For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the man, the lord of a household, who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. And he made an agreement with the laborers for a dinar for the day and he sent them to his vineyard. And he went out at the third hour and saw others who were standing in the marketplace and were idle. And he said to them, ‘You go also to the vineyard; whatever is appropriate I shall give you.’ But those departed and he went out again at the sixth and at the ninth hours and did likewise. And towards the 11th hour he went out and he found others who were standing and were idle, and he said to them, ‘Why are you standing and are idle all day?’ They were saying to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go also to the vineyard, and whatever is appropriate you will receive.’

But when it was evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his custodian, ‘Call the laborers and give them their wages, and start from the last ones up to the first ones.’ And those of the 11th hour came and they received a dinar each. And when the first ones came they had hoped that they would receive more, and they received a dinar each also. And when they received it, they complained to the lord of the estate. And they were saying, ‘These last ones have worked one hour and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’ But he answered and said to one of them, ‘My friend, I do no evil to you. Did you not agree with me for a dinar?’ Take yours and go. But I wish to give to this last group even as to you. Or is it illegal for me to do whatever I want to do with my own? Is your eye evil because I am good?’ So the last will be first and the first last, for the called are many and the chosen ones are few.