1 ` Then shall the reign of the heavens be likened to ten virgins, who, having taken their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom;

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

2 a nd five of them were prudent, and five foolish;

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

3 t hey who were foolish having taken their lamps, did not take with themselves oil;

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

4 a nd the prudent took oil in their vessels, with their lamps.

But the wise took flasks of oil along with them with their lamps.

5 ` And the bridegroom tarrying, they all nodded and were sleeping,

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

6 a nd in the middle of the night a cry was made, Lo, the bridegroom doth come; go ye forth to meet him.

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

7 ` Then rose all those virgins, and trimmed their lamps,

Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order.

8 a nd the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, because 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 a nd the prudent answered, saying -- Lest there may not be sufficient for us and you, go ye rather unto those selling, and buy for yourselves.

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

10 ` And while they are going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those ready went in with him to the marriage-feasts, and the door was shut;

But 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.

11 a nd afterwards come also do the rest of the virgins, saying, Sir, sir, open to us;

Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open to us!

12 a nd he answering said, Verily I say to you, I have not known you.

But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you.

13 ` Watch therefore, for ye have not known the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man doth come.

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

14 ` For -- as a man going abroad did call his own servants, and did deliver to them his substance,

For 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.

15 a nd to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his several ability, went abroad immediately.

To 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.

16 ` And he who did receive the five talents, having gone, wrought with them, and made other five talents;

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

17 i n like manner also he who the two, he gained, also he, other two;

And likewise he who had received the two talents—he also gained two talents more.

18 a nd he who did receive the one, having gone away, digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

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

19 ` And after a long time cometh the lord of those servants, and taketh reckoning with them;

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

20 a nd he who did receive the five talents having come, brought other five talents, saying, `Sir, five talents thou didst deliver to me; lo, other five talents did I gain besides them.

And 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.

21 ` And his lord said to him, Well done, servant, good and faithful, over a few things thou wast faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy lord.

His 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.

22 ` And he who also did receive the two talents having come, said, Sir, two talents thou didst deliver to me; lo, other two talents I did gain besides them.

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

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

His 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.

24 ` And he also who hath received the one talent having come, said, Sir, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering from whence thou didst not scatter;

He 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.

25 a nd having been afraid, having gone away, I hid thy talent in the earth; lo, thou hast thine own!

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

26 ` And his lord answering said to him, Evil servant, and slothful, thou hadst known that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather whence I did not scatter!

But 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?

27 i t behoved thee then to put my money to the money-lenders, and having come I had received mine own with increase.

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

28 ` Take therefore from him the talent, and give to him having the ten talents,

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

29 f or to every one having shall be given, and he shall have overabundance, and from him who is not having, even that which he hath shall be taken from him;

For 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.

30 a nd the unprofitable servant cast ye forth to the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.

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

31 ` And whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him, then he shall sit upon a throne of his glory;

When 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.

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

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

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

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

34 ` Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

Then 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.

35 f or I did hunger, and ye gave me to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye received me;

For 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,

36 n aked, and ye put around me; I was infirm, and ye looked after me; in prison I was, and ye came unto me.

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.

37 ` Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, and we nourished? or thirsting, and we gave to drink?

Then 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?

38 a nd when did we see thee a stranger, and we received? or naked, and we put around?

And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed You?

39 a nd when did we see thee infirm, or in prison, and we came unto thee?

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

40 ` And the king answering, shall say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did to one of these my brethren -- the least -- to me ye did.

And 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.

41 T hen shall he say also to those on the left hand, Go ye from me, the cursed, to the fire, the age-during, that hath been prepared for the Devil and his messengers;

Then 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!

42 f or I did hunger, and ye gave me not to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me not to drink;

For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,

43 a stranger I was, and ye did not receive me; naked, and ye put not around me; infirm, and in prison, and ye did not look after me.

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.

44 ` Then shall they answer, they also, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or infirm, or in prison, and we did not minister to thee?

Then 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?

45 ` Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did not to one of these, the least, ye did not to me.

And 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.

46 A nd these shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.'

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