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1 The Malchut HaShomayim is like a man, the Baal Bayit, who went out early in the boker, to hire poalim (workers) for his kerem. 2 And having agreed with the poalim to salary them a denarius for their dayʼs pay, the Baal Bayit sent them into his kerem. 3 And having gone out around the third hour, the Baal Bayit saw others loitering in the marketplace, 4 and he said to those, You go also into the kerem. And whatever is right, this is what your pay will be. 5 And they left. And again, having gone out around the sixth and the ninth hour, the Baal Bayit did the same thing. 6 And around the eleventh hour, having gone out, the Baal Bayit found others standing around, and he says to them, Why have you been standing here all the day not working? 7 The idle workers say to the Baal Bayit, Because no one hired us. The Baal Bayit says to them, You go also into the kerem. 8 And when erev had come, another man, the owner of the kerem, says to his foreman, Call the poalim and give to them the wage, beginning with the acharonim and going to the rishonim. 9 And the ones that came around the eleventh hour each received a denarius. 10 And when the rishonim came, they were under the impression that they would receive a larger sum; instead, they themselves each received a denarius. 11 And when they received the denarius, they were complaining against the Baal Bayit, 12 saying, These acharonim worked one hour, and you made them equal to us, the ones having endured the burden and the heat of the whole day. 13 But the Baal Bayit said in reply to one of them, Chaver, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree that I would pay you the usual dayʼs wage, a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, your denarius, and go. But it is my ratzon, my good pleasure, to give to this one who is last also what I gave to you. 15 Or is it not allowable for me to do what I wish with the things that are mine? Or do you look with a jealous ayin horo upon my goodness? 16 Thus the Rishonim will be Acharonim, and the Acharonim will be Rishonim. For the invited ones are many, but the nivcharim (chosen ones) are few.
17 And going up to Yerushalayim, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach took the Shneym Asar Talmidim aside in a yechidus and, on the way, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to them, 18 Hinei! We are going up to Yerushalayim, and the Bar Enosh* will be handed over to the Rashei Hakohanim and the Sofrim (scribes, torah teachers, or rabbonim), and they will condemn him to death. 19 And they will hand Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach over to the Goyim in order to mock and to whip and to hang him up TALUI AL HAETZ†(being hanged on the Tree), and after his histalkus (passing), on the Yom HaShlishi (Third Day) there will be Techiyas HaMoshiach.
20 Then the Em of Zavdaiʼs banim, along with the sons, approached Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach and, prostrating herself before him, she made a bakosha (request) of him. 21 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said to her, What do you wish? She says to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, Say that these, my two banim, may sit, one on your right, the other on your left, in your‡ Malchut. 22 And Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach said in reply, You do not have daas of what you are asking. Are you able to drink the Kos which I am about to drink? They say, We are able. 23 Moshiach says to them, Indeed, you will drink my Kos, but to sit on the right and on the left of me, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my§ Av. 24 And having heard this, HaAsarah (The Ten) became indignant about the two achim (brothers). 25 But Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach, having summoned them, said, You have daas that those who have the rule over the Goyim domineer them like tyrants. 26 But it will not be thus among you. For whoever wishes to be gadol among you will become your mesharet (servant, minister). 27 And whoever wishes among you to be rishon (first) will be your eved (servant). 28 Just as the Bar Enosh* did not come to be served (to be ministered to), but to serve (to minister), and to give his neshamah (his nefesh), as a kofer (ransom, pedut) LARABBIM†(for the sake of many, for the Geulah Redemption of many).
29 And, as they were going out from Yericho, a great multitude followed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach. 30 And hinei! Two ivrim (blind men), sitting beside the road, having heard that Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach is passing by, shouted, crying out, Adoneinu, Ben Dovid, chaneinu, yhi chasedcha aleinu‡(have mercy on us)! 31 However, the crowd rebuked the two ivrim, that they be silent, but they shouted even more, saying Chaneinu, Adoneinu Ben Dovid! 32 And having stopped, Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach called to them and said, What do you wish that I should do for you? 33 They say to Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach: Adoneinu, that our eyes may be opened! 34 And having been filled with rachmei shomayim (heavenly mercy, compassion), he touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes were opened and they followed Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
* 20:18 Moshiach † 20:19 Dt 21:23 ‡ 20:21 the Moshiachʼs § 20:23 Moshiachʼs * 20:28 Moshiach † 20:28 Isa 53:11 ‡ 20:30 Ps 33:22