1 "THE kingdom of heaven is like a man who was a householder, who went out in the early morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 After agreeing with the laborers for a shilling a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 He went out about nine o'clock and saw others standing in the market-place idle

4 and said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.

5 Again he went out about noon and about three o'clock and did the same.

6 About five o'clock he went out and found others standing and said to them, 'Why have you been standing the whole day idle?'

7 They said, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go too into my vineyard.'

8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and pay their hire, beginning with the last and going on to the first.'

9 When those who were hired about five o'clock came, they received a shilling apiece,

10 and when those who were hired first came, they thought that they would get more. But they too received a shilling apiece.

11 When they received it, they grumbled at the householder

12 and said, 'These last worked one hour and you have made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the heat.'

13 But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not wronging you. Did you not agree with me for a shilling?

14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last man the same as to you.

15 Have I not the right to do what I will with my own? Is your eye evil because I am good?'

16 So the last will be first and the first last."

17 As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside on the road and said to them,

18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the high priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death

19 and will deliver him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify, and on the third day he will be raised."

20 Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, bowing down to him and making a request of him.

21 He said to her, "What do you wish?" She said to him, "Give the command for these two sons of mine to sit one on your right and one on your left in your kingdom."

22 Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, 'We can?'

23 He said to them, "My cup you will drink, but seats on my right and on my left are not mine to give. They will be given to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father."

24 When the ten heard of this, they were indignant at the two brothers.

25 But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them and their great ones wield power over them.

26 It is not so among you. But whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant,

27 and whoever wants to be first among you will be your slave;

28 just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

29 As they were leaving Jericho, a great crowd followed him.

30 Two blind men were sitting at the side of the road, and when they heard that Jesus was passing, they cried out, "Sir, have pity on us, Son of David!"

31 The crowd rebuked them and told them to be silent. But all the more they cried, "Sir, have pity on us, Son of David!"

32 Jesus stopped and called them and said, "What do you want me to do for you?"

33 They said, "We want our eyes opened."

34 Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes, and at once they regained sight and followed him.