1 For the Realm of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard;
2 and after agreeing with the labourers to pay them a shilling a day he sent them into his vineyard.
3 Then, on going out at nine o'clock he noticed some other labourers standing in the marketplace doing nothing;
4 to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever wage is fair.' So they went in.
5 Going out again at twelve o'clock and at three o'clock, he did the same thing.
6 And when he went out at five o'clock he came upon some others who were standing; he said to them, 'Why have you stood doing nothing all the day?'
7 'Because nobody hired us,' they said. He told them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'
8 Now when evening came the master of the vineyard said to his bailiff, 'Summon the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last and going on to the first.'
9 When those who had been hired about five o'clock came, they got a shilling each.
10 So when the first labourers came up, they supposed they would get more; but they too got each their shilling.
11 And on getting it they grumbled at the householder.
12 'These last,' they said, 'have only worked a single hour, and yet you have ranked them equal to us who have borne the brunt of the day's work and the heat!'
13 Then he replied to one of them, 'My man, I am not wronging you. Did you not agree with me for a shilling?
14 Take what belongs to you and be off. I choose to give this last man the same as you.
15 Can I not do as I please with what belongs to me? Have you a grudge because I am generous?'
17 Now as Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem he took the twelve aside by themselves and said to them as they were on the road,
18 "We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be betrayed to the high priests and scribes; they will sentence him to death
19 and hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and scourged and crucified; then on the third day he will be raised."
20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedaeus came up to him with her sons, praying him for a favour.
21 He said to her, "What do you want?" She said, "Give orders that my two sons are to sit at your right hand and at your left in your Realm."
22 Jesus replied, "You do not know what you are asking. Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?" They said to him, "We can."
23 "You shall drink my cup," said Jesus, "but it is not for me to grant seats at my right hand and at my left; these belong to the men for whom they have been destined by my Father."
24 When the ten heard of this, they were angry at the two brothers,
25 but Jesus called them and said, "You know the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men overbear them:
26 not so with you. Whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,
27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave;
28 just as the Son of man has not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."
29 As they were leaving Jericho a crowd followed him,
30 and when two blind men who were sitting beside the road heard Jesus was passing, they shouted, "O Lord, Son of David, have pity on us!"
31 The crowd checked them and told them to be quiet, but they shouted all the louder, "O Lord, Son of David, have pity on us!"