Matthew 20 : 1 (ERVEN)
"God's kingdom is like a man who owned some land. One morning, the man went out very early to hire some people to work in his vineyard.
Matthew 20 : 2 (ERVEN)
He agreed to pay the workers one silver coin for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work.
Matthew 20 : 3 (ERVEN)
"About nine o'clock the man went to the marketplace and saw some other people standing there. They were doing nothing.
Matthew 20 : 4 (ERVEN)
So he said to them, 'If you go and work in my field, I will pay you what your work is worth.'
Matthew 20 : 5 (ERVEN)
So they went to work in the vineyard. "The man went out again about twelve o'clock and again at three o'clock. Both times he hired some others to work in his vineyard.
Matthew 20 : 6 (ERVEN)
About five o'clock the man went to the marketplace again. He saw some other people standing there. He asked them, 'Why did you stand here all day doing nothing?'
Matthew 20 : 7 (ERVEN)
"They said, 'No one gave us a job.' "The man said to them, 'Then you can go and work in my vineyard.'
Matthew 20 : 8 (ERVEN)
"At the end of the day, the owner of the field said to the boss of all the workers, 'Call the workers and pay them all. Start by paying the last people I hired. Then pay all of them, ending with the ones I hired first.'
Matthew 20 : 9 (ERVEN)
"The workers who were hired at five o'clock came to get their pay. Each worker got one silver coin.
Matthew 20 : 10 (ERVEN)
Then the workers who were hired first came to get their pay. They thought they would be paid more than the others. But each one of them also received one silver coin.
Matthew 20 : 11 (ERVEN)
When they got their silver coin, they complained to the man who owned the land.
Matthew 20 : 12 (ERVEN)
They said, 'Those people were hired last and worked only one hour. But you paid them the same as us. And we worked hard all day in the hot sun.'
Matthew 20 : 13 (ERVEN)
"But the man who owned the field said to one of them, 'Friend, I am being fair with you. You agreed to work for one silver coin. Right?
Matthew 20 : 14 (ERVEN)
So take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same pay I gave you.
Matthew 20 : 15 (ERVEN)
I can do what I want with my own money. Why would you be jealous because I am generous?'
Matthew 20 : 16 (ERVEN)
"So those who have the last place now will have the first place in the future. And those who have the first place now will have the last place in the future."
Matthew 20 : 17 (ERVEN)
Jesus was going to Jerusalem. His twelve followers were with him. While they were walking, he gathered the followers together and spoke to them privately. He said to them,
Matthew 20 : 18 (ERVEN)
"We are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be handed over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they will say he must die.
Matthew 20 : 19 (ERVEN)
They will hand him over to the foreigners, who will laugh at him and beat him with whips, and then they will kill him on a cross. But on the third day after his death, he will be raised to life again."
Matthew 20 : 20 (ERVEN)
Then Zebedee's wife came to Jesus and brought her sons. She bowed before Jesus and asked him to do something for her.
Matthew 20 : 21 (ERVEN)
Jesus said, "What do you want?" She said, "Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right side in your kingdom and the other at your left."
Matthew 20 : 22 (ERVEN)
So Jesus said to the sons, "You don't understand what you are asking. Can you drink from the cup that I must drink from?" The sons answered, "Yes, we can!"
Matthew 20 : 23 (ERVEN)
Jesus said to them, "It is true that you will drink from the cup that I drink from. But it is not for me to say who will sit at my right or my left. My Father has decided who will do that. He has prepared those places for them."
Matthew 20 : 24 (ERVEN)
The other ten followers heard this and were angry with the two brothers.
Matthew 20 : 25 (ERVEN)
So Jesus called the followers together. He said, "You know that the rulers of the non- Jewish people love to show their power over the people. And their important leaders love to use all their authority over the people.
Matthew 20 : 26 (ERVEN)
But it should not be that way with you. Whoever wants to be your leader must be your servant.
Matthew 20 : 27 (ERVEN)
Whoever wants to be first must serve the rest of you like a slave.
Matthew 20 : 28 (ERVEN)
Do as I did: The Son of Man did not come for people to serve him. He came to serve others and to give his life to save many people."
Matthew 20 : 29 (ERVEN)
When Jesus and his followers were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed him.
Matthew 20 : 30 (ERVEN)
There were two blind men sitting by the road. They heard that Jesus was coming by. So they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, please help us!"
Matthew 20 : 31 (ERVEN)
The people there criticized the blind men and told them to be quiet. But they shouted more and more, "Lord, Son of David, please help us!"
Matthew 20 : 32 (ERVEN)
Jesus stopped and said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"
Matthew 20 : 33 (ERVEN)
They answered, "Lord, we want to be able to see."
Matthew 20 : 34 (ERVEN)
Jesus felt sorry for the blind men. He touched their eyes, and immediately they were able to see. Then they became followers of Jesus.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34