Take what belongs to you, and go may be more explicitly rendered as in Good News Translation: “Now take your pay and go home” (New English Bible “Take your pay and go home”). With reference to the coin mentioned in the previous verse, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch translates “You have received it, now go.” One scholar, who has done much research on the parables, suggests that go carries the meaning “you have no more business here.” He also indicates that I choose means “it is my firm intention.”

I choose can be rendered impersonally in English, as in “It is my choice” or “It is my wish” (Barclay). However, sentences like “I have decided” or “I want” may be better.

This last translates a masculine singular form in Greek (Good News Translation “this man who was hired last”), but for some languages a plural form may be more natural, especially in light of verses 6-7, 9.

As I give to you is literally “as to you.” When translating at a common language level, it will be expected in some languages that the verb be repeated as in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation: (“as much as I gave you”).

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on the Gospel of Matthew. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1988. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .