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Laborers in the Vineyard

¹ "For ^(C1)the kingdom of heaven is like ^(F1)a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his ^(C2)vineyard.² "When he had agreed with the laborers for a ^(F1)denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.³ "And he went out about the ^(F1)third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place;⁴ and to those he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went.⁵ "Again he went out about the ^(F1)sixth and the ninth hour, and did ^(F2)the same thing.⁶ "And about the ^(F1)eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around; and he ^(*)said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day long?'⁷ "They ^(*)said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He ^(*)said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'

⁸ "When ^(C1)evening came, the ^(F1)owner of the vineyard ^(*)said to his ^(C2)foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.'⁹ "When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a ^(F1)denarius.¹⁰ "When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; ^(F1)but each of them also received a denarius.¹¹ "When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,¹² saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the ^(C1)scorching heat of the day.'¹³ "But he answered and said to one of them, '^(C1)Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?¹⁴ 'Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.¹⁵ 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your ^(C1)eye ^(F1)envious because I am ^(F2)generous?'¹⁶ "So ^(C1)the last shall be first, and the first last."

Death, Resurrection Foretold

^17 (C1)As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and on the way He said to them,¹⁸ "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man ^(C1)will be ^(F1)delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death,¹⁹ and ^(C1)will hand Him over to the Gentiles to mock and scourge and crucify Him, and on ^(C2)the third day He will be raised up."

Preferment Asked

^20 (C1)Then the mother of ^(C2)the sons of Zebedee came to ^(F1)Jesus with her sons, ^(C3)bowing down and making a request of Him.²¹ And He said to her, "What do you wish?" She ^(*)said to Him, "Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine ^(C1)may sit one on Your right and one on Your left."²² But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able ^(C1)to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They ^(*)said to Him, "We are able."²³ He ^(*)said to them, "^(C1)My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, ^(C2)but it is for those for whom it has been ^(C3)prepared by My Father."

²⁴ And hearing this, the ten became indignant with the two brothers.^25 (C1)But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.²⁶ "It is not this way among you, ^(C1)but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant,²⁷ and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave;²⁸ just as ^(C1)the Son of Man ^(C2)did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His ^(F1)life a ransom for many."

Sight for the Blind

^29 (C1)As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.³⁰ And two blind men sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, ^(C1)have mercy on us, ^(C2)Son of David!"³¹ The crowd sternly told them to be quiet, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, ^(C1)Son of David, have mercy on us!"³² And Jesus stopped and called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"³³ They ^(*)said to Him, "Lord, we want our eyes to be opened."³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes; and immediately they regained their sight and followed Him.