Bible Reading Plan

Matthew 20

Chapter 20

The Parable of the Vineyard Workers

¹  "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.^{(a) 2} After agreeing with the workers on one denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ When he went out about nine in the morning,^[a] he saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. ⁴ To those men he said, ‘You also go to my vineyard, and I'll give you whatever is right.' So off they went. ⁵ About noon and at three,^[b] he went out again and did the same thing. ⁶ Then about five^[c] he went and found others standing around,^[d] and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day doing nothing?'

⁷ "‘Because no one hired us,' they said to him.

"‘You also go to my vineyard,' he told them.^{[e] 8} When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call the workers and give them their pay,^(b) starting with the last and ending with the first.' ^[f]

⁹ "When those who were hired about five^[g] came, they each received one denarius. ¹⁰ So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each. ¹¹ When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner: ¹² ‘These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat!'^(c)

¹³ "He replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I'm doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me on a denarius?^{(d) 14} Take what's yours and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you. ¹⁵ Don't I have the right to do what I want with my business?^[h] Are you jealous^[i] because I'm generous?' ^[j](e)

¹⁶ "So the last will be first, and the first last." ^[k](f)

The Third Prediction of His Death

¹⁷ While going up to Jerusalem,^(g) Jesus took the 12 disciples aside privately and said to them on the way: ¹⁸ "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death.^{(h) 19} Then they will hand Him over to the Gentiles⁽ⁱ⁾ to be mocked, flogged,^[l] and crucified, and He will be resurrected^[m] on the third day."

Suffering and Service

²⁰ Then the mother of Zebedee's sons approached Him with her sons.^(j) She knelt down to ask Him for something.^{(k) 21} "What do you want?" He asked her.

"Promise,"^[n] she said to Him, "that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom."^(l)

²² But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you're asking. Are you able to drink the cup^[o] that I am about to drink?" ^[p](m)

"We are able," they said to Him.

²³ He told them, "You will indeed drink My cup.^[q] But to sit at My right and left is not Mine to give; instead, it belongs to those for whom it has been prepared by My Father."^{(n) 24} When the 10 disciples heard this, they became indignant with the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them over and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles dominate them, and the men of high position exercise power over them. ²⁶ It must not be like that among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,^{(o) 27} and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave; ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,^(p) and to give His life—a ransom for many." ^(q)

Two Blind Men Healed

²⁹ As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.^{(r) 30} There were two blind men sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" ³¹ The crowd told them to keep quiet, but they cried out all the more, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"^(s)

³² Jesus stopped, called them, and said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"

³³ "Lord," they said to Him, "open our eyes!" ³⁴ Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they could see, and they followed Him.