1 For the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house, who went out early in the morning to get workers into his vine-garden.
2 And when he had made an agreement with the workmen for a penny a day, he sent them into his vine-garden.
3 And he went out about the third hour, and saw others in the market-place doing nothing;
4 And he said to them, Go into the vine-garden with the others, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went to work.
5 Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same.
6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and saw others doing nothing; and he says to them, Why are you here all the day doing nothing?
7 They say to him, Because no man has given us work. He says to them, Go in with the rest, into the vine-garden.
8 And when evening came, the lord of the vine-garden said to his manager, Let the workers come, and give them their payment, from the last to the first.
9 And when those men came who had gone to work at the eleventh hour, they were given every man a penny.
10 Then those who came first had the idea that they would get more; and they, like the rest, were given a penny.
11 And when they got it, they made a protest against the master of the house,
12 Saying, These last have done only one hour's work, and you have made them equal to us, who have undergone the hard work of the day and the burning heat.
13 But he in answer said to one of them, Friend, I do you no wrong: did you not make an agreement with me for a penny?
14 Take what is yours, and go away; it is my pleasure to give to this last, even as to you.
15 Have I not the right to do as seems good to me in my house? or is your eye evil, because I am good?
16 So the last will be first, and the first last.
1 "天国好像一个家主， 清早出去雇请工人到他的葡萄园工作。
2 他和工人讲定了一天的工钱是一个银币， 然后派他们到葡萄园去。
3 大约九点钟， 他又出去， 看见还有人闲站在街市上，
4 就对他们说： ‘你们也到葡萄园来吧， 我会给你们合理的工钱。’
5 他们就去了。约在正午和下午三点钟， 他又出去， 也是这样作。
6 下午五点钟左右， 他再出去， 看见还有人站着， 就问他们： ‘你们为什么整天站在这里不去作工？’
7 他们回答： ‘没有人用我们。’他说： ‘你们也到葡萄园来吧。’
8 到了黄昏， 园主对管工说： ‘把工人叫来， 给他们工钱， 从最后的开始， 到最先来的。’
9 那些下午五点钟才开始作工的人来了， 每个人都领到一个银币。
10 最先作工的人也来了， 以为会多得一点， 但每个人也是领到一个银币。
11 他们领到之后， 就埋怨家主， 说：
12 ‘我们整天在烈日之下劳苦， 这些后来的人只工作了一个小时， 你却给他们跟我们一样的工钱。’
13 家主回答他们当中的一个， 说： ‘朋友， 我并没有亏待你。你我不是讲定了一个银币吗？
14 拿你的工钱走吧！ 我给那后来的和给你的一样， 是我的主意。
15 难道我不可以照自己的主意用我的财物吗？还是因为我仁慈你就嫉妒呢？’
16 因此， 在后的将要在前， 在前的将要在后。"