Matthew 20

Bible in Basic English (BBE)

1 Ref For the kingdom of heaven is like the master of a house, who went out early in the morning to get workers into his vine-garden.

2 Ref And when he had made an agreement with the workmen for a penny a day, he sent them into his vine-garden.

3 Ref And he went out about the third hour, and saw others in the market-place doing nothing;

4 Ref And he said to them, Go into the vine-garden with the others, and whatever is right I will give you. And they went to work.

5 Ref Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour, and did the same.

6 Ref And about the eleventh hour he went out and saw others doing nothing; and he says to them, Why are you here all the day doing nothing?

7 Ref They say to him, Because no man has given us work. He says to them, Go in with the rest, into the vine-garden.

8 Ref And when evening came, the lord of the vine-garden said to his manager, Let the workers come, and give them their payment, from the last to the first.

9 Ref And when those men came who had gone to work at the eleventh hour, they were given every man a penny.

10 Then those who came first had the idea that they would get more; and they, like the rest, were given a penny.

11 Ref And when they got it, they made a protest against the master of the house,

12 Ref Saying, These last have done only one hour's work, and you have made them equal to us, who have undergone the hard work of the day and the burning heat.

13 Ref But he in answer said to one of them, Friend, I do you no wrong: did you not make an agreement with me for a penny?

14 Ref Take what is yours, and go away; it is my pleasure to give to this last, even as to you.

15 Ref Have I not the right to do as seems good to me in my house? or is your eye evil, because I am good?

16 Ref So the last will be first, and the first last.

17 Ref And when Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples on one side, and said to them,

18 Ref See, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be given into the hands of the chief priests and scribes; and they will give orders for him to be put to death,

19 Ref And will give him up to the Gentiles to be made sport of and to be whipped and to be put to death on the cross: and the third day he will come back again from the dead.

20 Ref Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, giving him worship and making a request of him.

21 Ref And he said to her, What is your desire? She says to him, Let my two sons be seated, the one at your right hand, and the other at your left, in your kingdom.

22 Ref But Jesus made answer and said, You have no idea what you are requesting. Are you able to take of the cup which I am about to take?

23 Ref They say to him, We are able. He says to them, Truly, you will take of my cup: but to be seated at my right hand and at my left is not for me to give, but it is for those for whom my Father has made it ready.

24 Ref And when it came to the ears of the ten, they were angry with the two brothers.

25 Ref But Jesus said to them, You see that the rulers of the Gentiles are lords over them, and their great ones have authority over them.

26 Ref Let it not be so among you: but if anyone has a desire to become great among you, let him be your servant;

27 Ref And whoever has a desire to be first among you, let him take the lowest place:

28 Ref Even as the Son of man did not come to have servants, but to be a servant, and to give his life for the salvation of men.

29 Ref And when they were going out from Jericho, a great number went after him.

30 Ref And two blind men seated by the wayside, when they had the news that Jesus was going by, gave a loud cry, saying, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.

31 Ref And the people gave them orders to be quiet; but they went on crying even louder, Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us.

32 Ref And Jesus, stopping, sent for them, and said, What would you have me do to you?

33 Ref They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be open.

34 Ref And Jesus, being moved with pity, put his fingers on their eyes: and straight away they were able to see, and went after him.

World English Bible (WEB)

1 Ref "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who was the master of a household, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.

2 Ref When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius{A denarius is a silver Roman coin worth 1/25th of a Roman aureus. This was a common wage for a day of farm labor.} a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 Ref He went out about the third hour,{Time was measured from sunrise to sunset, so the third hour would be about 9:00 AM.} and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.

4 Ref To them he said, 'You also go into the vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went their way.

5 Ref Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour,{noon and 3:00 P. M.} and did likewise.

6 Ref About the eleventh hour{5:00 PM} he went out, and found others standing idle. He said to them, 'Why do you stand here all day idle?'

7 Ref "They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' "He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and you will receive whatever is right.'

8 Ref When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last to the first.'

9 Ref "When those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came, they each received a denarius.

10 When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received a denarius.

11 Ref When they received it, they murmured against the master of the household,

12 Ref saying, 'These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!'

13 Ref "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Didn't you agree with me for a denarius?

14 Ref Take that which is yours, and go your way. It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.

15 Ref Isn't it lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own? Or is your eye evil, because I am good?'

16 Ref So the last will be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."

17 Ref As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples aside, and on the way he said to them,

18 Ref "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death,

19 Ref and will hand him over to the Gentiles to mock, to scourge, and to crucify; and the third day he will be raised up."

20 Ref Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, kneeling and asking a certain thing of him.

21 Ref He said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Command that these, my two sons, may sit, one on your right hand, and one on your left hand, in your Kingdom."

22 Ref But Jesus answered, "You don't know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said to him, "We are able."

23 Ref He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with, but to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it is for whom it has been prepared by my Father."

24 Ref When the ten heard it, they were indignant with the two brothers.

25 Ref But Jesus summoned them, and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

26 Ref It shall not be so among you, but whoever desires to become great among you shall be{TR reads "let him be" instead of "shall be"} your servant.

27 Ref Whoever desires to be first among you shall be your bondservant,

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

29 Ref As they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

30 Ref Behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

31 Ref The multitude rebuked them, telling them that they should be quiet, but they cried out even more, "Lord, have mercy on us, you son of David!"

32 Ref Jesus stood still, and called them, and asked, "What do you want me to do for you?"

33 Ref They told him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."

34 Ref Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received their sight, and they followed him.

King James Version (KJV)

1 Ref For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.

2 Ref And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 Ref And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

4 Ref And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.

5 Ref Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.

6 Ref And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?

7 Ref They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.

8 Ref So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.

9 Ref And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

10 But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

11 Ref And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,

12 Ref Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.

13 Ref But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?

14 Ref Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

15 Ref Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?

16 Ref So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.

17 Ref And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,

18 Ref Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,

19 Ref And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.

20 Ref Then came to him the mother of Zebedees children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.

21 Ref And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.

22 Ref But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.

23 Ref And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

24 Ref And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.

25 Ref But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

26 Ref But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

27 Ref And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:

28 Ref Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

29 Ref And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.

30 Ref And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

31 Ref And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

32 Ref And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?

33 Ref They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.

34 Ref So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.

Chapter 20 of 28

Begin Your Journey of Faith

We all start at different points in our walk with Christ. No matter where you are, we're here to support you as you grow in faith.

Accept Jesus Christ as Your Savior

If you haven’t made the decision to follow Jesus yet, we want to walk with you as you discover the new life He offers.

Read "A Truly Free Gift"

What Guides Our Walk With Christ

Discover the biblical truths and core beliefs that shape how we live, serve, and walk faithfully with Christ each day.

Explore Our Beliefs

Join a Community of Believers

Don’t walk through life alone. Find others to connect with, whether in person or online, and grow together in Christ.

Discover Where We Meet