1 He rite hoki te rangatiratanga o te rangi ki tetahi rangatira whare, i haere i te atatu ki te korero kaimahi mo tana mara waina.

2 A, no ka oti te whakarite ki nga kaimahi kia kotahi ra he pene, tonoa ana ratou e ia ki tana mara waina.

3 A ka haere atu ia i te toru o nga haora, ka kite i etahi atu e tu mangere ana i te kainga hokohoko,

4 Ka mea ki a ratou, Haere hoki koutou ki te mara waina, a ka hoatu e ahau ki a koutou te mea e tika ana. Na haere ana ratou.

5 I haere ano ia i te ono, i te iwa o nga haora, a pera ana ano.

6 I te tekau ma tahi o nga haora ka haere atu ano ia, ka kite i etahi atu e tu ana, ka mea ki a ratou, He aha ta koutou e tu mangere i konei i te ra roa nei?

7 Ka mea ratou ki a ia, No te mea ra kahore he tangata i korero ki a matou ki te mahi. Ka mea ia ki a ratou, Haere ano koutou ki te mara waina, ko te mea tika koia tera e whiwhi ai koutou.

8 A, no te ahiahi ka mea te rangatira o te mara waina ki tana kaiwhakahauhau, Karangatia nga kaimahi, utua hoki ratou, hei o muri timata ai puta noa ki o mua.

9 A, no te taenga mai o te hunga i korerotia i te tekau ma tahi o nga haora, kotahi te pene i riro i tetahi, i tetahi.

10 Ka tae ano o mua, hua noa ratou tera atu te mea e riro i a ratou; heoi katahi ano te pene i riro i a ratou.

11 A, no ka riro i a ratou, ka amuamu ki taua rangatira whare,

12 Ka mea, Kotahi te haora i mahi ai enei o muri, a ka oti ratou te whakarite ki a matou, ki te hunga i pehia nei e te taimaha e te tikakatanga o te ra.

13 A ka whakahoki ia, ka mea ki tetahi o ratou, E hoa, kahore aku he ki a koe: kihai koe i whakarite ki ahau me pene?

14 Tangohia tau, haere: e pai ana ahau kia rite ki tau te mea e hoatu ki tenei o muri.

15 Ehara ianei i te tika kia meatia e ahau taku e pai ai ki aku mea? He kino oti tou kanohi no te mea he pai ahau?

16 Heoi, ko o muri e meinga ki mua, ko o mua ki muri: he tokomaha hoki e karangatia, he ruarua ia e whiriwhiria.

1 For the reign of the heavens is like to a man, a householder, who went forth with the morning to hire workmen for his vineyard,

2 and having agreed with the workmen for a denary a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

3 And having gone forth about the third hour, he saw others standing in the market-place idle,

4 and to these he said, Go ye -- also ye -- to the vineyard, and whatever may be righteous I will give you;

5 and they went away. Again, having gone forth about the sixth and the ninth hour, he did in like manner.

6 And about the eleventh hour, having gone forth, he found others standing idle, and saith to them, Why here have ye stood all the day idle?

7 they say to him, Because no one did hire us; he saith to them, Go ye -- ye also -- to the vineyard, and whatever may be righteous ye shall receive.

8 And evening having come, the lord of the vineyard saith to his steward, Call the workmen, and pay them the reward, having begun from the last -- unto the first.

9 And they of about the eleventh hour having come, did receive each a denary.

10 And the first having come, did suppose that they shall receive more, and they received, they also, each a denary,

11 and having received [it], they were murmuring against the householder, saying,

12 that These, the last, wrought one hour, and thou didst make them equal to us, who were bearing the burden of the day -- and the heat.

13 And he answering said to one of them, Comrade, I do no unrighteousness to thee; for a denary didst not thou agree with me?

14 take that which is thine, and go; and I will to give to this, the last, also as to thee;

15 is it not lawful to me to do what I will in mine own? is thine eye evil because I am good?

16 So the last shall be first, and the first last, for many are called, and few chosen.