1 T hen the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

2 F ive of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent).

Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 F or when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them;

Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,

4 B ut the wise took flasks of oil along with them with their lamps.

but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 W hile the bridegroom lingered and was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads, and they fell asleep.

But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6 B ut at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him!

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’

7 T hen all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order.

Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

8 A nd the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

9 B ut the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves.

But the wise answered, saying, ‘ No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

10 B ut while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

11 L ater the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open to us!

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’

12 B ut He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you.

But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

13 W atch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming. The Parable of the Talents

14 F or it is like a man who was about to take a long journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his property.

“For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them.

15 T o one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own personal ability. Then he departed and left the country.

And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

16 H e who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more.

Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

17 A nd likewise he who had received the two talents—he also gained two talents more.

And likewise he who had received two gained two more also.

18 B ut he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money.

19 N ow after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20 A nd he who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, Master, you entrusted to me five talents; see, here I have gained five talents more.

“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’

21 H is master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

22 A nd he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, Master, you entrusted two talents to me; here I have gained two talents more.

He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’

23 H is master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable, admirable) and faithful servant! You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into and share the joy (the delight, the blessedness) which your master enjoys.

His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

24 H e who had received one talent also came forward, saying, Master, I knew you to be a harsh and hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you had not winnowed.

“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

25 S o I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own.

And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’

26 B ut his master answered him, You wicked and lazy and idle servant! Did you indeed know that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I have not winnowed?

“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

27 T hen you should have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what was my own with interest.

So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

28 S o take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.

29 F or to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be furnished richly so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.

‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

30 A nd throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations

31 W hen the Son of Man comes in His glory (His majesty and splendor), and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.

32 A ll nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats;

All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

33 A nd He will cause the sheep to stand at His right hand, but the goats at His left.

And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 T hen the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father '> favored of God and appointed to eternal salvation], inherit (receive as your own) the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 F or I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me,

for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in;

36 I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me.

I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’

37 T hen the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink?

“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?

38 A nd when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You?

When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

39 A nd when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You?

Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

40 A nd the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least '> in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me.

And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’

41 T hen He will say to those at His left hand, Begone from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!

“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 F or I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,

for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink;

43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me and entertain Me, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not visit Me with help and ministering care.

I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

44 T hen they 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 minister to You?

“Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’

45 A nd He will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least '> in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me.

Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

46 T hen they will go away into eternal punishment, but those who are just and upright and in right standing with God into eternal life.

And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”