MatthewChapter 25

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¹"At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young virgins. They took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³The foolish ones took their lamps. But they did not take any extra oil with them. ⁴But the wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵The groom was late in coming. So they all got sleepy and fell asleep. ⁶At midnight someone cried out, 'Here is the groom! Come out to meet him!' ⁷Then all the virgins woke up. They got their lamps ready. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.' ⁹'No,' the wise ones said. 'If we do, there may not be enough for both us and you. Go to the people who sell oil instead. Buy some for yourselves.' ¹⁰So they went to buy oil. But while they were on their way, the groom came. The ones who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast. Then the door was shut. ¹¹Later the other virgins came. 'Lord, lord,' they said, 'open the door for us!' ¹²But he answered, 'I tell you the truth, I do not know you.' ¹³So keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour. ¹⁴For it is like a man who was going on a trip. He called his servants and put them in charge of his wealth. ¹⁵He gave five talents to one servant. He gave two talents to another and one talent to another. He gave each one as much as he was able to handle. Then he went on his trip.a ¹⁶The servant who got the five talents went right away and put the money to work. He gained five more. ¹⁷In the same way, the one with two talents gained two more. ¹⁸But the servant who got one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground. He hid his master's money there. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those servants came back. He settled accounts with them. ²⁰The servant who had gotten five talents came. He brought five more. 'Master,' he said, 'you trusted me with five talents. Look, I have gained five more.' ²¹His master said, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's joy!' ²²The servant who had gotten two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you trusted me with two talents. Look, I have gained two more.' ²³His master said, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's joy!' ²⁴Last, the servant who had gotten one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest where you have not planted. You gather crops where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid. I went out and hid your talent in the ground. Look, here is what belongs to you.' ²⁶His master answered, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not planted? You knew that I gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷Then you should have put my money in the bank. When I came back, I would have gotten it back with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him. Give it to the one who has ten talents. ²⁹For everyone who has will be given more. He will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. ³⁰And throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness. There people will weep and grind their teeth.' ³¹The Son of Man will come in his glory. All the angels will come with him. Then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate the people from each other. He will do it like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. ³⁴Then the King will speak to those on his right. He will say, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Take your inheritance, the kingdom that was made ready for you. It was prepared for you since the world was made. ³⁵This is because I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in. ³⁶I needed clothes, and you gave them to me. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me.' ³⁷Then the people who are right with God will answer him. 'Lord,' they will say, 'when did we see you hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give them to you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' ⁴⁰The King will answer, 'I tell you the truth, anything you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' ⁴¹Then he will speak to those on his left. He will say, 'Go away from me, you who are cursed! Go into the fire that lasts forever. It was prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²This is because I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. ⁴³I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me in. I needed clothes, and you did not give them to me. I was sick and in prison, and you did not take care of me.' ⁴⁴They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty? When did we see you as a stranger, or needing clothes, or sick, or in prison? When did we not help you?' ⁴⁵The King will answer, 'I tell you the truth, anything you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' ⁴⁶Then they will go away to be punished forever. But the people who are right with God will go into life that lasts forever."