The Workers in the Vineyard

1“The kingdom froma heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2After agreeing to pay the workers one denariusb a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3When he went out about nine o’clock,c he saw others standing in the marketplace without work. 4He told them, ‘You go into the vineyard, too, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ 5So off they went. He went out again about noond and about three o’clocke and did the same thing. 6About five o’clockf he went out and found some others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why are you standing here all day long without work?’ 7They told him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He told them, ‘You go into the vineyard as well.’

8“When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told his manager, ‘Call the workers and give them their wages, beginning with the last and ending withg the first.’ 9Those who were hired at five o’clockh came, and each received a denarius.

10“When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received a denarius as well. 11When they received it, they began to complain to the landowner, 12‘These last fellows worked only one hour, but you paid them the same as us, and we’ve been working all day,i enduring the scorching heat!’

13“But he told one of them, ‘Friend, I’m not treating you unfairly. You did agree with me for a denarius, didn’t you? 14Take what is yours and go. I want to give this last man as much as I gave you.j 15I am allowed to do what I want with my own money,k am I not? Or are you enviousl because I’m generous?’

16“In the same way, the last will be first, and the first will be last, because many are called, but few are chosen.”m

Jesus Predicts His Death and Resurrection a Third Time

(Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34)

17When Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciplesn aside and told them as they were walking along, 18“See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the high priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death. 19Then they will hand him over to unbelieverso to be mocked, whipped, and crucified, but on the third day he will be raised.”

The Request of James and John

(Mark 10:35-45)

20Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesusp with her sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor. 21He asked her, “What do you want?”

She told him, “Promiseq that in your kingdom these two sons of mine will sit on your right and on your left.”

22Jesus replied, “You don’t realize what you’re asking. Can you drink from the cup that I’m going to drink from?”r

They told him, “We can.”

23He told them, “You will indeed drink from my cup. But it’s not up to me to grant you a seat at my right hand or at my left. These positions have already been prepared for others by my Father.”

24When the ten heard this, they became furious with the two brothers. 25But Jesus called the discipless and said, “You know that the rulers of the unbelieverst lord it over them and their superiors act like tyrants over them. 26That’s not the way it should be among you. Instead, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, 27and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. 28That’s the way it is with the Son of Man. He did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many people.”

Jesus Heals Two Blind Men

(Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43)

29As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Jesus.u 30When two blind men who were sitting by the roadside heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, Lord,v Son of David!” 31When the crowd told them harshly to be silent, they shouted even louder, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!”

32Jesus stopped and called them, saying, “What do you want me to do for you?”

33They told him, “Lord, we want to be able to see!”w 34Then Jesus, deeply moved with compassion, touched their eyes, and at once they could see again. So they followed him.