Matthew 25–27

Chapter 25

¹Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be made like to ten virgins that having taken their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom. ²And five of them were prudent and five foolish. ³They that were foolish took their torches and did not take oil with them; ⁴but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their torches. ⁵Now the bridegroom tarrying, they all grew heavy and slept. ⁶But in the middle of the night there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom; go forth to meet him. ⁷Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their torches. ⁸And the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, for our torches are going out. ⁹But the prudent answered saying, We cannot, lest it might not suffice for us and for you. Go rather to those that sell, and buy for yourselves. ¹⁰But as they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and the ones that were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹Afterwards come also the rest of the virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; ¹²but he answering said, Verily I say unto you, I do not know you. ¹³Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

¹⁴For it is as if a man going away out of a country called his own bondmen and delivered to them his substance. ¹⁵And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to each according to his particular ability, and immediately went away out of the country. ¹⁶And he that had received the five talents went and trafficked with them, and made five other talents. ¹⁷In like manner also he that had received the two, he also gained two others. ¹⁸But he that had received the one went and dug in the earth, and hid the money of his lord. ¹⁹And after a long time the lord of those bondmen comes and reckons with them. ²⁰And he that had received the five talents came to him and brought five other talents, saying, My lord, thou deliveredst me five talents; behold, I have gained five other talents besides them. ²¹His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord. ²²And he also that had received the two talents came to him and said, My lord, thou deliveredst me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. ²³His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. ²⁴And he also that had received the one talent coming to him said, My lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hadst not sowed, and gathering from where thou hadst not scattered, ²⁵and being afraid I went away and hid thy talent in the earth; behold, thou hast that which is thine. ²⁶And his lord answering said to him, Wicked and slothful bondman, thou knewest that I reap where I had not sowed, and gather from where I had not scattered; ²⁷thou oughtest then to have put my money to the money-changers, and when I came I should have got what is mine with interest. ²⁸Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that has the ten talents: ²⁹for to every one that has shall be given, and he shall be in abundance; but from him that has not, that even which he has shall be taken from him. ³⁰And cast out the useless bondman into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

³¹But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit down upon his throne of glory, ³²and all the nations shall be gathered before him; and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; ³³and he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left. ³⁴Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the world’s foundation: ³⁵for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in; ³⁶naked, and ye clothed me; I was ill, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me. ³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, and nourished thee; or thirsting, and gave thee to drink? ³⁸and when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and clothed thee? ³⁹and when saw we thee ill, or in prison, and came to thee? ⁴⁰And the King answering shall say to them, Verily, I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me. ⁴¹Then shall he say also to those on the left, Go from me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: ⁴²for I hungered, and ye gave me not to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me not to drink; ⁴³I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye did not clothe me; ill, and in prison, and ye did not visit me. ⁴⁴Then shall they also answer saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or ill, or in prison, and have not ministered to thee? ⁴⁵Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have not done it to one of these least, neither have ye done it to me. ⁴⁶And these shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.

Chapter 26

¹And it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, ²Ye know that after two days the passover takes place, and the Son of man is delivered up to be crucified. ³Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together to the palace of the high priest who was called Caiaphas, ⁴and took counsel together in order that they might seize Jesus by subtlety and kill him; ⁵but they said, Not in the feast, that there be not a tumult among the people.

⁶But Jesus being in Bethany, in Simon the leper’s house, ⁷a woman, having an alabaster flask of very precious ointment, came to him and poured it out upon his head as he lay at table. ⁸But the disciples seeing it became indignant, saying, To what end was this waste? ⁹for this might have been sold for much and been given to the poor. ¹⁰But Jesus knowing it said to them, Why do ye trouble the woman? for she has wrought a good work toward me. ¹¹For ye have the poor always with you, but me ye have not always. ¹²For in pouring out this ointment on my body, she has done it for my burying. ¹³Verily I say to you, Wheresoever these glad tidings may be preached in the whole world, that also which this woman has done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, he who was called Judas Iscariote, went to the chief priests ¹⁵and said, What are ye willing to give me, and I will deliver him up to you? And they appointed to him thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶And from that time he sought a good opportunity that he might deliver him up.

¹⁷Now on the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover? ¹⁸And he said, Go into the city unto such a one, and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is near, I will keep the passover in thy house with my disciples. ¹⁹And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the passover. ²⁰And when the evening was come he lay down at table with the twelve. ²¹And as they were eating he said, Verily I say to you, that one of you shall deliver me up. ²²And being exceedingly grieved they began to say to him, each of them, Is it I, Lord? ²³But he answering said, He that dips his hand with me in the dish, he it is who shall deliver me up. ²⁴The Son of man goes indeed, according as it is written concerning him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is delivered up; it were good for that man if he had not been born. ²⁵And Judas, who delivered him up, answering said, Is it I, Rabbi? He says to him, Thou hast said.

²⁶And as they were eating, Jesus, having taken the bread and blessed, broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. ²⁷And having taken the cup and given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it. ²⁸For this is my blood, that of the new covenant, that shed for many for remission of sins. ²⁹But I say to you, that I will not at all drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of my Father. ³⁰And having sung a hymn, they went out to the mount of Olives.

³¹Then saith Jesus to them, All ye shall be offended in me during this night. For it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad. ³²But after that I shall be risen, I will go before you to Galilee. ³³And Peter answering said to him, If all shall be offended in thee, I will never be offended. ³⁴Jesus said to him, Verily I say to thee, that during this night, before the cock shall crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. ³⁵Peter says to him, If I should needs die with thee, I will in no wise deny thee. Likewise said all the disciples also.

³⁶Then Jesus comes with them to a place called Gethsemane, and says to the disciples, Sit here until I go away and pray yonder. ³⁷And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and deeply depressed. ³⁸Then he says to them, My soul is very sorrowful even unto death; remain here and watch with me. ³⁹And going forward a little he fell upon his face, praying and saying, My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; but not as I will, but as thou wilt. ⁴⁰And he comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping, and says to Peter, Thus ye have not been able to watch one hour with me? ⁴¹Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is ready, but the flesh weak. ⁴²Again going away a second time he prayed saying, My Father, if this cannot pass from me unless I drink it, thy will be done. ⁴³And coming he found them again sleeping, for their eyes were heavy. ^44…