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“At That Time the Kingdom of Heaven Will Be Like Ten Virgins Who Took Their Lamps and Went Out to Meet the Bridegroom”
1 “At that time the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 Now, five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones, you see, although they took their lamps, didn’t take any extra olive oil with them.
4 The wise ones, on the other hand, took extra oil in their flasks along with their lamps.
5 “Now because the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 At midnight, however, there came a shout: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to welcome him!’
7 Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones, then, said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are about to go out!’
9 “‘No!’ the wise virgins answered. ‘There won’t be enough for us and for ᵖyou. Go instead to the shops and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “Well, while the foolish virgins were going off to buy some oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were prepared went in with him to the wedding feast. And the door was shut.
11 “Later on, the other the virgins came back and said, ‘Lord! Lord! Let us in!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Amen, I solemnly tell ᵖyou this: I don’t know you!’
13 “Keep watchful and alert, therefore, because ᵖyou don’t know the day or the appointed time.”
“It Will Be Just Like a Man About to Travel Abroad”
14 “Indeed, it will be just like a man about to travel abroad, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.
15 To one he entrusted five talents of coins worth more than eighty years’ wages; to another, two talents worth over thirty years’ wages; and to another, one talent worth over fifteen years’ wages—to each according to his own ability. Then the man went abroad.
16 The slave who had received the five talents went off right away and put the money to work and gained five more.
17 Similarly, the slave with the two talents gained two more.
18 The slave who had received the one talent, however, went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s silver.
19 “After a long time, the master of those slaves came back and settled accounts with them.
20 The slave who had received the five talents came up and presented the other five talents. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘five talents are what you entrusted to me. See, I have gained five more.’
21 “ ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave!’ his master said to him. ‘Because you were trustworthy over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s joy!’
22 “The slave who had received the two talents also came up to him and said, ‘Master, two talents are what you entrusted to me. See, I have gained two more.’
23 “ ‘Well done, good and trustworthy slave!’ his master said to him. ‘Because you were trustworthy over a few things, I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s joy!’
24 “Then the one who had received the one talent also came up to him and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a very harsh and demanding man, reaping profits from the hard work of others,
25 and because I was afraid, I went and hid your coins in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “ ‘You wicked and lazy slave!’ his master replied. ‘So you knew, did you, that I ‘reap profits from the hard work of others’?
27 Well then, you should have at least deposited my silver with the bankers, so that upon my return I would have received my money back with interest.
28 “ ‘Therefore, take the talent away from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.
29 If someone is attentive and trustworthy with little, you see, to him more will be entrusted, and he will be lavished. If someone is not trustworthy, however, then even the little he does have will be taken away from him.
30 As for this useless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“Any Help You Gave to One of the Least of These Brothers and Sisters of Mine You Gave to Me’
31 “Now when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, at that time he will sit on his throne of glory,
32 and all the Gentiles will be gathered before him. He will give an order for them to be separated one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats,
33 and will have the sheep placed on his right, but the goats on his left.
34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, ᵖyou who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom that has indeed been prepared for ᵖyou since the very foundation of the world!
35 For I was hungry and ᵖyou gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and ᵖyou gave me something to drink, I was a foreigner and ᵖyou took me in,
36 I was naked and ᵖyou clothed me, I was sick and ᵖyou looked after me, I was in prison and ᵖyou visited me.’
37 “ ‘Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 And when did we see you a foreigner and take you in, or naked and clothe you?
39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
40 “And the king will answer them, ‘Amen, I solemnly tell ᵖyou this: Any help ᵖyou gave to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine you gave to me.’
41 “Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Away from me, ᵖyou who are cursed, into the unending fire prepared for the devil and his angels!
42 For I was hungry but ᵖyou didn’t give me anything to eat, I was thirsty but ᵖyou didn’t give me anything to drink,
43 I was a foreigner but ᵖyou didn’t take me in, I was naked but ᵖyou didn’t clothe me, I was sick and in prison but ᵖyou did not look after me.’
44 “Then they themselves will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a foreigner or naked or sick or in prison but not care for your needs?’
45 “Then the king will reply, ‘Amen, I solemnly tell ᵖyou this: Any help ᵖyou refused to give to one of the least of these you refused to give to me.’
46 And these people will go away into the punishment of the coming age. The righteous, however, will enter the life of the age to come.