Matthew 25
↠Matthew 24 · Matthew: all chapters · Matthew 26 →
1Then the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2Five of them were foolish and five prudent.
3For the foolish took their lamps but did not take oil with them.
4The prudent took oil in containers along with their lamps.
5As the bridegroom delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.
6At midnight a cry arose: ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’
7Then all those virgins arose and put their lamps in order.
8The foolish said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9The prudent answered, ‘There may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to those selling and buy for yourselves.’
10While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready entered with him into the wedding feast, and the door was shut.
11Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’
12He answered, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’
13Therefore keep watch, because you know neither the day nor the hour.
14For it is like a man traveling abroad, who called his own slaves and handed over his belongings to them.
15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, each according to his own ability, and traveled abroad. Immediately
16the one who received the five talents went and traded with them and gained another five.
17Likewise the one with two gained another two.
18But the one who received one went away, dug in the ground, and hid his master’s silver.
19After a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.
20The one who received five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed over five talents to me. Look, I gained another five talents.’
21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will appoint you over many. Enter into your master’s joy.’
22The one with two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you handed over two talents to me. Look, I gained another two talents.’
23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful over a few things; I will appoint you over many. Enter into your master’s joy.’
24The one who received one talent also came and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter.
25I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’
26His master answered him, ‘Evil and idle slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter?
27Then you ought to have deposited my silver with the bankers, and when I came I would have recovered what is mine with interest.
28So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
29For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken.
30Cast the useless slave into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’
31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon the throne of His glory.
32All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them from one another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33He will stand the sheep at His right and the young goats at His left.
34Then the King will say to those at His right, ‘Come, you blessed by My Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed Me,
36naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me, I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?
38When did we see You a stranger and welcome You, or naked and clothe You?
39When did we see You sick or in prison and come to You?’
40The King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’
41Then He will also say to those at His left, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
42For I was hungry and you did not give Me food, I was thirsty and you did not give Me drink,
43I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not serve You?’
45Then He will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, insofar as you did not do it to one of the least of these, neither did you do it to Me.’
46And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.â€
↠Matthew 24 · Matthew: all chapters · Matthew 26 →
Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 working draft awaiting specialist review.