Matthew 20 : 1 (NCV)
The kingdom of heaven is like a person who owned some land. One morning, he went out very early to hire some people to work in his vineyard.
Matthew 20 : 2 (NCV)
The man agreed to pay the workers one coinn for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work.
Matthew 20 : 3 (NCV)
About nine o'clock the man went to the marketplace and saw some other people standing there, doing nothing.
Matthew 20 : 4 (NCV)
So he said to them, 'If you go and work in my vineyard, I will pay you what your work is worth.'
Matthew 20 : 5 (NCV)
So they went to work in the vineyard. The man went out again about twelve o'clock and three o'clock and did the same thing.
Matthew 20 : 6 (NCV)
About five o'clock the man went to the marketplace again and saw others standing there. He asked them, 'Why did you stand here all day doing nothing?'
Matthew 20 : 7 (NCV)
They answered, 'No one gave us a job.' The man said to them, 'Then you can go and work in my vineyard.'
Matthew 20 : 8 (NCV)
"At the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard said to the boss of all the workers, 'Call the workers and pay them. Start with the last people I hired and end with those I hired first.'
Matthew 20 : 9 (NCV)
"When the workers who were hired at five o'clock came to get their pay, each received one coin.
Matthew 20 : 10 (NCV)
When 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 coin.
Matthew 20 : 11 (NCV)
When they got their coin, they complained to the man who owned the land.
Matthew 20 : 12 (NCV)
They said, 'Those people were hired last and worked only one hour. But you paid them the same as you paid us who worked hard all day in the hot sun.'
Matthew 20 : 13 (NCV)
But the man who owned the vineyard said to one of those workers, 'Friend, I am being fair to you. You agreed to work for one coin.
Matthew 20 : 14 (NCV)
So take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same pay that I gave you.
Matthew 20 : 15 (NCV)
I can do what I want with my own money. Are you jealous because I am good to those people?'
Matthew 20 : 16 (NCV)
"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 (NCV)
While Jesus was going to Jerusalem, he took his twelve followers aside privately and said to them,
Matthew 20 : 18 (NCV)
"Look, we are going to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be turned over to the leading priests and the teachers of the law, and they will say that he must die.
Matthew 20 : 19 (NCV)
They will give the Son of Man to the non-Jewish people to laugh at him and beat him with whips and crucify him. But on the third day, he will be raised to life again."
Matthew 20 : 20 (NCV)
Then the wife of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons. She bowed before him and asked him to do something for her.
Matthew 20 : 21 (NCV)
Jesus asked, "What do you want?" She said, "Promise that one of my sons will sit at your right side and the other will sit at your left side in your kingdom."
Matthew 20 : 22 (NCV)
But Jesus said, "You don't understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?" The sons answered, "Yes, we can."
Matthew 20 : 23 (NCV)
Jesus said to them, "You will drink from my cup. But I cannot choose who will sit at my right or my left; those places belong to those for whom my Father has prepared them."
Matthew 20 : 24 (NCV)
When the other ten followers heard this, they were angry with the two brothers.
Matthew 20 : 25 (NCV)
Jesus called all the followers together and 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.
Matthew 20 : 26 (NCV)
But it should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant.
Matthew 20 : 27 (NCV)
Whoever wants to become first among you must serve the rest of you like a slave.
Matthew 20 : 28 (NCV)
In the same way, the Son of Man did not come to be served. He came to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many people."
Matthew 20 : 29 (NCV)
When Jesus and his followers were leaving Jericho, a great many people followed him.
Matthew 20 : 30 (NCV)
Two blind men sitting by the road heard that Jesus was going by, so they shouted, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
Matthew 20 : 31 (NCV)
The people warned the blind men to be quiet, but they shouted even more, "Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!"
Matthew 20 : 32 (NCV)
Jesus stopped and said to the blind men, "What do you want me to do for you?"
Matthew 20 : 33 (NCV)
They answered, "Lord, we want to see."
Matthew 20 : 34 (NCV)
Jesus felt sorry for the blind men and touched their eyes, and at once they could see. Then they followed Jesus.

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