| 1 | Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. |
| 2 | Five of them were foolish (thoughtless, without forethought) and five were wise (sensible, intelligent, and prudent). |
| 3 | For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them; |
| 4 | But the wise took flasks of oil along with them [also] with their lamps. |
| 5 | While the bridegroom lingered
and
was slow in coming, they all began nodding their heads, and they fell asleep. |
| 6 | But at midnight there was a shout, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him! |
| 7 | Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order. |
| 8 | And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out. |
| 9 | But the wise replied, There will not be enough for us and for you; go instead to the dealers and buy for yourselves. |
| 10 | 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 | Later the other virgins also came and said, Lord, Lord, open [the door] to us! |
| 12 | But He replied, I solemnly declare to you, I do not know you [I am not acquainted with you]. |
| 13 | Watch therefore [give strict attention and be cautious and active], for you know neither the day nor the hour
when the Son of Man will come
. |
| 14 | 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 | To one he gave five talents [probably about $5,000], to another two, to another one—to each in proportion to his own
[a]personal ability. Then he departed
and
left the country. |
| 16 | He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he gained five talents more. |
| 17 | And likewise he who had received the two talents—he also gained two talents more. |
| 18 | But he who had received the one talent went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. |
| 19 | Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. |
| 20 | 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 | His master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable,
[b]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
[c]blessedness) which your master enjoys. |
| 22 | 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 master said to him, Well done, you upright (honorable,
[d]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
[e]blessedness) which your master enjoys. |
| 24 | 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 [the grain]. |
| 25 | So I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is your own. |
| 26 | 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 [grain] where I have not winnowed? |
| 27 | 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 | So take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. |
| 29 | For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will be
[f]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 | And throw the good-for-nothing servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and grinding of teeth. |
| 31 | 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 | All nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them [the people] from one another as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; |
| 33 | And He will cause the sheep to stand at His right hand, but the goats at His left. |
| 34 | Then the King will say to those at His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father [you
[g]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 | 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
[h]brought Me together with yourselves
and
welcomed
and
entertained
and
[i]lodged Me, |
| 36 | I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me
[j]with help
and
ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. |
| 37 | 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 | And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed
and
entertained You, or naked and clothed You? |
| 39 | And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You? |
| 40 | And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least [
[k]in the estimation of men] of these My brethren, you did it for Me. |
| 41 | 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 | For I was hungry and you gave Me no food, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, |
| 43 | 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
[l]with help
and
ministering care. |
| 44 | Then they also [in their turn] 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 | And He will reply to them, Solemnly I declare to you, in so far as you failed to do it for the least [
[m]in the estimation of men] of these, you failed to do it for Me. |
| 46 | Then they will go away into eternal punishment, but those who are just
and
upright
and
in right standing with God into eternal life. |
Cross references:
-
Matthew 25:32 : Ezek. 34:17.
-
Matthew 25:36 : Isa. 58:7.
-
Matthew 25:40 : Prov. 19:17.
-
Matthew 25:45 : Prov. 14:31; 17:5.
-
Matthew 25:46 : Dan. 12:2.
|