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Read the Bible

New Living Translation

Matthew 20:4

So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day.

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.'
Contemporary English Version
He said he would pay them what was fair, if they would work in his vineyard.
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 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 "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. 3 "At nine o'clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4 So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5 So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o'clock he did the same thing. 6 "At five o'clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven't you been working today?' 7 "They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.' "The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.' 8 "That evening he told the foreman to call the workers in and pay them, beginning with the last workers first. 9 When those hired at five o'clock were paid, each received a full day's wage. 10 When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day's wage.

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
Then the Lord rained down fire and burning sulfur from the sky on Sodom and Gomorrah.
Genesis 20:6
In the dream God responded, "Yes, I know you are innocent. That's why I kept you from sinning against me, and why I did not let you touch her.
Genesis 20:17
Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife, and his female servants, so they could have children.
Genesis 20:18
For the Lord had caused all the women to be infertile because of what happened with Abraham's wife, Sarah.
2 Samuel 4:11
How much more should I reward evil men who have killed an innocent man in his own house and on his own bed? Shouldn't I hold you responsible for his blood and rid the earth of you?"
1 Chronicles 21:17
And David said to God, "I am the one who called for the census! I am the one who has sinned and done wrong! But these people are as innocent as sheep—what have they done? O Lord my God, let your anger fall against me and my family, but do not destroy 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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