^25:1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ^25:2Five¹ of the virgins² were foolish, and five were wise. ^25:3When³ the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra⁴ olive oil⁵ with them. ^25:4But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. ^25:5When⁶ the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. ^25:6But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’⁷^25:7Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ^25:8The⁸ foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ^25:9‘No,’ they replied.⁹ ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ ^25:10But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then¹⁰ the door was shut. ^25:11Later,¹¹ the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’¹²^25:12But he replied,¹³ ‘I tell you the truth,¹⁴ I do not know you!’ ^25:13Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.¹⁵

The Parable of the Talents

^25:14“For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves¹⁶ and entrusted his property to them. ^25:15To¹⁷ one he gave five talents,¹⁸ to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. ^25:16The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work¹⁹ and gained five more. ^25:17In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. ^25:18But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. ^25:19After²⁰ a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. ^25:20The²¹ one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir,²² you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ ^25:21His master answered,²³ ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ^25:22The²⁴ one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ ^25:23His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ^25:24Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, ^25:25so²⁵ I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ ^25:26But his master answered,²⁶ ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? ^25:27Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers,²⁷ and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!²⁸^25:28Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten.²⁹^25:29For the one who has will be given more,³⁰ and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.³¹^25:30And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Judgment

^25:31“When³² the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ^25:32All³³ the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ^25:33He³⁴ will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ^25:34Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ^25:35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ^25:36I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ ^25:37Then the righteous will answer him,³⁵ ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ^25:38When³⁶ did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? ^25:39When³⁷ did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ^25:40And the king will answer them,³⁸ ‘I tell you the truth,³⁹ just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters⁴⁰ of mine, you did it for me.’

^25:41“Then he will say⁴¹ to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! ^25:42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. ^25:43I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ^25:44Then they too will answer,⁴² ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ ^25:45Then he will answer them,⁴³ ‘I tell you the truth,⁴⁴ just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ ^25:46And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

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Footnotes

1 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
2 Grk “Five of them.”
3 Grk “For when.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
4 The word “extra” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The point is that the five foolish virgins had only the oil in their lamps, but took along no extra supply from which to replenish them. This is clear from v. 8, where the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because they are running out of oil.
5 On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.
6 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
7 Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apantēsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
8 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
9 Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’ ”
10 Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
11 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
12 Grk “Open to us.”
13 Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
14 Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
15 Most later (C3 f13 1424c 𝔐) also read here “in which the Son of Man is coming” (ἐν ᾖ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται, en hē ho huios tou anthrōpou erchetai), reproducing almost verbatim the last line of Matt 24:44. The longer reading thus appears to be an explanatory expansion and should not be considered authentic. The earlier and better witnesses ({𝔓35 א A B C* D L W Δ Θ f1 33 565 892 1424* lat co}) lack this phrase.
16 See the note on the word “slave” in .
17 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
18 A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in .
19 Grk “traded with them.”
20 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
21 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
22 Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).
23 Grk “His master said to him.”
24 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
25 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
26 Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
27 For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see L&N 57.216.
28 That is, “If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for.”
29 Grk “the ten talents.”
30 Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.” The one who has will be given more. Faithfulness yields great reward (see Matt 13:12; also Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18, 19:26).
31 The one who has nothing has even what he seems to have taken from him, ending up with no reward at all (see also Luke 8:18). The exact force of this is left ambiguous, but there is no comfort here for those who are pictured by the third slave as being totally unmoved by the master. Though not an outright enemy, there is no relationship to the master either.
32 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
33 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
34 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
35 Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
36 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
37 Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
38 Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
39 Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”
40 Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelphoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.
41 Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
42 Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
43 Grk “answer them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legōn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
44 Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amēn), I say to you.”