1 “ 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.

Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be made like to ten virgins that having taken their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 F ive of them were wise and five were foolish.

And five of them were prudent and five foolish.

3 T he foolish women took their lamps but did not take oil with them.

They that were foolish took their torches and did not take oil with them;

4 T he wise women took oil in a jar with their lamps.

but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their torches.

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

Now the bridegroom tarrying, they all grew heavy and slept.

6 “ 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!’

But in middle of night there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom; go forth to meet him.

7 T hen all the women got up and made their lamps brighter.

Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their torches.

8 T he foolish women said to the wise women, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

And the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, for our torches are going out.

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

But the prudent answered saying, lest it might not suffice for us and for you. Go rather to those that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 W hile 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.

But as they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and the ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

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

Afterwards come also the rest of the virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us;

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

but he answering said, Verily I say unto you, I do not know you.

13 S o 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

Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

14 “ 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.

For as a man going away out of a country called his own bondmen and delivered to them his substance.

15 H e 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.

And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to each according to his particular ability, and immediately went away out of the country.

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

And he that had received the five talents went and trafficked with them, and made five other talents.

17 T he servant who had two pieces of money did the same thing. He made two more pieces.

In like manner also he that the two, gained two others.

18 T he 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.

But he that had received the one went and dug in the earth, and hid the money of his lord.

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

And after a long time the lord of those bondmen comes and reckons with them.

20 T he 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.’

And he that had received the five talents came to and brought five other talents, saying, lord, thou deliveredst me five talents; behold, I have gained five other talents besides them.

21 H is 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.’

His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord.

22 T he 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.’

And he also that had received the two talents came to and said, lord, thou deliveredst me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents besides them.

23 H is 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.’

His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24 T he 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.

And he also that had received the one talent coming to said, lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hadst not sowed, and gathering from where thou hadst not scattered,

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

and being afraid I went away and hid thy talent in the earth; behold, thou hast that which is thine.

26 H is 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.

And his lord answering said to him, Wicked and slothful bondman, thou knewest that I reap where I had not sowed, and gather from where I had not scattered;

27 Y ou 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.

thou oughtest then to have put my money to the money-changers, and when I came I should have got what is mine with interest.

28 T ake the one piece of money from him. Give it to the one who has ten pieces of money.’

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that has the ten talents:

29 F or 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.

for to every one that has shall be given, and he shall be in abundance; but from him that has not, that even which he has shall be taken from him.

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

And cast out the useless bondman into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.

31 “ 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.

But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit down upon his throne of glory,

32 A ll 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.

and all the nations shall be gathered before him; and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

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

and he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on left.

34 “ 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.

Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from world's foundation:

35 F or 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.

for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;

36 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.’

naked, and ye clothed me; I was ill, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me.

37 “ 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?

Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, and nourished thee; or thirsting, and gave thee to drink?

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

and when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and clothed thee?

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

and when saw we thee ill, or in prison, and came to thee?

40 T hen 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.’

And the King answering shall say to them, Verily, I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me.

41 “ 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.

Then shall he say also to those on the left, Go from me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

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

for I hungered, and ye gave me not to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me not to drink;

43 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.’

I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye did not clothe me; ill, and in prison, and ye did not visit me.

44 “ 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?’

Then shall they also answer saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or ill, or in prison, and have not ministered to thee?

45 T hen 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.’

Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have not done it to one of these least, neither have ye done it to me.

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

And these shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.