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The Blue Letter Bible

Matthew 20 :: English Standard Version (ESV)

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Laborers in the Vineyard

Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:1 - “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:2 - After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius[fn] a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:3 - And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:4 - and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:5 - So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:6 - And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:7 - They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:8 - And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:9 - And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:10 - Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:11 - And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house,
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:12 - saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:13 - But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:14 - Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:15 - Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:16 - So the last will be first, and the first last.”

Jesus Foretells His Death a Third Time

(Mar 10:32–34; Luk 18:31–34 )
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:17 - And as Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:18 - “See, we are going up to Jerusalem. And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:19 - and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

A Mother’s Request

(Mar 10:35–45 )
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:20 - Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came up to him with her sons, and kneeling before him she asked him for something.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:21 - And he said to her, “What do you want?” She said to him, “Say that these two sons of mine are to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:22 - Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:23 - He said to them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:24 - And when the ten heard it, they were indignant at the two brothers.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:25 - But Jesus called them to him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:26 - It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant,[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:27 - and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:28 - even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

(Mar 10:46–52; Luk 18:35–43 )
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:29 - And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him.
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:30 - And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord,[fn] have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:31 - The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:32 - And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:33 - They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”
Unchecked Copy BoxMat 20:34 - And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
ESV Footnotes
A denarius was a day’s wage for a laborer
Or is your eye bad because I am good?
Greek diakonos
Or bondservant, or servant (for the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface)
Some manuscripts omit Lord
ESV

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

See detailed copyright information.

For more information on this translation, see the ESV Preface.

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Matthew Chapter 20 — Additional Translations: