25:1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. |
25:2 "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. |
25:3 "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, |
25:4 but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. |
25:5 "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and {began} to sleep. |
25:6 "But at midnight there was a shout, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet {him.}' |
25:7 "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. |
25:8 "The foolish said to the prudent, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' |
25:9 "But the prudent answered, `No, there will not be enough for us and you {too;} go instead to the dealers and buy {some} for yourselves.' |
25:10 "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. |
25:11 "Later the other virgins also came, saying, `Lord, lord, open up for us.' |
25:12 "But he answered, `Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' |
25:13 "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour. |
25:14 "For {it is} just like a man {about} to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. |
25:15 "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. |
25:16 "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. |
25:17 "In the same manner the one who {had received} the two {talents} gained two more. |
25:18 "But he who received the one {talent} went away, and dug {a hole} in the ground and hid his master's money. |
25:19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *settled accounts with them. |
25:20 "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, `Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' |
25:21 "His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' |
25:22 "Also the one who {had received} the two talents came up and said, `Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' |
25:23 "His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' |
25:24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no {seed.} |
25:25 `And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' |
25:26 "But his master answered and said to him, `You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no {seed.} |
25:27 `Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my {money} back with interest. |
25:28 `Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' |
25:29 "For to everyone who has, {more} shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. |
25:30 "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. |
25:31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. |
25:32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; |
25:33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. |
25:34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, `Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. |
25:35 `For I was hungry, and you gave Me {something} to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me {something} to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; |
25:36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' |
25:37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, `Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You {something} to drink? |
25:38 `And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? |
25:39 `When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' |
25:40 "The King will answer and say to them, `Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, {even} the least {of them,} you did it to Me.' |
25:41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, `Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; |
25:42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me {nothing} to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; |
25:43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' |
25:44 "Then they themselves also will answer, `Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' |
25:45 "Then He will answer them, `Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' |
25:46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." |