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; 2and after agreeing to pay them the usual day's wage he sent them off to work. 3Going out three hours later he saw some more men standing idle in the market-place. 4"Go and join the others in the vineyard," he said, "and I will pay you a fair wage"; so off they went. 5At noon he went out again, and at three in the afternoon, and made the same arrangement as before. 6An 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?" 7"Because no one has hired us", they replied; so he told them, "Go and join the others in the vineyard." 8When 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." 9Those who had started work an hour before sunset came forward, and were paid the full day's wage. 10When it was the turn of the men who had come first, they expected something extra, but were paid the same amount as the others. 11As they took it, they grumbled at their employer: 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!" 13The 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, did you not? 14Take your pay and go home. I choose to pay the last man the same as you. 15Surely I am free to do what I like with my own money. Why be jealous because I am kind?" 16Thus will the last be first, and the first last.'
17JESUS WAS JOURNEYING towards Jerusalem, and on the way he took the Twelve aside, and said to them, 18'We are now going to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be given up to the chief priests and the doctors of the law; they will condemn him to death 19and hand him over to the foreign power, to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and on the third day he will be raised to life again.'
20The mother of Zebedee's sons then came before him, with her sons. She bowed low and begged a favour. 21'What is it you wish?' asked Jesus. 'I want you', she said, 'to give orders that in your kingdom my two sons here may sit next to you, one at your right, and the other at your left.' 22Jesus turned to the brothers and said, 'You do not understand what you are asking. Can you drink the cup that I am to drink?' We can', they replied. 23Then he said to them, 'You shall indeed share my cup; but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant; it is for those to whom it has already been assigned by my Father.'
24When the other ten heard this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25So Jesus called them to him and said, 'You know that in the world, rulers lord it over their subjects, and their great men make them feel the weight of authority; 26but it shall not be so with you. Among you, whoever wants to be great must be your servant, 27and whoever would be first must be the willing slave of all— 28like the Son of Man; he did not come to be served, but to serve, and to surrender his life as a ransom for many.'
29As they were leaving Jericho he was followed by a great crowd of people. 30At the roadside sat two blind men. When they heard it said that Jesus was passing they shouted, 'Have pity on us. Son of David.' 31The people told them sharply to be quiet. But they shouted all the more, 'Sir, have pity on us, have pity on us, Son of David.' 32Jesus stopped and called the men. 'What do you want me to do for you?' 33he asked. 'Sir,' they answered, 'we want our sight.' 34Jesus was deeply moved, and touched their eyes. At once their sight came back, and they followed him.
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