¹⁴“For it is just like a man about to go on a journey.^a He called his own servants and entrusted his possessions to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents,^B to another two talents, and to another one talent, depending on each one’s ability. Then he went on a journey.^b Immediately ¹⁶the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. ¹⁷In the same way the man with two earned two more. ¹⁸But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹“After a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I’ve earned five more talents.’

²¹“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’^c

²²“The man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I’ve earned two more talents.’

²³“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.’

Read in Logos

Matthew 25:21: His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Footnotes

BA talent is worth about 6,000 denarii, or twenty years’ wages for a laborer

Cross references

a Lk 19:12–27
b Mt 18:24; Lk 19:13; Rm 12:6; 1Co 12:11; Eph 4:7
c Mt 24:45,47; Lk 12:44; 22:28; Heb 12:2