Chapter 25

Parable of Ten Virgins

1 “Then athe kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their blamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 “Five of them were foolish, and five were aprudent.

3 “For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

4 but the aprudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps.

5 “Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep.

6 “But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

7 “Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

8 “The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

9 “But the aprudent answered, ‘No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were aready went in with him to bthe wedding feast; and cthe door was shut.

11 “Later the other virgins also came, saying, ‘aLord, lord, open up for us.’

12 “But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’

13 “aBe on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

Parable of the Talents

14 “aFor it is just like a man babout to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.

15 “To one he gave five 1atalents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he bwent on his journey.

16 “Immediately the one who had received the five atalents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents.

17 “In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more.

18 “But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his 1master’s money.

19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves * came and * asettled accounts with them.

20 “The one who had received the five atalents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’

21 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and afaithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will bput you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your 1master.’

22 “Also the one who had received the two atalents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’

23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and afaithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’

24 “And the one also who had received the one atalent 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 ‘And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

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.

27 ‘Then you ought to have put my money 1in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

28 ‘Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29 “aFor 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.

30 “Throw out the worthless slave into athe outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The Judgment

31 “But when athe Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then bHe will sit on His glorious throne.

32 “All the nations will be agathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, bas the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

33 and He will put the sheep aon His right, and the goats bon the left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, ainherit the kingdom prepared for you bfrom the foundation of the world.

35 ‘For aI was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; bI was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

36 anaked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you bvisited Me; cI was in prison, and you came to Me.’

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?

38 ‘And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

39 ‘When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40 “aThe King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, bto the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’

41 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘aDepart from Me, accursed ones, into the beternal fire which has been prepared for cthe devil and his angels;

42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;

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.’

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 1take care of You?’

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.’

46 “These will go away into aeternal punishment, but the righteous into beternal life.”