1 “ Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out 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 N ow five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

Five of them were wise and five were foolish.

3 T hose who 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 wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

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

5 B ut while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

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

6 “ And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go 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 to the wise, ‘Give us some 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 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.’

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 who were ready went in with him to the wedding; 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 “ Afterward the other virgins came also, 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, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

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

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

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

“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 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.

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 T hen he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, 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 who had received two gained two more also.

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

18 B ut he who had received one went and dug in the ground, 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 fter a long time the lord of those servants came and settled 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 “ 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.’

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 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.’

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

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 “ 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.

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

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

26 “ 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.

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 S o you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my 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 herefore take the talent from him, and give it to 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 ‘ 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.

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

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

32 A ll the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will 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 will 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 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:

“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 you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you 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 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to 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 “ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You 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 You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?

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 You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’

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

40 A nd 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.’

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 “ 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:

“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 you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you 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 you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’

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 “ 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?’

“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 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.’

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 these will go away into everlasting 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.”