner,
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And when they got it, they made a protest against the master of the house,
12 saying, "These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'
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Saying, These last have done only one hour's work, and you have made them equal to us, who have undergone the hard work of the day and the burning heat.
13 But he replied to one of them, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
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But he in answer said to one of them, Friend, I do you no wrong: did you not make an agreement with me for a penny?
14 Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you.
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Take what is yours, and go away; it is my pleasure to give to this last, even as to you.
15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
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Have I not the right to do as seems good to me in my house? or is your eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
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So the last will be first, and the first last.
17 While Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way,
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And when Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples on one side, and said to them,
18 "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death;
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See, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be given into the hands of the chief priests and scribes; and they will give orders for him to be put to death,
19 then they will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified; and on the third day he will be raised."
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And will give him up to the Gentiles to be made sport of and to be whipped and to be put to death on the cross: and the third day he will come back again from the dead.
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him.
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Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, giving him worship and making a request of him.
21 And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom."
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And he said to her, What is your desire? She says to him, Let my two sons be seated, the one at your right hand, and the other at your left, in your kingdom.
22 But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able."
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But Jesus made answer and said, You have no idea what you are requesting. Are you able to take of the cup which I am about to take?
23 He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
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They say to him, We are able. He says to them, Truly, you will take of my cup: but to be seated at my right hand and at my left is not for me to give, but it is for those for whom my Father has made it ready.
24 When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers.
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And when it came to the ears of the ten, they were angry with the two brothers.
25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them.
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But Jesus said to them, You see that the rulers of the Gentiles are lords over them, and their great ones have authority over them.
26 It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant,
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Let it not be so among you: but if anyone has a desire to become great among you, let him be your servant;
27 and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave;
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And whoever has a desire to be first among you, let him take the lowest place:
28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
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Even as the Son of man did not come to have servants, but to be a servant, and to give his life for the salvation of men.
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
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And when they were going out from Jericho, a great number went after him.
30 There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"
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And two blind men seated by the wayside, when they had the news that Jesus was going by, gave a loud cry, saying, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.
31 The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet; but they shouted even more loudly, "Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!"
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And the people gave them orders to be quiet; but they went on crying even louder, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.
32 Jesus stood still and called them, saying, "What do you want me to do for you?"
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And Jesus, stopping, sent for them, and said, What would you have me do to you?
33 They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened."
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They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be open.
34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they regained their sight and followed him.
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And Jesus, being moved with pity, put his fingers on their eyes: and straight away they were able to see, and went after him.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.