Matthew 25
1 The kingdom of heaven is like ten girls, who took their lamps with them to go and meet the bridegroom.
[Jesus continued by saying, “I will tell you something else about the time when I return from] heaven as king [MET]. [What will happen to many people who say that they know me will be] like [what happened to] ten virgins who took their lanterns and went to the place where they would meet a bridegroom [and go to his wedding celebration].
2 Five were foolish, and five were wise.
Five of the virgins were foolish and five of them were wise.
3 The foolish girls took their lamps but didn't take any oil with them,
The [virgins] who were foolish took their lanterns, but they did not take any [extra olive] oil [for] the lantern.
4 while the wise took jars of oil with them as well as their lamps.
But the [virgins] who were wise took oil in their flasks as well as in their lanterns.
5 The bridegroom took a long time and all the girls became drowsy and fell asleep.
The bridegroom was delayed, [and it became late at night]. So all the virgins became sleepy and fell asleep.
6 At midnight the shout came, ‘Look, the bridegroom's here! Come out and meet him!’
In the middle of the night someone [woke them up by] shouting, ‘Hey! The bridegroom [is arriving]! Go outside and meet him!’
7 All the girls got up and trimmed the wicks of their lamps. The foolish girls said to the wise ones,
So all the virgins got up and trimmed their lantern wicks [so that they would burn properly].
8 ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ But the wise girls replied,
The foolish virgins said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your [olive] oil, because our lanterns are about to go out!’
9 ‘No, because otherwise there won't be enough for both you and for us. Go to the shopkeepers and buy some oil for yourselves.’
The wise virgins replied, ‘[No, because] there might not be enough oil for our lanterns and for yours. Go to a store and buy some for yourselves!’
10 While they went to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was locked shut.
But while [the foolish virgins] were going to buy [some oil], the bridegroom arrived. So the [wise virgins], who were ready, went with the bridegroom to the wedding hall [where the bride was waiting]. Then the door was closed {someone closed the door [of that hall]}.
11 The other girls came later. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they called, ‘Open the door for us!’
Later, the rest of the virgins came [to the hall] and they called [to the bridegroom], ‘Sir, open [the door] for us!’
12 But he answered, ‘I tell you the truth: I don't know you.’
But he said [to them], ‘The truth is that I do not know you, so I [will not open the door for you]!’”
13 So stay alert, for you don't know the day, or the hour.
[Then Jesus continued by saying], “So, in order that [this will not happen to you], keep expecting [that I will return], because you do not know when [MTY] [it will be].”
14 It's like a man who went away on a trip. He called in his servants and entrusted them with what he owned.
“[When I return from heaven as king, I will deal with those who say that they have been serving me like] a man who was about to go on a long journey dealt with his servants. He called them together and gave them each some of his wealth [to invest and gain more money for him].
15 To one of them he gave five talents, to another he gave two, and to another one, according to their different abilities. Then he left.
He gave them money according to their ability [to take care of it]. [For example], he gave one servant 5,000 dollars, he gave another servant 2,000 dollars, and he gave another servant 1,000 dollars. Then he left on his journey.
16 Immediately the one with five talents went and invested them in a business, and made another five talents.
The servant who had received 5,000 dollars went immediately and used that money to gain 5,000 dollars more.
17 In the same way the one with two talents made another two.
Similarly, the servant who had [received] 2,000 dollars gained two [thousand dollars] more.
18 But the man who'd received the one talent went off and dug a hole and hid his master's money.
But the servant who had received one [thousand dollars] went and dug a hole in the ground and hid the money there [to keep it safe].
19 A long time later the master of those servants returned, and settled accounts with them.
After a long time the servants’ boss returned. He [called them together to] find out what they had done with his money.
20 The one with five talents came and presented the other five talents. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘You gave me five talents. Look, I've made a profit of five talents.’
The servant who had received 5,000 dollars brought two [bags, each containing] 5,000 dollars. He said, ‘Boss, you gave me 5,000 dollars to take care of. Look, I have gained 5,000 more!’
21 His master said to him, ‘You've done well—you are a good, faithful servant. You have proved yourself trustworthy over small things, so now I'm placing you in charge over many things. Be happy because I'm really pleased with you!’
His boss replied, ‘[You are a very] good and faithful servant! [You have] done [very] well! You have faithfully handled a small [amount of money], so I will put you in charge of a lot of things. Come and be happy with me!’
22 The one with two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘You gave me two talents. Look, I've made a profit of two talents.’
The servant who had [received] 2,000 dollars also came and said, ‘Boss, you gave me 2,000 dollars to take care of. Look, I have gained 2,000 more!’
23 His master said to him, ‘You've done well—you are a good, faithful servant. You have proved trustworthy over small things, so now I'm placing you in charge over many things. Be happy because I'm really pleased with you!’
His boss replied, ‘You are a [very] good and faithful servant! You have done very well! You have faithfully handled a small [amount of money], so I will put you in charge of a lot of things. Come and be happy with me!’
24 Then the man with one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I know that you're a hard man. You reap where you didn't sow, and you harvest crops that you didn't plant.
Then the servant who had received 1,000 dollars came. He said, ‘Boss, I [was afraid of you]. I knew that you are a man who does not do foolish things with his money. [You even] take [from others money] that does not really belong to you, [like a farmer who] harvests [grain from another man’s field] where he did not even plant [the seeds].
25 So since I was afraid of you I went and buried your talent in the ground. Look, you can have back what belongs to you.’
So because I was afraid [of what you would do to me if I did not make a profit from my business], I went out and hid your 1,000 dollars in the ground [to keep it safe]. Here, this is [the money] that belongs to you!’
26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you think I reap where I don't sow, and harvest crops I didn't plant,
His boss replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! (You knew that I take [from others money] that does not really belong to me, [like a farmer who] harvests [grain from another man’s field] where I did not even plant [the seeds]!/Did you not know that I [take from others money that does not really belong to me, like a farmer] who harvests [grain from another man’s field] where I did not even plant [the seeds]?) [RHQ]
27 then you should have deposited my silver in the bank so that when I returned I could have had my money with interest.
So then, you should have put my money [on deposit] in a bank, so that when I returned I would get it back with the interest [it earned]!’
28 Take the talent away from him, and give it to the one with ten talents.
[Then the boss said to his other servants], ‘Take the 1,000 dollars from him, and give it to [the servant] who has the 10,000 dollars!
29 For everyone who has will be given even more; and everyone who doesn't have anything, even what they have will be taken away from them.
To those who [use well what] they have [received, God] will give more, and they will have plenty. But from those who [do] not [use well what they have received], even what they [already] have will be taken away.
30 Now throw this useless servant out into the darkness where there'll be crying and gnashing of teeth.’
Furthermore, throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where he will be [with those who are] wailing and gnashing their teeth [because they are in much pain].’”
31 But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his majestic throne.
“When I, the one who came from heaven, come again, I will be very radiant and [bring] all my angels with me. Then I will sit as a king on my wonderful throne [to judge people].
32 Everyone will be brought before him. He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
People from all nations [MTY] will be gathered in front of me {[The angels] will gather in front of me people from all nations}. Then I will separate them, one from another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats.
33 He'll place the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left.
I will put [the righteous people] on my right and [the unrighteous ones on my left, as a] shepherd puts sheep [on one side] and goats [on the other side].
34 Then the king will say to the ones on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, and inherit the kingdom that's been prepared for you from the beginning of the world.
Then I will say to those on my right, ‘You people who have been blessed by my Father {whom my Father has blessed}, come! From the time he created the world, he has been preparing to allow you to [receive the blessings that he will give to all those] who let him rule their lives. [Now is the time for] you to receive [those blessings]
35 For I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you invited me in.
[They belong to you], because you gave me something to eat when I was hungry. (OR, [They belong to you]. It is as though you gave me something to eat when I was hungry.) You gave me something to drink when I was thirsty. When I was a stranger [in your town], you invited me [to stay] in [your houses].
36 I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you visited me.’
When I needed clothes [MTY], you gave me some. When I was sick, you took care of me. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.’
37 Then those who are right will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and fed you, or thirsty and gave you a drink?
Then the righteous people will reply, ‘Lord, when were you hungry and we saw you and gave you something to eat? When were you thirsty and we gave you something to drink?
38 When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you?
When were you a stranger [in our town] and we invited you [to stay] in [our houses]? When did you need clothes and we gave you some?
39 When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’
When were you sick or in prison and we went to visit you?’ [We do not remember doing any of these things for you].
40 The king will tell them, ‘I tell you the truth: whatever you did for one of these of least importance you did for me.’
I will reply, ‘The truth is that whatever you did for any one of your fellow believers, even an unimportant one, [it was as though] you did it for me.’
41 He'll also say to those on his left, ‘Go away from me, you who are doomed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels! (aiōnios g166)
Then I will say to those on my left, ‘You people who have been cursed [by God] {whom God has cursed}, leave me! Go into the eternal fire that God has prepared for (the devil/Satan) and his angels! (aiōnios g166)
42 For I was hungry and you didn't give me anything to eat. I was thirsty and you didn't give me a drink.
[It is right for you to go there], because you did not give me anything to eat when I was hungry. You did not give me anything to drink when I was thirsty.
43 I was a stranger and you didn't invite me in. I was naked and you didn't clothe me. I was sick and in prison and you didn't visit me.’
You did not invite me into [your homes] when I was a stranger [in your town]. You did not give me any clothes when I needed them [MTY]. You did not take care of me when I was sick or in prison.’
44 Then they will also answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn't look after you?’
They will answer, ‘Lord, when were you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and we did not help you?’
45 Then he will tell them, ‘I tell you the truth: whatever you didn't do for one of these of least importance you didn't do for me.’
I will reply, ‘The truth is that whenever you did not do anything to help any one of [my people], [even if they were] unimportant people, [it was as though] you did not do anything [to help] me.’
46 They will go away into eternal condemnation, but those who are good will enter eternal life.” (aiōnios g166)
Then those people [on my left] will go away to the place where [they] will be punished {[God] will punish them} eternally, but the righteous people will go to where they will live forever [with God].” (aiōnios g166)
