1 As Jesus was telling what the kingdom of heaven would be like, he said:Early one morning a man went out to hire some workers for his vineyard.
2 After he had agreed to pay them the usual amount for a day's work, he sent them off to his vineyard.
3 About nine that morning, the man saw some other people standing in the market with nothing to do.
4 He promised to pay them what was fair, if they would work in his vineyard.
5 So they went.At noon and again about three in the afternoon he returned to the market. And each time he made the same agreement with others who were loafing around with nothing to do.
6 Finally, about five in the afternoon the man went back and found some others standing there. He asked them, “Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?”
7 “Because no one has hired us,” they answered. Then he told them to go work in his vineyard.