6
About 5 p.m. he went out and found some others standing around. He said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day long without work?'
7
"'No one has hired us,' they answered him. "He said to them, 'Work in my vineyard.'
8
"When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told the supervisor, 'Call the workers, and give them their wages. Start with the last, and end with the first.'
9
"Those who started working about 5 p.m. came, and each received a day's wages.
10
When those who had been hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them received a day's wages.
11
Although they took it, they began to protest to the owner.
12
They said, 'These last workers have worked only one hour. Yet, you've treated us all the same, even though we worked hard all day under a blazing sun.'
13
"The owner said to one of them, 'Friend, I'm not treating you unfairly. Didn't you agree with me on a day's wages?
14
Take your money and go! I want to give this last worker as much as I gave you.
15
Can't I do what I want with my own money? Or do you resent my generosity towards others?'
16
"In this way the last will be first, and the first will be last."