JMNT(i)
1 "So you see, the reign of the heavens (the heavens' kingdom; or: the sovereign rule and activities pertaining to the atmospheres) exists being like a person (human) – a householder – who went out at the usual time, early in the morning (or: at daybreak), to hire for himself workers [to send] into his vineyard.
2 "Now upon voicing together [and coming] out with an agreement with the workers – a denarius [for] the day [note: a normal day's wage] – he sent them off into his vineyard.
3 "Then, upon going out about [the] third hour [of the day; = about nine in the morning], he saw other folks having taken their place standing idle and unemployed, within the market place.
4 "And so he says to those folks, 'You people, also, lead the way under [my word and direction] into the vineyard, and whatever may be fair and equitable (just and in accord with the way pointed out; or: = the going rate) I will proceed in giving to you.'
5 "So they went off. Now again, upon going out about [the] sixth hour (= around noon), and later [at the] ninth hour (= about three in the afternoon), he did similarly (or: in just the same way).
6 "Now about the eleventh hour (= around five o'clock), after going out, he found other folks having taken their place standing, and he is proceeding to say to them, 'Why have you taken your place and are still standing here idle and unemployed the whole day?'
7 "They are, as a group, responding to him, 'Because nobody hired us.' He then replies to them, 'You people, also, lead the way under [my word and direction] into the vineyard.'
8 "Now when it was becoming evening, the owner of the vineyard proceeds saying to his foreman (or: manager; supervisor), 'Call the workers and pay the wages, starting from the last ones, [and proceeding] until the first ones.'
9 "So those coming about the eleventh hour received a denarius apiece.
10 "And then, when the first ones were coming, they concluded from inference to custom that they will receive more, and yet they, themselves, also received a denarius apiece.
11 "Now, upon receiving [the pay], they began muttering complaints and in low voices uttering discontent against the householder,
12 "one after another saying, 'These last folks do one hour, and you make them equal to us – the ones who were bearing the burden and intense heat of the day!'
13 "So, giving a decisive reply to one of them, he said, 'My friend, I am not doing wrong or acting unjustly to you. Did you not voice agreement with me for a denarius?
14 "'Take up what is yours and humbly go away. However, I, myself, continue wanting, and intending, to give to this last person just as [I] also [gave] to you.
15 "'Is it not allowed by law and custom for me to do that which I continue wanting and intending, in [regard] to my own things? Or does your eye continue being worthless (= is your way of viewing things knavish, base, unsound and in a poor condition, or even malicious and degenerate) because I, myself, continue being good (virtuous; = having generous and benevolent qualities)?'
16 "It is in this way that the last folks will be first and the first folks [will be] last." [comment: this parable shows the equity of kingdom life: all receive the same; first and last have no significance – it is an illustration of additional folks being added into the sovereign activities of the heavens, and being equal to regular workers; it further shows the care of the Householder for the needs of the "unemployed," i.e., those not at that time being a part of His sovereign reign, and how He repeatedly goes, even in the heat of the day, to search for those in need, pointing to outreach beyond the House]