馬太福音20:1-16

1因為天國好像家主清早去雇人進他的葡萄園做工，
2和工人講定一天一錢銀子，就打發他們進葡萄園去。
3約在巳初出去，看見市上還有閒站的人，
4就對他們說：你們也進葡萄園去，所當給的，我必給你們。他們也進去了。
5約在午正和申初又出去，也是這樣行。
6約在酉初出去，看見還有人站在那裡，就問他們說：你們為甚麼整天在這裡閒站呢？
7他們說：因為沒有人雇我們。他說：你們也進葡萄園去。
8到了晚上，園主對管事的說：叫工人都來，給他們工錢，從後來的起，到先來的為止。
9約在酉初雇的人來了，各人得了一錢銀子。
10及至那先雇的來了，他們以為必要多得；誰知也是各得一錢。
11他們得了，就埋怨家主說：
12我們整天勞苦受熱，那後來的只做了一小時，你竟叫他們和我們一樣麼？
13家主回答其中的一人說：朋友，我不虧負你，你與我講定的不是一錢銀子麼？
14拿你的走罷！我給那後來的和給你一樣，這是我願意的。
15我的東西難道不可隨我的意思用麼？因為我作好人，你就紅了眼麼？
16這樣，那在後的，將要在前；在前的，將要在後了。（有古卷在此有：因為被召的人多，選上的人少。）

Matthew 20:1-16

Laborers in the Vineyard
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius[a] a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, 4 and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ 5 So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ 7 They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the master of the house, 12 saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’[b] 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”