Reading: Genesis 21, Matthew 20

¹ And the LORD visited Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as he had spoken.² For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.³ And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.⁴ And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.⁵ And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him.⁶ And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me.⁷ And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age.⁸ And the child grew, and was weaned: and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.⁹ And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, which she had born unto Abraham, mocking.¹⁰ Wherefore she said unto Abraham, Cast out this bondwoman and her son: for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac.¹¹ And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.¹² And God said unto Abraham, Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.¹³ And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed.¹⁴ And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread, and a bottle of water, and gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away: and she departed, and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.¹⁵ And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.¹⁶ And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept.¹⁷ And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.¹⁸ Arise, lift up the lad, and hold him in thine hand; for I will make him a great nation.¹⁹ And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.²⁰ And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.²¹ And he dwelt in the wilderness of Paran: and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.²² And it came to pass at that time, that Abimelech and Phichol the chief captain of his host spake unto Abraham, saying, God is with thee in all that thou doest:²³ Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son: but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me, and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned.²⁴ And Abraham said, I will swear.²⁵ And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water, which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.²⁶ And Abimelech said, I wot not who hath done this thing: neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it, but to day.²⁷ And Abraham took sheep and oxen, and gave them unto Abimelech; and both of them made a covenant.²⁸ And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.²⁹ And Abimelech said unto Abraham, What mean these seven ewe lambs which thou hast set by themselves?³⁰ And he said, For these seven ewe lambs shalt thou take of my hand, that they may be a witness unto me, that I have digged this well.³¹ Wherefore he called that place Beersheba; because there they sware both of them.³² Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba: then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.³³ And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the everlasting God.³⁴ And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

¹ For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard.² And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.³ And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,⁴ And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way.⁵ Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.⁶ And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?⁷ They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.⁸ So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.⁹ And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.¹⁰ But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.¹¹ And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,¹² Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.¹³ But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny?¹⁴ Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.¹⁵ Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?¹⁶ So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen.¹⁷ And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them,¹⁸ Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,¹⁹ And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again.²⁰ Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him.²¹ And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom.²² But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able.²³ And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.²⁴ And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.²⁵ But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.²⁶ But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;²⁷ And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant:²⁸ Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.²⁹ And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him.³⁰ And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.³¹ And the multitude rebuked them, because they should hold their peace: but they cried the more, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.³² And Jesus stood still, and called them, and said, What will ye that I shall do unto you?³³ They say unto him, Lord, that our eyes may be opened.³⁴ So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.