Matthew 25

¹Then the kingdom of the heavens will be likened to ten virgins who, having taken their own lamps went out to meet the bridegroom.

²Now five of them were foolish and the other five wise;

³For the foolish ones, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

⁴But the wise took oil in their vessels with their own lamps.

⁵Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶But in the middle of the night a cry arose: Behold, the bridegroom! He comes! Go out to meet him!

⁷Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

⁸And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

⁹But the wise answered, saying, No, there may not be enough for us and you; rather go to those who sell and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰And while they were going away to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

¹¹And later the other virgins also come, saying, Lord, lord, open to us!

¹²But he answered and said, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'

¹³Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. [in which the Son of Man comes.]

¹⁴For it is like a man going on a journey, who called his own servants and entrusted to them his possessions.

¹⁵And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on his journey.

¹⁶And the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained another five talents.

¹⁷Likewise the one with the two gained two more.

¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went away, dug in the ground, and hid his master's money.

¹⁹Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

²⁰And the one who had received the five talents came forward and brought another five talents, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents; behold, I have gained another five talents besides them.

²¹His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!'

²²And the one who had received the two talents also came forward and said, Master, you delivered to me two talents; behold, I have gained another two talents besides them.

²³His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!'

²⁴And the one who had received the one talent also came forward and said, Master, I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed.

²⁵and I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.

²⁶But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked and lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter?'

²⁷Therefore you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

²⁸Therefore 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 away from him.

³⁰And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

³¹But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on his throne of glory,

³²And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

³³And he will set the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

³⁴Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'

³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me to drink, I was a stranger and you took me in,

³⁶I was naked 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?'

³⁸And when did we see you a stranger and took you in, or naked and clothed you?

³⁹And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?

⁴⁰And the King will answer them, Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

⁴¹Then he will say also to those on the left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'

⁴²For I was hungry and you did not give me to eat, I was thirsty and you did not give me to drink,

⁴³I was a stranger and you did not take me in, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.

⁴⁴Then they also will answer him, 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 say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.'

⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.