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.

1 Sest Taevariik on majaisanda sarnane, kes vara hommikul välja läks töötegijaid palkama oma viinamäele.

2 Kui ta töötegijatega oli kokku leppinud ühe teenari peale päevapalgaks, läkitas ta nad oma viinamäele.

3 Ja ta läks välja kolmandal tunnil ja nägi teisi turul tööta seisvat

4 ja ütles neile: Minge ka teie viinamäele ja mis iganes õige on, annan ma teile!

5 Ja nad läksid ära. Taas läks ta välja kuuendal ja üheksandal tunnil ja tegi nõndasamuti.

6 Aga üheteistkümnendal tunnil ta läks välja ja leidis teisi seisvat ja ütles neile: Mis te siin kogu päeva tööta seisate?

7 Nad ütlesid temale: Meid ei ole keegi palganud! Tema ütles neile: Minge teiegi viinamäele!

8 Kui siis õhtu tuli, ütles viinamäe isand oma ülevaatajale: Kutsu töötegijad ja anna neile palk alates viimseist kuni esimesteni.

9 Kui nüüd need tulid, kes üheteistkümnendal tunnil olid palgatud, said nad igaüks ühe teenari.

10

11 Kui nad olid saanud, nurisesid nad majaisanda vastu

12 ning ütlesid: Need viimsed aga on ühe tunni tööd teinud ja sa oled nad teinud meie väärilisteks, kes me päeva koormat ja palavust oleme kannud!

13 Aga ta kostis ning ütles ühele nende seast: Sõber, ma ei tee sulle ülekohut; eks sa leppinud minuga kokku ühe teenari peale?

14 Võta, mis ainule kuulub, ja mine oma teed; aga ma tahan sellele viimsele anda nõnda nagu sinulegi.

15 Kas ei ole mul luba enese omaga teha, mida ma tahan? Või on sinu silm kade, et mina hea olen?

16 Nõnda saavad viimsed esimesteks ja esimesed viimseiks. Sest paljud on kutsutud, kuid vähesed on valitud!"