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 For the kingdom of the heavens is like a householder who went out with the early morn to hire workmen for his vineyard.
2 And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 And having gone out about {the} third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle;
4 and to them he said, Go also ye into the vineyard, and whatsoever may be just I will give you. And they went their way.
5 Again, having gone out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise.
6 But about the eleventh {hour}, having gone out, he found others standing, and says to them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?
7 They say to him, Because no man has hired us. He says to them, Go also ye into the vineyard {and whatsoever may be just ye shall receive}.
8 But when the evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the workmen and pay {them} their wages, beginning from the last even to the first.
9 And when they {who came to work} about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius.
10 And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they received also themselves each a denarius.
11 And on receiving it they murmured against the master of the house,
12 saying, These last have worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the heat.
13 But he answering said to one of them, {My} friend, I do not wrong thee. Didst thou not agree with me for a denarius?
14 Take what is thine and go. But it is my will to give to this last even as to thee:
15 is it not lawful for me to do what I will in my own affairs? Is thine eye evil because *I* am good?
16 Thus shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called ones, but few chosen ones.