20 ¹ 'The kingdom of Heaven is like this. There was once a landowner who went out early one morning to hire labourers for his vineyard; 20 ² and after agreeing to pay them the usual day's wage Literally: one denarius for the day. he sent them off to work. 20 ³ Going out three hours later he saw some more men standing idle in the market-place. 20 ⁴ "Go and join the others in the vineyard," he said, "and I will pay you a fair wage"; so off they went. 20 ⁵ At noon he went out again, and at three in the afternoon, and made the same arrangement as before. 20 ⁶ An hour before sunset he went out and found another group standing there; so he said to them, "Why are you standing about like this all day with nothing to do?" 20 ⁷ "Because no one has hired us", they replied; so he told them, "Go and join the others in the vineyard." 20 ⁸ When evening fell, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, "Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with those who came last and ending with the first." 20 ⁹ Those who had started work an hour before sunset came forward, and were paid the full day's wage. Literally: one denarius each. 20 ¹⁰ When it was the turn of the men who had come first, they expected something extra, but were paid the same amount as the others. 20 ¹¹ As they took it, they grumbled at their employer: 20 ¹² "These late-comers have done only one hour's work, yet you have put them on a level with us, who have sweated the whole day long in the blazing sun!" 20 ¹³ The owner turned to one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unfair to you. You agreed on the usual wage for the day, Literally: You agreed on a denarius. did you not? 20 ¹⁴ Take your pay and go home. I choose to pay the last man the same as you. 20 ¹⁵ Surely I am free to do what I like with my own money. Why be jealous because I am kind?" 20 ¹⁶ Thus will the last be first, and the first last.'