1 ¶ Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be likened unto ten virgins who, taking their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom.

“At that time the holy nation of heaven will be like ten women who have never had men. They took their lamps and went out to meet the man soon to be married.

2 A nd five of them were prudent, and five were foolish.

Five of them were wise and five were foolish.

3 T hose that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them;

The foolish women took their lamps but did not take oil with them.

4 b ut the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

The wise women took oil in a jar with their lamps.

5 W hile the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

They all went to sleep because the man to be married did not come for a long time.

6 A nd at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go ye out to meet him.

“At twelve o’clock in the night there was a loud call, ‘See! The man soon to be married is coming! Go out to meet him!’

7 T hen all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

Then all the women got up and made their lamps brighter.

8 A nd the foolish said unto the prudent, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

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

9 B ut the prudent answered, saying, Lest there be not enough for us and you, but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.

But the wise women said, ‘No! There will not be enough for us and you. Go to the store and buy oil for yourselves.’

10 A nd while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and those that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.

While they were gone to buy oil, the man soon to be married came. Those who were ready went in with him to the marriage. The door was shut.

11 A fterward the other virgins also came, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

“Later the foolish women came. They said, ‘Sir, Sir, open the door for us!’

12 B ut he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

But he said to them, ‘For sure, I tell you, I do not know you!’

13 W atch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.

So watch! You do not know what day or what hour the Son of Man is coming. The Picture-Story of the Three Servants and the Money

14 ¶ For it is like a man travelling into a far country, who called his own slaves and delivered unto them his goods.

“For the holy nation of heaven is like a man who was going to a country far away. He called together the servants he owned and gave them his money to use.

15 A nd unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each one according to his faculty, and straightway took his journey.

He gave to one servant five pieces of money worth much. He gave to another servant two pieces of money worth much. He gave to another servant one piece of money worth much. He gave to each one as he was able to use it. Then he went on his trip.

16 A nd after he was gone, he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same and made another five talents.

The servant who had the five pieces of money went out to the stores and traded until he made five more pieces.

17 A nd likewise he that had received two, he also gained another two.

The servant who had two pieces of money did the same thing. He made two more pieces.

18 B ut he that had received one went and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

The servant who had received the one piece of money went and hid the money in a hole in the ground. He hid his owner’s money.

19 A nd after a long time the lord of those slaves came and reckoned accounts with them.

“After a long time the owner of those servants came back. He wanted to know what had been done with his money.

20 A nd so he that had received five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, Lord, thou didst deliver unto me five talents; behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

The one who had received the five pieces of money worth much came and handed him five pieces more. He said, ‘Sir, you gave me five pieces of money. See! I used it and made five more pieces.’

21 H is lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful slave; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

His owner said to him, ‘You have done well. You are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will put many things in your care. Come and share my joy.’

22 H e also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou didst deliver unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

The one who received two pieces of money worth much came also. He said, ‘Sir, you gave me two pieces of money. See! I used it and made two more pieces.’

23 H is lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful slave; thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will set thee over many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

His owner said to him, ‘You have done well. You are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will put many things in your care. Come and share my joy.’

24 T hen he who had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown and gathering where thou hast not scattered;

The one who had received one piece of money worth much came. He said, ‘Sir, I know that you are a hard man. You gather grain where you have not planted. You take up where you have not spread out.

25 t herefore, I was afraid and went and hid thy talent in the earth; behold, thou hast what is thine.

I was afraid and I hid your money in the ground. See! Here is your money.’

26 H is lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful slave, thou knewest that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I have not scattered;

His owner said to him, ‘You bad and lazy servant. You knew that I gather grain where I have not planted. You knew that I take up where I have not spread out.

27 t herefore, it was expedient for thee to have put my money to the bankers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with interest.

You should have taken my money to the bank. When I came back, I could have had my own money and what the bank paid for using it.

28 T ake, therefore, the talent from him and give it unto him who has ten talents.

Take the one piece of money from him. Give it to the one who has ten pieces of money.’

29 F or unto every one that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance, but from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has.

For the man who has will have more given to him. He will have more than enough. The man who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

30 A nd cast ye the unprofitable slave into the outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Throw the bad servant out into the darkness. There will be loud crying and grinding of teeth. The Sheep and the Goats

31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then he shall sit upon the throne of his glory,

“When the Son of Man comes in His shining-greatness, He will sit down on His throne of greatness. All the angels will be with Him.

32 a nd before him shall be gathered all nations; and he shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats,

All the nations of the earth will be gathered before Him. He will divide them from each other as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats.

33 a nd he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

He will put the sheep on His right side, but the goats He will put on His left side.

34 T hen shall the King say unto those on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

“Then the King will say to those on His right side, ‘Come, you who have been called by My Father. Come into the holy nation that has been made ready for you before the world was made.

35 f or I was hungry, and ye gave me food; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;

For I was hungry and you gave Me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave Me water to drink. I was a stranger and you gave Me a room.

36 n aked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

I had no clothes and you gave Me clothes to wear. I was sick and you cared for Me. I was in prison and you came to see Me.’

37 T hen shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee? or thirsty and give thee drink?

“Then those that are right with God will say, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You? When did we see You thirsty and give You a drink?

38 W hen did we see thee a stranger and take thee in? or naked and clothe thee?

When did we see You a stranger and give You a room? When did we see You had no clothes and we gave You clothes?

39 O r when did we see thee sick or in prison and come unto thee?

And when did we see You sick or in prison and we came to You?’

40 A nd the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brothers, ye have done it unto me.

Then the King will say, ‘For sure, I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of My brothers, you have done it to Me.’

41 T hen he shall also say unto those who shall be on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels;

“Then the King will say to those on His left side, ‘Go away from Me! You are guilty! Go into the fire that lasts forever. It has been made ready for the devil and his angels.

42 f or I was hungry, and ye gave me no food; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink;

For I was hungry but you did not give Me food to eat. I was thirsty but you did not give Me water to drink.

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited me not.

I was a stranger but you did not give Me a room. I had no clothes but you did not give Me clothes. I was sick and in prison but you did not come to see Me.’

44 T hen they shall also answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee?

“Then they will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger? When did we see You without clothes or sick or in prison and did not care for You?’

45 T hen he shall answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of my brothers, ye did it not to me.

Then He will say to them, ‘For sure, I tell you, because you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’

46 A nd they shall go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

These will go to the place where they will be punished forever. But those right with God will have life that lasts forever.”