| 1. | "Then the kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. |
| 2. | Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. |
| 3. | For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; |
| 4. | but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. |
| 5. | As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. |
| 6. | But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' |
| 7. | Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. |
| 8. | And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' |
| 9. | But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.' |
| 10. | And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. |
| 11. | Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.' |
| 12. | But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.' |
| 13. | Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. |
| 14. | "For it will be as when a man going on a journey called his servants and entrusted to them his property; |
| 15. | to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. |
| 16. | He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more. |
| 17. | So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more. |
| 18. | But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money. |
| 19. | Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. |
| 20. | And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, `Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.' |
| 21. | His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' |
| 22. | And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, `Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.' |
| 23. | His master said to him, `Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a little, I will set you over much; enter into the joy of your master.' |
| 24. | He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, `Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not winnow; |
| 25. | so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.' |
| 26. | But his master answered him, `You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed? |
| 27. | Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. |
| 28. | So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents. |
| 29. | For to every one who has will more be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. |
| 30. | And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth.' |
| 31. | "When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. |
| 32. | Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, |
| 33. | and he will place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left. |
| 34. | Then the King will say to those at his right hand, `Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; |
| 35. | for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, |
| 36. | I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.' |
| 37. | Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? |
| 38. | And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? |
| 39. | And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?' |
| 40. | And the King will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.' |
| 41. | Then he will say to those at his left hand, `Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; |
| 42. | for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, |
| 43. | I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.' |
| 44. | Then they also will answer, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?' |
| 45. | Then he will answer them, `Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.' |
| 46. | And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." |
