Matthew 20:1-16 - The Parable Of The Workers In The Vineyard

¹ "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. ² Now when he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. ³ And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace, ⁴ and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. ⁵ Again he went out about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, and did the same thing. ⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said to them, 'Why have you been standing here idle all day?'

⁷ They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right you will receive.' ⁸ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'

⁹ And when those came who were hired about the eleventh hour, they each received a denarius. ¹⁰ So when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. ¹¹ And when they had received it, they complained against the landowner, ¹² saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'

¹³ But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go your way. I wish to give to this last man the same as I gave to you. ¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

¹⁶ So the last will be first, and the first will be last."