‘ These people who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said.‘ You have paid them the same as us. We have done most of the work and have been in the hot sun all day.’

‘我们整天劳苦受热，那后来的只做了一小时，你竟叫他们和我们一样吗？’

‘我们整天劳苦受热，那些后来的只做了一小时，你竟待他们和我们一样吗？’

‘我们整天劳苦受热，那些后来的只做了一小时，你竟待他们和我们一样吗？’

‘那些最晚来的人只工作了一小时，而我们在烈日之下辛苦了一整天，怎么会领同样的工钱呢？’

‘我们整天在烈日之下劳苦，这些后来的人只工作了一个小时，你却给他们跟我们一样的工钱。’

说：‘这些最后来的人只工作了一个小时，而我们经受了一天的劳累和炎热，你却把他们和我们同等看待！’

『我們整天勞苦受熱，那後來的只做了一小時，你竟叫他們和我們一樣嗎？』

『我們整天勞苦受熱，那些後來的只做了一小時，你竟待他們和我們一樣嗎？』

『我們整天勞苦受熱，那些後來的只做了一小時，你竟待他們和我們一樣嗎？』

『那些最晚來的人只工作了一小時，而我們在烈日之下辛苦了一整天，怎麼會領同樣的工錢呢？』

‘我們整天在烈日之下勞苦，這些後來的人只工作了一個小時，你卻給他們跟我們一樣的工錢。’

說：「這些末後的作了一個鐘頭的工，你竟讓他們跟我們這擔受一天之重擔和熱氣的平等呀！」

說：『這些最後來的人只工作了一個小時，而我們經受了一天的勞累和炎熱，你卻把他們和我們同等看待！』

我終日任勞當暑、後至者、僅工作片時、乃使之與我等耶、

我當暑、終日任勞、後至者、僅片時工作、乃使之與我等乎、

我儕終日負苦當暑、彼後至者、工作僅半時、爾竟使之與我相等乎、

「我儕辛勞終日、備嘗炎蒸；斯輩後進、工僅半晷、何與我儕一律待遇耶？」

‘ These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said,‘ and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

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.’

‘ Those people worked only one hour, and yet you’ve paid them just as much as you paid us who worked all day in the scorching heat.’

‘ These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day’s work and the burning heat.’

saying,‘ These who were hired last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day’s work and the scorching heat.’

saying,‘ These last men have worked only one hour, and you made them equal to us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.’

saying, These last have spent but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.

‘ These last men put in one hour, and you made them equal to us who bore the burden of the day and the burning heat!’

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.

saying,‘ These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’

saying,‘ These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

Some are also faithful today. They have been chosen by God’s grace.And if they are chosen by grace, then they can’t work for it. If that were true, grace wouldn’t be grace anymore.

Are they serving Christ? I am serving him even more. I’m out of my mind to talk like this! I have worked much harder. I have been in prison more often. I have suffered terrible beatings. Again and again I almost died.Five times the Jews gave me 39 strokes with a whip.Three times I was beaten with sticks. Once they tried to kill me by throwing stones at me. Three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea.I have had to keep on the move. I have been in danger from rivers. I have been in danger from robbers. I have been in danger from my fellow Jews and in danger from Gentiles. I have been in danger in the city, in the country, and at sea. I have been in danger from people who pretended they were believers.I have worked very hard. Often I have gone without sleep. I have been hungry and thirsty. Often I have gone without food. I have been cold and naked.Besides everything else, every day I am concerned about all the churches. It is a very heavy load.

The south wind blows. So you say,‘ It’s going to be hot.’ And it is.

But when you are invited, take the lowest place. Then your host will come over to you. He will say,‘ Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in front of all the other guests.All those who lift themselves up will be made humble. And those who make themselves humble will be lifted up.”

You say,‘ What a heavy load our work is!’ And you turn up your nose. You act as if you hate working for me,” says the Lord who rules over all.“ You bring animals that have been hurt. Or you bring disabled or sick animals. Then you dare to offer them to me as sacrifices! Should I accept them from you?” says the Lord.

So who can brag? No one! Are people saved by the law that requires them to obey? Not at all! They are saved because of the law that requires faith.

Brothers and sisters, with all my heart I long for the people of Israel to be saved. I pray to God for them.I can tell you for certain that they really want to serve God. But how they are trying to do it is not based on knowledge.They didn’t know that God’s power makes people right with himself. They tried to get right with God in their own way. They didn’t do it in God’s way.

They went to the prophets and priests at the Lord’ s temple. They asked them,“ Should we mourn and go without eating in the fifth month? That’s what we’ve done for many years.”Then the message came to me from the Lord who rules over all. He said,“ Ask the priests and all the people in the land a question for me. Say to them,‘ You mourned and fasted in the fifth and seventh months. You did it for the past 70 years. But did you really do it for me?

What should we say then? Gentiles did not look for a way to be right with God. But they found it by having faith.The people of Israel tried to obey the law to make themselves right with God. But they didn’t reach their goal of being right with God.Why not? Because they tried to do it without faith. They tried to be right with God by what they did. They tripped over the stone that causes people to trip and fall.

The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed.‘ God, I thank you that I am not like other people,’ he said.‘ I am not like robbers or those who do other evil things. I am not like those who commit adultery. I am not even like this tax collector.I fast twice a week. And I give a tenth of all I get.’

But he answered his father,‘ Look! All these years I’ve worked like a slave for you. I have always obeyed your orders. You never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.But this son of yours wasted your money with some prostitutes. Now he comes home. And for him you kill the fattest calf!’

Day after day they worship me. They seem ready and willing to know how I want them to live. They act as if they were a nation that does what is right. They act as if they have not turned away from my commands. They claim to want me to give them fair decisions. They seem ready and willing to come near and worship me.‘ We have gone without food,’ they say.‘ Why haven’t you noticed it? We have made ourselves suffer. Why haven’t you paid any attention to us?’“ On the day when you fast, you do as you please. You take advantage of all your workers.

The sun rises. Its burning heat dries up the plants. Their blossoms fall. Their beauty is destroyed. In the same way, rich people will fade away. They fade away even as they go about their business.

Here is the mystery. Because of the good news, God’s promises are for Gentiles as well as for Jews. Both groups are parts of one body. They share in the promise. It belongs to them because they belong to Christ Jesus.

We are made right with God by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. This happens to all who believe. It is no different for the Jews than for the Gentiles.Everyone has sinned. No one measures up to God’s glory.The free gift of God’s grace makes us right with him. Christ Jesus paid the price to set us free.

There is only one God. When those who are circumcised believe in him, he makes them right with himself. Suppose those who are not circumcised believe in him. Then God also will make them right with himself.

Up to this very hour we are hungry and thirsty. We are dressed in rags. We are being treated badly. We have no homes.

“ You have said,‘ It is useless to serve God. What do we gain by obeying his laws? And what do we get by pretending to be sad in front of the Lord?

When the sun rose, God sent a burning east wind. The sun beat down on Jonah’s head. It made him very weak. He wanted to die. So he said,“ I’d rather die than live.”