The Kingdom of Heaven is like the owner of a house who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard and, having agreed with the workers on a denarius per day, sent them to his vineyard. Coming out about the third hour, he saw others standing idly in the marketplace, and he said to them:
“You too go into my vineyard, and whatever is right I will give you.”
They went.
Coming out again around the sixth and ninth hours, he did the same.
Finally, going out about the eleventh hour, he found others standing idly and said to them:
- Why do you stand here idly all day?
They tell him:
- Nobody hired us.
He tells them:
“You too go into my vineyard, and you will receive whatever follows.”
When evening came, the lord of the vineyard said to his steward:
- Call the workers and give them their wages, starting from the last to the first.
And those who came about the eleventh hour received a denarius. Those who came first thought that they would receive more, but they also received a denarius and, having received, began to murmur against the owner of the house and said:
“These last ones worked for one hour, and you made them equal to us, who endured the hardship of the day and the heat.”
He answered and said to one of them:
- Friend! I don't offend you; Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take yours and go. I want to give this last one the same as I gave you. Don't I have the power to do what I want? Or is your eye envious because I am kind?
So the last will be first, and the first last, for many are called, but few are chosen.
Translated from Russian · original on wisdomlib.ru