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- "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
- "When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
- "And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the market place;
- and to those he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' And so they went.
- "Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same thing.
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- "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.
- He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
- "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
- He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'
- So they went. "He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
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- "And about the 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?'
- "They said to him, 'Because no one hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'
- "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last group to the first.'
- "When those hired about the eleventh hour came, each one received a denarius.
- "When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
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- About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'
- " 'Because no one has hired us,' they answered. "He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'
- "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'
- "The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
- So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.
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- "When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner,
- saying, 'These last men have worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.'
- "But he answered and said to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
- 'Take what is yours and go, but I wish to give to this last man the same as to you.
- 'Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with what is my own? Or is your eye envious because I am generous?'
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- When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
- 'These men who were hired last worked only one hour,' they said, 'and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.'
- "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?
- Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.
- Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'
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- "So the last shall be first, and the first last."
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- "So the last will be first, and the first will be last."
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