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."