The workers in the vineyard
20 1—This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A landowner went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay the workers a salary of a silver coin for the day, and sent them to his vineyard. 
3—He went out again at about nine in the morning, and seeing others idle in the square, 4he said to them: ‘You, too, go to my vineyard and I will pay you what is just.’ So they went.
—The owner went out at midday and again at three in the afternoon, 5and he did the same. 6Finally he went out at the last working hour—it was the eleventh—and he saw others standing there. So he said to them: ‘Why do you stay idle the whole day?’ 7They answered: ‘Because no one has hired us.’ The master said: ‘Go and work in my vineyard.’
8—When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager: ‘Call the workers and pay them their wage, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ 9Those who had come to work at the eleventh hour turned up and were given a denarius each (a silver coin). 10When it was the turn of the first, they thought they would receive more. 11But they, too, received a denarius each. So, on receiving it, they began to grumble against the landowner.
12—They said: ‘These last hardly worked an hour, yet you have treated them the same as us who have endured the day’s burden and heat.’ 13The owner said to one of them: ‘Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on a denarius a day? 14So take what is yours and go. I want to give to the last the same as I give to you. 15Don’t I have the right to do as I please with my money? Why are you envious when I am kind?’
16—So will it be: the last will be first, the first will be last.

THE CONCISE BIBLE
Christian Community Bible 
Catholic Pastoral Edition

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Originally published by
Ediciones Mensajero, Spain