Matthew 20:10

THE MESSAGE

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
So when the first ones came, they assumed they would get more, but they also received a denarius each.

King James Version (1611)
But when the first came, they supposed that they should haue receiued more, and they likewise receiued euery man a penie.

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

English Standard Version
Now when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius.

New American Standard Bible
"And so when those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

New Century Version
When the workers who were hired first came to get their pay, they thought they would be paid more than the others. But each one of them also received one coin.

Amplified Bible
"Now when the first [to be hired] came, they thought they would get more; but each of them also received a denarius.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Nowe when the first came, they supposed that they should receiue more, but they likewise receiued euery man a penie.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"When those hired first came, they thought that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

Legacy Standard Bible
And when those hired first came, they supposed that they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

Berean Standard Bible
So when the original workers came, they assumed they would receive more. But each of them also received a denarius.

Contemporary English Version
The workers who had been hired first thought they would be given more than the others. But when they were given the same,

Complete Jewish Bible
so the workers who came first expected they would get more, but each of them also received just a denarius.

Darby Translation
And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more, and they received also themselves each a denarius.

Easy-to-Read Version
Then the workers who were hired first came to get their pay. They thought they would be paid more than the others. But each one of them also received one silver coin.

George Lamsa Translation
But when the first ones came, they expected to receive more; but they also got each one a penny.

Good News Translation
So when the men who were the first to be hired came to be paid, they thought they would get more; but they too were given a silver coin each.

Lexham English Bible
And when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, and they also received a denarius apiece.

Literal Translation
And having come, the first supposed that they would receive more. And they also each received a denarius.

American Standard Version
And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a shilling.

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

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

International Standard Version
When the first came, they thought they would receive more, but each received a denarius as well.

Etheridge Translation
But when the first came, they expected to take more; but they also received each a denarius.

Murdock Translation
And when the first came, they supposed they should receive more; but they also received each a denarius.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
But when the firste came also, they supposed that they shoulde haue receaued more: and they lykewyse receaued euery man a peny.

English Revised Version
And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

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

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every one a penny.

Weymouth's New Testament
and when the first came, they expected to get more, but they also each got the shilling.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
But the firste camen, and demeden, that thei schulden take more, but thei token ech oon bi hem silf a peny;

Update Bible Version
And when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise each received $100.

Webster's Bible Translation
But when the first came, they supposed that they should receive more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

New English Translation
And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage.

New King James Version
But when the first came, they supposed that they would receive more; and they likewise received each a denarius.

New Living Translation
When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too, were paid a day's wage.

New Life Bible
When the workmen who had been hired the first thing in the morning came, they thought they would get more. But each one got a day's pay.

New Revised Standard
Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, when the first came, they supposed that, more, they should receive, - and, they also, received severally a denary.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But when the first also came, they thought that they should receive more: And they also received every man a penny.

Revised Standard Version
Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
Then came ye fyrst supposyng yt they shuld receave moare: and they likewyse receaved every man a peny.

Young's Literal Translation
`And the first having come, did suppose that they shall receive more, and they received, they also, each a denary,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But whan the first came, they supposed that they shulde receaue more: and they also receaued euery man a peny.

Mace New Testament (1729)
last of all they came who were hired first, expecting to have received more, but they had only a penny a man,

Simplified Cowboy Version
When the cowboys who had been there since the sun came up walked over to get their wages, they assumed they would get much more, but they too were given one hundred dollars.

Contextual Overview

¹"God's kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. ³"Later, about nine o'clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went. "He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o'clock. At five o'clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?' "They said, ‘Because no one hired us.' "He told them to go to work in his vineyard. "When the day's work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.' "Those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.' "He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can't I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?' "Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first." Jesus, now well on the way up to Jerusalem, took the Twelve off to the side of the road and said, "Listen to me carefully. We are on our way up to Jerusalem. When we get there, the Son of Man will be betrayed to the religious leaders and scholars. They will sentence him to death. They will then hand him over to the Romans for mockery and torture and crucifixion. On the third day he will be raised up alive." It was about that time that the mother of the Zebedee brothers came with her two sons and knelt before Jesus with a request. "What do you want?" Jesus asked. She said, "Give your word that these two sons of mine will be awarded the highest places of honor in your kingdom, one at your right hand, one at your left hand." Jesus responded, "You have no idea what you're asking." And he said to James and John, "Are you capable of drinking the cup that I'm about to drink?" They said, "Sure, why not?" Jesus said, "Come to think of it, you are going to drink my cup. But as to awarding places of honor, that's not my business. My Father is taking care of that." When the ten others heard about this, they lost their tempers, thoroughly disgusted with the two brothers. So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage." As they were leaving Jericho, a huge crowd followed. Suddenly they came upon two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard it was Jesus passing, they cried out, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" The crowd tried to hush them up, but they got all the louder, crying, "Master, have mercy on us! Mercy, Son of David!" Jesus stopped and called over, "What do you want from me?" They said, "Master, we want our eyes opened. We want to see!" Deeply moved, Jesus touched their eyes. They had their sight back that very instant, and joined the procession. ⁶A Story About Workers "God's kingdom is like an estate manager who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. They agreed on a wage of a dollar a day, and went to work. "Later, about nine o'clock, the manager saw some other men hanging around the town square unemployed. He told them to go to work in his vineyard and he would pay them a fair wage. They went. "He did the same thing at noon, and again at three o'clock. At five o'clock he went back and found still others standing around. He said, ‘Why are you standing around all day doing nothing?' ⁷ "They said, ‘Because no one hired us.' "He told them to go to work in his vineyard. ⁸ "When the day's work was over, the owner of the vineyard instructed his foreman, ‘Call the workers in and pay them their wages. Start with the last hired and go on to the first.' ⁹"Those hired at five o'clock came up and were each given a dollar. When those who were hired first saw that, they assumed they would get far more. But they got the same, each of them one dollar. Taking the dollar, they groused angrily to the manager, ‘These last workers put in only one easy hour, and you just made them equal to us, who slaved all day under a scorching sun.' ¹³"He replied to the one speaking for the rest, ‘Friend, I haven't been unfair. We agreed on the wage of a dollar, didn't we? So take it and go. I decided to give to the one who came last the same as you. Can't I do what I want with my own money? Are you going to get stingy because I am generous?' ¹⁶ "Here it is again, the Great Reversal: many of the first ending up last, and the last first."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Reciprocal: Matthew 19:27 - what

Gill's Notes on the Bible

But when the first came,.... Who were early hired into the vineyard; and design either the first saints that were in the world; or the Jews that first believed in Christ, either really or nominally; or such, who were called by grace in their early days:

they supposed, or "hoped", as the Syriac version renders it,

that they should have received more; than a penny, a greater reward: not that they could expect it on the foot of their agreement, or on account of their work; but because they observed, that they that came last into the vineyard, had as much as they agreed for; and therefore hoped, from the goodness of their Lord to them, that they should receive more:

and they likewise received every man a penny; the selfsame privileges of the Gospel, and a title to the selfsame reward of free grace, the selfsame glory and happiness.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

They supposed that they should have received more - They had worked longer - they had been in the heat; they supposed that it was his intention to pay them, not according to contract, but according to the time of the labor.