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Matthew 20

Darby Translation · 34 verses

1For the kingdom of the heavens is like a householder who went out with the early morn to hire workmen for his vineyard. 2And having agreed with the workmen for a denarius the day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3And having gone out about [the] third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle; 4and to them he said, Go also ye into the vineyard, and whatsoever may be just I will give you. And they went their way. 5Again, having gone out about the sixth and ninth hour, he did likewise. 6But about the eleventh [hour], having gone out, he found others standing, and says to them, Why stand ye here all the day idle? 7They say to him, Because no man has hired us. He says to them, Go also ye into the vineyard [and whatsoever may be just ye shall receive]. 8But when the evening was come, the lord of the vineyard says to his steward, Call the workmen and pay [them] their wages, beginning from the last even to the first. 9And when they [who came to work] about the eleventh hour came, they received each a denarius. 10And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they received also themselves each a denarius. 11And on receiving it they murmured against the master of the house, 12saying, These last have worked one hour, and thou hast made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the heat. 13But he answering said to one of them, [My] friend, I do not wrong thee. Didst thou not agree with me for a denarius? 14Take what is thine and go. But it is my will to give to this last even as to thee: 15is it not lawful for me to do what I will in my own affairs? Is thine eye evil because I am good? 16Thus shall the last be first, and the first last; for many are called ones, but few chosen ones. 17And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples with [him] apart in the way, and said to them, 18Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death; 19and they will deliver him up to the nations to mock and to scourge and to crucify, and the third day he shall rise again. 20Then came to him the mother of the sons of Zebedee, with her sons, doing homage, and asking something of him. 21And he said to her, What wilt thou? She says to him, Speak [the word] that these my two sons may sit, one on thy right hand and one on thy left in thy kingdom. 22And Jesus answering said, Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink the cup which I am about to drink? They say to him, We are able. 23[And] he says to them, Ye shall drink indeed my cup, but to sit on my right hand and on [my] left, is not mine to give, but to those for whom it is prepared of my Father. 24And the ten, having heard [of it], were indignant about the two brothers. 25But Jesus having called them to [him], said, Ye know that the rulers of the nations exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them. 26It shall not be thus amongst you, but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your servant; 27and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your bondman; 28as indeed the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. 29And as they went out from Jericho a great crowd followed him. 30And lo, two blind men, sitting by the wayside, having heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David. 31But the crowd rebuked them, that they might be silent. But they cried out the more, saying, Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David. 32And Jesus, having stopped, called them and said, What will ye that I shall do to you? 33They say to him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened. 34And Jesus, moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes had sight restored to them, and they followed him.

Darby's Synopsis

These instructions with regard to riches give rise to Peter's question, What shall be the portion of those who have renounced everything? This brings us back to the glory in chapter 17. There would be a regeneration; the state of things should be entirely renewed under the dominion of the Son of man. At that time they should sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. They should have the first place in the administration of the earthly kingdom.

Read Darby's Synopsis on Matthew 19 (Matthew 20 is treated within this section)

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Text: J. N. Darby, The Holy Scriptures: A New Translation from the Original Languages, public domain. Emphasized words are Darby's own. Provenance on the sources page.