A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew 20:1-16
1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. 3 And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; 4 and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. 5 Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 6 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?’ 7 They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.’ 8 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.’ 9 And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. 10 Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. 11 And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, 12 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.’ 13 But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? 14 Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. 15 Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ 16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
—The Gospel of the Lord.
(常年期第二十五週主日)
恭讀聖瑪竇福音 20:1-16
那時候，耶穌給門徒講了這個比喻，說：「天國好像一個家主，清晨出去，為自己的葡萄園僱用工人。他與工人議定：一天一個『德納』，就派他們到葡萄園去。
「約在第三時辰，家主又出去，看見還有些人在街市閒立著，就對他們說：你們也到我的葡萄園去吧！凡照公義，該給的，我必給你們。他們就去了。約在第六和第 九時辰，家主又出去，也照樣做了。「約在第十一時辰，家主又出去，看見還有些人站在那裡，就對他們說：為什麼你們站在這裡，整天無所事事？他們對家主說： 因為沒有人僱用我們。家主對他們說：你們也到我的葡萄園去吧！
「到了晚上，葡萄園的主人，對他的管工說：你叫工人來，發給他們工資，由最後的開始，直到最先的。「那些約在第十一時辰來的人，每人領了一個『德納』。那些最先僱用的，心想自己必會多得，但是，他們也只領得一個『德納』。
「他們一領了，就抱怨家主，說：這些最後僱用的人，不過工作了一個時辰，而你竟然把他們，與我們整天受苦受熱的，同等看待。家主答覆其中一個說：朋友！我 並沒有虧待你，你不是和我議定了一個『德納』嗎？拿你的，走吧！我願意給最後來的，和給你的一樣。難道不許我，拿我所有的財物，做我所願意的嗎？或是因為 我好，你就眼紅嗎？「這樣，最後的，將成為最先的，最先的，將會成為最後的。」
─上主的話。
往神父講道目錄
耶穌給門徒講了這個比喻，說：「天國好像一個家主，清晨出去，為自己的葡萄園僱用工人。他與工人議定：一天一個『德納』，就派他們到葡萄園去。
