The Parable of the Workers 2 UST He found some people who agreed to work that day for one coin. Then, he told them to take care of his grape vines. BSB BSB: He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.
3 UST At about nine o’ clock in the morning, the man arrived in the town’ s open area again. He noticed more people there who wanted to work. BSB BSB: About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.
4 UST He told them,‘Join the other people who are taking care of my grape vines. I will pay you a fair wage.’ BSB BSB: ‘You also go into my vineyard,’ he said, ‘and I will pay you whatever is right.’
5 UST They agreed to do so. At about noon and at about three o’ clock in the afternoon, the man again arrived{ in the town’ s open area}. He said the same thing{ to the people he found there, and they too agreed to take care of his grape vines}. BSB BSB: So they went. He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.
6 UST At about five o’ clock in the afternoon, the man again arrived{ in the town’ s open area}. He noticed that there were still people there who wanted to work. He asked them,‘Why have you been here waiting all day to work?’ BSB BSB: About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ he asked.
7 UST They replied,‘{ We are waiting here} because nobody has hired us.’ Then the man said,‘Join the other people who are taking care of my grape vines.’{ They agreed to do so.} BSB BSB: ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. So he told them, ‘You also go into my vineyard.’
8 UST When it was evening, the man who managed the household spoke to the man who supervised the workers. He said,‘Tell the people who worked today to come here. Starting with the people that I hired latest in the day and ending with the people that I hired earliest in the day, pay them what they earned.’ BSB BSB: When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last ones hired and moving on to the first.’
9 UST Then the people who started working at about five o’ clock in the afternoon came forward. The supervisor paid one coin to each of them. BSB BSB: The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.
10 UST Then the people who started working first came forward. They expected that the supervisor would pay them more{ than that}. However, he paid one coin to each of them also. BSB BSB: So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.
11 UST After these workers took their money, they complained about how the man who managed the household was behaving. BSB BSB: On receiving their pay, they began to grumble against the landowner.
12 UST They said to him,‘These people who started working last worked for just one hour. However, you are treating them as if they worked as much as we have! We worked the most and during the hottest parts of the day.’ BSB BSB: ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the scorching heat of the day.’
13 UST The man who managed the household spoke to one of the workers who was complaining,‘My friend, I am not treating you unfairly. You agreed{ to take care of my grape vines} for one coin. BSB BSB: But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Did you not agree with me on one denarius?
14 UST I want to pay those who started working last as much as I pay you{ who started working first}. So, take what I have paid you and go{ home}. BSB BSB: Take your pay and go. I want to give this last man the same as I gave you.
15 UST Our law allows me to do what I like with what I own. You should not be jealous because I am being generous!’ BSB BSB: Do I not have the right to do as I please with what is mine? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
16 UST Similarly, people who are unimportant right now will become important. People who are important right now will become unimportant.” BSB BSB: So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
The Third Prediction of the Passion (Mark 10:32–34; Luke 18:31–34)
17 UST Sometime later, Jesus was walking toward the city of Jerusalem. He had his 12 apprentices come with him. No one else was with them. While they were walking, he told them, BSB BSB: As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, He took the twelve disciples aside and said,
18 UST “We are walking toward the city of Jerusalem! There, somebody will help the ruling priests and the teachers of the Jewish law arrest me, the Son of Man. They will decide that I am guilty and that someone should kill me. BSB BSB: “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death
19 UST They will bring me to the non- Jewish authorities. Those people will make fun of me, beat me, and kill me by nailing me to a cross. Then, during the third day after I died, God will make me alive again.” BSB BSB: and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. And on the third day He will be raised to life.”
A Mother’s Request (Mark 10:35–45)
20 UST After that, Zebedee’ s wife came to Jesus with her two sons, James and John. She knelt before Jesus and asked him to do something{ for her}. BSB BSB: Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and knelt down to make a request of Him.
21 UST Jesus replied,“What do you want{ me to do for you}?” She said,“Please promise me that, when you rule, you will greatly honor my two sons by having one of them sit at your right side and the other one sit at your left side.” BSB BSB: “What do you want?” He inquired. She answered, “Declare that in Your kingdom one of these two sons of mine may sit at Your right hand, and the other at Your left.”
22 UST Then Jesus responded by speaking{ to her two sons},“You do not realize what you have actually requested. Are you willing to suffer as I will soon suffer?”{ Her two sons, James and John,} replied,“Yes, we are willing{ to suffer}.” BSB BSB: “You do not know what you are asking,” Jesus replied. “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?” “We can,” the brothers answered.
23 UST Then Jesus said to them,“You will certainly suffer as I will soon suffer. However, I am not the one who chooses whom to honor by having them sit at my right side and at my left side. Rather, God my Father has already chosen who{ will sit in those places}.” BSB BSB: “You will indeed drink My cup,” Jesus said. “But to sit at My right or left is not Mine to grant. These seats belong to those for whom My Father has prepared them.”
24 UST When the ten other apprentices learned{ what James and John had requested}, they were very upset with them. BSB BSB: When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers.
25 UST So, Jesus told his apprentices to come to him. He said to them,“You understand that the people who govern the non- Jews dominate them. Further, important people among them control everyone else. BSB BSB: But Jesus called them aside and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their superiors exercise authority over them.
26 UST You must not behave like that. Rather, when one of you wants to be important, that person must serve the others. BSB BSB: It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,
27 UST Likewise, when one of you wants to be most important, that person must work for the others. BSB BSB: and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave—
28 UST { You should be} like me, the Son of Man. I am here to serve other people. I am not here so that other people will serve me. Indeed, I am going to die in order to free many people{ from their sins}.” BSB BSB: just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”
The Blind Men by the Road (Mark 10:46–52; Luke 18:35–43)
29 UST After that, Jesus and his apprentices left the city of Jericho{, which they had been visiting}. A large group of people went with them. BSB BSB: As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed Him.
30 UST Now two men who were blind were sitting down next to the path! Someone told them,“Jesus is walking by.” So, they were shouting,“Our Lord, you who are a descendant of King David, please help us!” BSB BSB: And there were two blind men sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
31 UST Some people from the large group of people scolded them to keep them quiet. However, the men who were blind yelled even louder,“Our Lord, you who are a descendant of King David, please help us!” BSB BSB: The crowd admonished them to be silent, but they cried out all the louder, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!”
32 UST Then, Jesus stopped walking. He spoke to the two men who were blind. He asked,“How would you like me to help you?” BSB BSB: Jesus stopped and called them. “What do you want Me to do for you?” He asked.
33 UST They replied,“Our Lord, we want to be able to see!” BSB BSB: “Lord,” they answered, “let our eyes be opened.”
34 UST Jesus pitied them. He touched their eyes. As soon as he did that, they could see. Then, they went with Jesus as his apprentices. BSB BSB: Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes, and at once they received their sight and followed Him.