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Contemporary English Version

Matthew 20:4

He said he would pay them what was fair, if they would work in his vineyard.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Contracts;   Employee;   Gospel;   Hours;   Jesus, the Christ;   Jesus Continued;   Kingdom of Heaven;   Labor;   Penny;   Reward;   Servant;   Vineyard;   Wages;   Wicked (People);   The Topic Concordance - Kingdom of God;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Parables;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Hours;   Market;   Parable;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Grace;   Grapes;   Kingdom of god;   Parables;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Christ, Christology;   Gospel;   Grace;   King, Christ as;   Reward;   Wages;   Work;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Hutchinsonians;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Hireling;   Wages;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Drachma;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Economic Life;   Election;   Grace;   Matthew, the Gospel of;   Vine;   Wages;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Text of the New Testament;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Almsgiving ;   Celibacy (2);   Day;   Discourse;   Justice (2);   Labour (2);   Matthew, Gospel According to;   Merit;   Money (2);   Paradox;   Prize;   Right (2);   Samaritan, the Good ;   Sea of Galilee;   Selfishness;   Steward, Stewardship;   Unity (2);   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Hireling, Hired Servant;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Hireling;   Hour;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Chief parables and miracles in the bible;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Denarius;   Hour;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Jesus of Nazareth;   Twelve Apostles, the;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Day;   Justice;   Right;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Parable;  

Devotionals:

- Daily Light on the Daily Path - Devotion for June 20;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
He said to them, ‘You also go into my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So off they went.
King James Version (1611)
And said vnto them, Go ye also into the vineyard, & whatsoeuer is right, I wil giue you. And they went their way.
King James Version
And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
English Standard Version
and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.'
New American Standard Bible
and to those he said, 'You go into the vineyard also, and whatever is right, I will give you.' And so they went.
New Century Version
So he said to them, ‘If you go and work in my vineyard, I will pay you what your work is worth.'
Amplified Bible
and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right (an appropriate wage).' And they went.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And sayd vnto them, Goe ye also into my vineyard, and whatsoeuer is right, I will giue you: and they went their way.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
and to those he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went.
Legacy Standard Bible
and to those he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went.
Berean Standard Bible
'You also go into my vineyard,' he said, 'and I will pay you whatever is right.'
Complete Jewish Bible
and said to them, ‘You go to the vineyard too — I'll pay you a fair wage.' So they went.
Darby Translation
and to them he said, Go also ye into the vineyard, and whatsoever may be just I will give you. And they went their way.
Easy-to-Read Version
So he said to them, ‘If you go and work in my field, I will pay you what your work is worth.'
George Lamsa Translation
And he said to them, You also go to the vineyard, and I will give you what is right. And they went.
Good News Translation
so he told them, ‘You also go and work in the vineyard, and I will pay you a fair wage.'
Lexham English Bible
And to those people he said, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is right.'
Literal Translation
And he said to them, You also go into the vineyard, and I will give you whatever is just. And they went.
American Standard Version
and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
Bible in Basic English
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.
Hebrew Names Version
To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way.
International Standard Version
He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard, too, and I will pay you whatever is right.'
Etheridge Translation
And he said to them, Go also you in the vinery, and what is suitable I will give you. Then went they.
Murdock Translation
and he said to them, Go ye also into my vineyard, and what is right I will give you;
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And saide vnto them: Go ye also into ye vineyard, & whatsoeuer is right, I wyl geue you. And they went their way.
English Revised Version
and to them he said, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.
World English Bible
To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way.
Wesley's New Testament (1755)
And said to them, Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, I will give you. And they went.
Weymouth's New Testament
To these also he said, "`You also, go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.'
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
And he seide to hem, Go ye also in to myn vynyerd, and that that schal be riytful, Y schal yyue to you.
Update Bible Version
and to them he said, you also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.
Webster's Bible Translation
And said to them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatever is right, I will give you. And they departed.
New English Translation
He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.'
New King James Version
and said to them, "You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
New Living Translation
So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day.
New Life Bible
He said to them, ‘You go to my grape-field and work also. Whatever is right, I will pay you.' And they went.
New Revised Standard
and he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
and, to them, he said - ye also, go your way into the vineyard, and, whatsoever may be right, I will give you;
Douay-Rheims Bible
And he said to them: Go you also into my vineyard, and I will give you what shall be just.
Revised Standard Version
and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
Tyndale New Testament (1525)
and sayd vnto them go ye also into my vyneyarde: and whatsoever is right I will geve you. And they went there waye.
Young's Literal Translation
and to these he said, Go ye -- also ye -- to the vineyard, and whatever may be righteous I will give you;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and sayde vnto them: Go ye also in to my vynyarde, & what so euer is right, I wil geue it you. And they wete their waye.
Mace New Testament (1729)
go ye likewise to my vineyard, and I will give you what is reasonable: accordingly they went thither.
Simplified Cowboy Version
He told 'em, 'Y'all head out to my ranch and help with the brandin' and I'll pay you what is right for your time.'

Contextual Overview

1 As Jesus was telling what the kingdom of heaven would be like, he said: Early one morning a man went out to hire some workers for his vineyard. 2 After he had agreed to pay them the usual amount for a day's work, he sent them off to his vineyard. 3 About nine that morning, the man saw some other people standing in the market with nothing to do. 4 He said he would pay them what was fair, if they would work in his vineyard. 5 So they went. At noon and again about three in the afternoon he returned to the market. And each time he made the same agreement with others who were loafing around with nothing to do. 6 Finally, about five in the afternoon the man went back and found some others standing there. He asked them, "Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?" 7 "Because no one has hired us," they answered. Then he told them to go work in his vineyard. 8 That evening the owner of the vineyard told the man in charge of the workers to call them in and give them their money. He also told the man to begin with the ones who were hired last. 9 When the workers arrived, the ones who had been hired at five in the afternoon were given a full day's pay. 10 The workers who had been hired first thought they would be given more than the others. But when they were given the same,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Go: Matthew 9:9, Matthew 21:23-31, Luke 19:7-10, Romans 6:16-22, 1 Corinthians 6:11, 1 Timothy 1:12, 1 Timothy 1:13, Titus 3:8, 1 Peter 1:13, 1 Peter 4:2, 1 Peter 4:3

and whatsoever: Colossians 4:1

Cross-References

Genesis 19:24
and the Lord sent burning sulfur down like rain on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 20:6
God spoke to Abimelech in another dream and said: I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sleeping with Sarah and doing anything wrong.
Genesis 20:17
Meanwhile, God had kept Abimelech's wife and slaves from having children. But Abraham prayed, and God let them start having children again.
2 Samuel 4:11
You evil men have done something much worse than he did. You've killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed. I'll make you pay for that. I'll wipe you from the face of the earth!
1 Chronicles 21:17
and David prayed, "It's my fault! I sinned by ordering the people to be counted. They have done nothing wrong—they are innocent sheep. Lord God, please punish me and my family. Don't let the disease wipe out your people."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And said unto them, go ye also into the vineyard,.... Expressive of a call of divine grace out of the world, into the church; and which arises from mere grace, and good will, without any merit in, or motive from man, as the case here shows: for the householder went out to these men, not they to him; he puts the question to them, and calls them, and bids them go into his vineyard; they do not ask him to hire them, nor desire to be in his service. Moreover, the persons called were a parcel of idle, mean, vulgar people, as market folks commonly are; the weak, base, and foolish things of the world. The encouragement given them follows,

and whatsoever is right I will give you which is to be understood, not of strict justice; for in this sense nothing could be given to sinful mortals, for their services; but of grace, for what is had on this score, whether in this, or in the other world, is in a way of giving and receiving, which are the phrases used here, and in the context. It properly signifies what is meet and convenient, and will be satisfying; and since it is not expressed what he would give them, and they should receive, it calls for faith and dependence on divine goodness: for it does not yet appear, what the faithful labourers in Christ's vineyard will want, and shall receive in this life, nor what will be their happiness in the world to come: the glories and joys of heaven are unseen things; and eternal life is a hidden one at present, and must be trusted for:

and they went their way: into the vineyard, the church, to labour there; which shows, that the call was powerful and efficacious; they were powerfully wrought upon by it; were at once inclined, and made willing to, and did go cheerfully, without standing to dispute about their work or wages.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Whatsoever is right - Whatsoever it shall appear you can earn. The contract with the first was definite; with this one it depended on the judgment of the employer.


 
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