Workers in the vineyard: Easy exegeticals for parable pondering

There is surely a lot to think about here.  Try it in different translations.

For those who have followed the articles contemplating the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, here is a quick look at four versions to help with your exegesis. Two are traditional and two are contemporary. I find the fidelity in all to make this exploration of this truly jammed packed parable even more exciting.

 

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire men to work in his vineyard.  He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.

 "About the third hour he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing.  He told them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.'  So they went.

"He went out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour and did the same thing.  About the eleventh hour he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, 'Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?'

 "'Because no one has hired us,' they answered.

"He said to them, 'You also go and work in my vineyard.'

 "When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.'

"The workers who were hired about the eleventh hour came and each received a denarius.  So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius.  When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner.  '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 of the work and the heat of the day.'

 "But he answered one of them, 'Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn't you agree to work for a denarius?  Take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same as I gave you.  Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?'

"So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

 

"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?'  "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."

 "For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.  After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place;  and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.  Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.  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?'  They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'  And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.' And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.  Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.  And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 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.'  But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?  Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you.  Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'  So the last will be first, and the first last."

 

"The kingdom of heaven is like a person who owned some land. One morning, he went out very early to hire some people to work in his vineyard.  The man agreed to pay the workers one coin for working that day. Then he sent them into the vineyard to work.  About nine o'clock the man went to the marketplace and saw some other people standing there, doing nothing.  So he said to them, 'If you go and work in my vineyard, I will pay you what your work is worth.'  So they went to work in the vineyard. The man went out again about twelve o'clock and three o'clock and did the same thing.  About five o'clock the man went to the marketplace again and saw others standing there. He asked them, 'Why did you stand here all day doing nothing?'  They answered, 'No one gave us a job.' The man said to them, 'Then you can go and work in my vineyard.'

 "At the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard said to the boss of all the workers, 'Call the workers and pay them. Start with the last people I hired and end with those I hired first.'

 "When the workers who were hired at five o'clock came to get their pay, each received one coin.  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.  When they got their coin, they complained to the man who owned the land.  They said, 'Those people were hired last and worked only one hour. But you paid them the same as you paid us who worked hard all day in the hot sun.'  But the man who owned the vineyard said to one of those workers, 'Friend, I am being fair to you. You agreed to work for one coin.  So take your pay and go. I want to give the man who was hired last the same pay that I gave you.  I can do what I want with my own money. Are you jealous because I am good to those people?'

 "So those who have the last place now will have the first place in the future, and those who have the first place now will have the last place in the future."

 

 

 

 

 

 

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