Matthew 25
1 'Then shall the reign of the heavens be likened to ten virgins, who, having taken their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom;
Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 and five of them were prudent, and five foolish;
Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.
3 they who were foolish having taken their lamps, did not take with themselves oil;
The foolish ones took their lamps, but took no oil with them;
4 and the prudent took oil in their vessels, with their lamps.
while the prudent ones, besides taking their lamps, took oil in their jars.
5 'And the bridegroom tarrying, they all nodded and were sleeping,
As the bridegroom was late in coming, they all became drowsy, and slept.
6 and in the middle of the night a cry was made, Lo, the bridegroom doth come; go ye forth to meet him.
But at midnight a shout was raised — ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’
7 'Then rose all those virgins, and trimmed their lamps,
Then all the bridesmaids awoke and trimmed their lamps.
8 and the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, because our lamps are going out;
And the foolish said to the prudent ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 and the prudent answered, saying — Lest there may not be sufficient for us and you, go ye rather unto those selling, and buy for yourselves.
But the prudent ones answered ‘No, for fear that there will not be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell it, and buy for yourselves.’
10 'And while they are going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those ready went in with him to the marriage-feasts, and the door was shut;
But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom came; and the bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the banquet, and the door was shut.
11 and afterwards come also do the rest of the virgins, saying, Sir, sir, open to us;
Afterwards the other bridesmaids came. ‘Sir, Sir,’ they said, ‘open the door to us!’
12 and he answering said, Verily I say to you, I have not known you.
But the bridegroom answered ‘I tell you, I do not know you.’
13 'Watch therefore, for ye have not known the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man doth come.
Therefore watch, since you know neither the Day nor the Hour.
14 'For — as a man going abroad did call his own servants, and did deliver to them his substance,
For it is as though a man, going on his travels, called his servants, and gave his property into their charge.
15 and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his several ability, went abroad immediately.
He gave three thousand pounds to one, twelve hundred to another, and six hundred to a third, in proportion to the ability of each. Then he set out on his travels.
16 'And he who did receive the five talents, having gone, wrought with them, and made other five talents;
The man who had received the three thousand pounds went at once and traded with it, and made another three thousand.
17 in like manner also he who [received] the two, he gained, also he, other two;
So, too, the man who had received the twelve hundred pounds made another twelve hundred.
18 and he who did receive the one, having gone away, digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
But the man who had received the six hundred went and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19 'And after a long time cometh the lord of those servants, and taketh reckoning with them;
After a long time the master of those servants returned, and settled accounts with them.
20 and he who did receive the five talents having come, brought other five talents, saying, 'Sir, five talents thou didst deliver to me; lo, other five talents did I gain besides them.
The man who had received the three thousand pounds came up and brought three thousand more. ‘Sir,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with three thousand pounds; look, I have made another three thousand!’
21 'And his lord said to him, Well done, servant, good and faithful, over a few things thou wast faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy lord.
‘Well done, good, trustworthy servant!’ said his master. ‘You have been trustworthy with a small sum; now I will place a large one in your hands; come and share your master’s joy!’
22 'And he who also did receive the two talents having come, said, Sir, two talents thou didst deliver to me; lo, other two talents I did gain besides them.
Then the one who had received the twelve hundred pounds came up and said ‘Sir, you entrusted me with twelve hundred pounds; look, I have made another twelve hundred!’
23 'His lord said to him, Well done, servant, good and faithful, over a few things thou wast faithful, over many things I will set thee; enter into the joy of thy lord.
‘Well done, good, trustworthy servant!’ said his master. ‘You have been trustworthy with a small sum; now I will place a large one in your hands; come and share your master’s joy!’
24 'And he also who hath received the one talent having come, said, Sir, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering from whence thou didst not scatter;
The man who had received the six hundred pounds came up, too, and said ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man; you reap where you have not sown, and gather up where you have not winnowed;
25 and having been afraid, having gone away, I hid thy talent in the earth; lo, thou hast thine own!
and, in my fear, I went and hid your money in the ground; look, here is what belongs to you!’
26 'And his lord answering said to him, Evil servant, and slothful, thou hadst known that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather whence I did not scatter!
‘You lazy, worthless servant!’ was his master’s reply. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather up where I have not winnowed?
27 it behoved thee then to put my money to the money-lenders, and having come I had received mine own with increase.
Then you ought to have placed my money in the hands of bankers, and I, on my return, should have received my money, with interest.
28 'Take therefore from him the talent, and give to him having the ten talents,
‘Therefore,’ he continued, ‘take away from him the six hundred pounds, and give it to the one who has the six thousand.
29 for to every one having shall be given, and he shall have overabundance, and from him who is not having, even that which he hath shall be taken from him;
For, to him who has, more will be given, and he shall have abundance; but, as for him who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away from him.
30 and the unprofitable servant cast ye forth to the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.
As for the useless servant, ‘put him out into the darkness’ outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’
31 'And whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the holy messengers with him, then he shall sit upon a throne of his glory;
When the Son of Man has come in his glory and all the angels with him, then he ‘will take his seat on his throne of glory’;
32 and gathered together before him shall be all the nations, and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd doth separate the sheep from the goats,
and all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people — just as a shepherd separates sheep from goats —
33 and he shall set the sheep indeed on his right hand, and the goats on the left.
placing the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left.
34 'Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, inherit the reign that hath been prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
Then the King will say to those on his right ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, enter upon possession of the Kingdom prepared for you ever since the beginning of the world.
35 for I did hunger, and ye gave me to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye received me;
For, when I was hungry, you gave me food; when I was thirsty, you gave me drink; when I was a stranger, you took me to your homes;
36 naked, and ye put around me; I was infirm, and ye looked after me; in prison I was, and ye came unto me.
when I was naked, you clothed me; when I fell ill, you visited me; and when I was in prison, you came to me.’
37 'Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, and we nourished? or thirsting, and we gave to drink?
Then the Righteous will answer ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you? Or thirsty, and give you a drink?
38 and when did we see thee a stranger, and we received? or naked, and we put around?
When did we see you a stranger, and take you to our homes? Or naked, and clothe you?
39 and when did we see thee infirm, or in prison, and we came unto thee?
When did we see you ill, or in prison, and come to you?’
40 'And the king answering, shall say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] to one of these my brethren — the least — to me ye did [it].
And the King will reply ‘I tell you, as often as you did it to one of these my Brothers, however lowly, you did it to me.’
41 Then shall he say also to those on the left hand, Go ye from me, the cursed, to the fire, the age-during, that hath been prepared for the Devil and his messengers; (aiōnios g166)
Then he will say to those on his left ‘Go from my presence, accursed, into the ‘aeonian fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels.’ (aiōnios g166)
42 for I did hunger, and ye gave me not to eat; I did thirst, and ye gave me not to drink;
For, when I was hungry, you gave me no food; when I was thirsty, you gave me no drink;
43 a stranger I was, and ye did not receive me; naked, and ye put not around me; infirm, and in prison, and ye did not look after me.
when I was a stranger, you did not take me to your homes; when I was naked, you did not clothe me; and, when I was ill and in prison, you did not visit me.’
44 'Then shall they answer, they also, saying, Lord, when did we see thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or infirm, or in prison, and we did not minister to thee?
Then they, in their turn, will answer ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or ill, or in prison, and did not supply your wants?’
45 'Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of these, the least, ye did [it] not to me.
And then he will reply ‘I tell you, as often as you failed to do it to one of these, however lowly, you failed to do it to me.’
