Matthew
Chapter 25
1 Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young women who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.
2 Five of them were smart, and five were foolish.
3 The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t bring any oil.
4 The smart ones took oil in containers along with their lamps.
5 While the groom was delayed, they all dozed off and slept.
6 At midnight someone shouted, “Look, the groom is coming; go out to meet him.”
7 Then all those young women got up and made their lamps ready.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, “Give us some of your oil; our lamps have gone out.”
9 The wise replied, “No, there might not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.”
10 While they were buying oil, the groom arrived; those prepared went with him to the wedding, and the door was closed.
11 Later, the other young women came too, saying, “Sir, Sir, open the door for us.”
12 He replied, “Truly, I tell you, I don’t know you.”
13 Stay alert, because you don’t know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come.
14 The kingdom of heaven is like a man going to a distant land, who called his servants and gave them his possessions.
15 God gave one person five talents, another two, and another one, each according to their own ability; and then he left immediately.
16 The person who got five talents went and did business with them and earned five more talents.
17 The person who got two also made two more.
18 The person who got one coin went, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19 After a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20 The person who got five talents came and brought five more, saying, God, you gave me five talents; look, I’ve earned five more talents in addition.
21 His master said to him, “Good job, you’re a good and loyal worker. You’ve been loyal with a few things, I’ll put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness.”
22 The person who got two talents also came and said, “Master, you gave me two talents; look, I’ve earned two more talents in addition.”
23 His master said to him, “Well done, good and loyal servant; you have been loyal with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things: come and share your master’s happiness.”
24 The person who got one talent came and said, “Master, I knew you are a tough man, taking what you didn’t plant and collecting what you didn’t scatter.”
25 I was scared, so I went and buried your money in the ground. Look, here is what belongs to you.
26 His master replied, “You bad and lazy servant, you knew that I harvest where I haven’t planted, and gather where I haven’t scattered seed.
27 You should have put my money with the bankers, so when I came back I could have gotten it back with interest.
28 So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
29 Everyone who has something will receive more and have plenty. But the person who has nothing will lose even the little they have.
30 Throw the useless servant into the deep darkness, where there will be crying and grinding of teeth.
31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory, with all the angels, he will sit on his glorious throne.
32 Before him all nations will be gathered, and he will separate them from each other, just like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 He will put the sheep on his right side and the goats on his left.
34 The King will say to those on his right side, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, receive the kingdom made ready for you since the world was made.”
35 I was hungry, and you gave me food; I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.
36 I was naked, and you gave me clothes; I was sick, and you looked after me; I was in prison, and you came to see me.
37 The good people will answer, “God, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?”
38 When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or without clothes and dress you?
39 When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?
40 The King will reply, ‘Truly, I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41 Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Go away from me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire made for the devil and his angels.’
42 I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink.
43 I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me: without clothes, and you did not dress me: ill, and in jail, and you did not visit me.
44 Then they will also answer, saying, “God, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in jail, and did not help you?”
45 He will reply, ‘I tell you, when you did not help one of the least important people, you did not help me.’
46 These will go to eternal punishment, but the good people to eternal life.