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the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 When he had agreed with the workers to pay them a denarius for the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 “He went out again about the third hour and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. 4 And he said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will pay you’. So they went.
5 “He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing. 6 About the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why have you been standing here idle all day?’
7 ‘Because no one has hired us’, they answered.
‘You also go into the vineyard’, he told them.
8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his foreman, ‘Call in the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and ending with the first’.
9 “When those who were hired about the eleventh hour of the day came, each of them received a denarius. 10 So when those who were hired first came, they expected to receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 When they received it, they complained to the landowner: 12 ‘These last men who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day’.
13 “But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn’t you agree with me to work for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I want to give to this last man hired the same as I gave you. 15 Don’t I have the right to do as I choose to do with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 “So the last will be first, and the first last.”
17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside by themselves, and said to them on the way, 18 “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death. 19 Then they will deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and on the third day He will be raised again.”
20 Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons, and kneeling before Him, she asked a favour of Him.
21 “What do you want?” He asked.
She said to Him, “Grant that these two sons of mine may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your kingdom.”
22 “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus told them. “Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?”
“We are able,” they replied.
23 Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink My cup, but to sit at My right hand and at My left it is not Mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.”
24 When the ten heard this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 But Jesus called them over and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their leading officials exercise authority over them. 26 It must not be like that with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever desires to be first among you must be your slave; 28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him. 30 There were two blind men sitting by the roadside. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!”
31 The crowd told them to keep quiet, but they shouted even louder, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
32 Jesus stopped and called out to them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.
33 “Lord,” they said, “let our eyes be opened.”
34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight, and they followed Him.