Chapter 25

¹“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Now five of them were foolish and five were sensible. ³For the foolish ones brought their lamps but brought no oil with them, ⁴but the sensible ones with their lamps brought oil in their flasks. ⁵As the bridegroom was slow in coming, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep. ⁶But in the middle of the night there was a shout ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out and meet him!’ ⁷Then all the bridesmaids awoke, and trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But the sensible ones answered, ‘There may not be enough for us and you. You had better go to the dealers and buy yourselves some.’ ¹⁰But while they were gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and the ones that were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was closed. ¹¹Afterward the other bridesmaids came and said, ‘Sir! Sir! Open the door for us!’ ¹²But he answered, ‘I tell you, I do not know you!’ ¹³So you must be on the watch, for you do not know either the day or the hour.

¹⁴“For it is just like a man who was going on a journey, and called in his slaves, and put his property in their hands. ¹⁵He gave one five thousand dollars, and another two thousand, and another one thousand; to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The man who had received the five thousand dollars immediately went into business with the money, and made five thousand more. ¹⁷In the same way the man who had received the two thousand made two thousand more. ¹⁸But the man who had received the one thousand went away and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹Long afterward, their master came back and settled accounts with them. ²⁰And the man who had received the five thousand dollars came up bringing him five thousand more, and said, ‘Sir, you put five thousand dollars in my hands; here I have made five thousand more.’ ²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, my excellent, faithful slave! you have been faithful about a small amount; I will put a large one into your hands. Come, share your master’s enjoyment!’ ²²And the man who had received the two thousand came up and said, ‘Sir, you put two thousand dollars into my hands; here I have made two thousand more.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, my excellent, faithful slave! you have been faithful about a small amount; I will put a large one into your hands. Come! share your master’s enjoyment.’ ²⁴And the man who had received the one thousand came up and said, ‘Sir, I knew you were a hard man, who reaped where you had not sown, and gathered where you had not threshed, ²⁵and I was frightened, and I went and hid your thousand dollars in the ground. Here is your money!’ ²⁶His master answered, ‘You wicked, idle slave! You knew that I reaped where I had not sown and gathered where I had not threshed? ²⁷Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and then when I came back I would have gotten my property with interest. ²⁸So take the thousand dollars away from him, and give it to the man who has the ten thousand, ²⁹for the man who has will have more given him, and will be plentifully supplied, and from the man who has nothing even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰And put the good-for-nothing slave out into the darkness outside, to weep and grind his teeth there.’

³¹“When the Son of Man comes in his splendor, with all his angels with him, he will take his seat on his glorious throne, ³²and all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats, ³³and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. ³⁴Then the king will say to those at his right, ‘Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take possession of the kingdom which has been destined for you from the creation of the world. ³⁵For when I was hungry, you gave me food, when I was thirsty you gave me something to drink, when I was a stranger, you invited me to your homes, ³⁶when I had no clothes, you gave me clothes, when I was sick, you looked after me, when I was in prison, you came to see me.’ ³⁷Then the upright will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food, or thirsty, and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger, and invite you home, or without clothing, and supply you with it? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison, and go to see you?’ ⁴⁰The king will answer, ‘I tell you, in so far as you did it to one of the humblest of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹Then he will say to those at his left, ‘Begone, you accursed people, to the everlasting fire destined for the devil and his angels! ⁴²For when I was hungry, you gave me nothing to eat, and when I was thirsty you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³when I was a stranger, you did not invite me home, when I had no clothes, you did not supply me, when I was sick and in prison, you did not look after me.’ ⁴⁴Then they in their turn will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or in need of clothes, or sick, or in prison, and did not wait upon you?’ ⁴⁵Then he will answer, ‘I tell you, in so far as you failed to do it for one of these people who are humblest, you failed to do it for me.’ ⁴⁶Then they will go away to everlasting punishment, and the upright to everlasting life.”