1 ` Then shall the reign of the heavens be likened to ten virgins, who, having taken 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 foolish;

Five of them were wise and five were foolish.

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 a nd in the middle of the night a cry was made, Lo, the bridegroom doth come; go ye forth 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 ` Then rose all those virgins, and trimmed their lamps,

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

8 a nd the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, because 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 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 women said, ‘No! There will not be enough for us and you. Go to the store and buy oil 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;

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

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

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

But he said to them, ‘For sure, I tell 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.

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

“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, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his several ability, went abroad immediately.

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 ` And he who did receive the five talents, having gone, wrought with them, and made other 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 i n like manner also he who the two, he gained, also he, other two;

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

18 a nd he who did receive the one, having gone away, digged 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 ` And after a long time cometh the lord of those servants, and taketh reckoning 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 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.

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 ` 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 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 ` 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.

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 ` 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 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 ` 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;

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 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 indeed on his right hand, and 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 ` 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 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 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 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 put around me; I was infirm, and ye looked after me; in prison I was, 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 ` 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 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 a nd when did we see thee a stranger, and we received? or naked, and we put around?

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 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 we came to 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.

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 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 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 did hunger, and ye gave me not to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me not to 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 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 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 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 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 ` 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.

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 shall go away to punishment age-during, but the righteous to life age-during.'

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