| 1. | the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. |
| 2. | Five of them were foolish and five were wise. |
| 3. | The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, |
| 4. | but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. |
| 5. | Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. |
| 6. | At midnight, there was a cry, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!' |
| 7. | Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. |
| 8. | The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' |
| 9. | But the wise ones replied, 'No, for there may not be enough for us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.' |
| 10. | While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked. |
| 11. | Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!' |
| 12. | But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.' |
| 13. | Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour. |
| 14. | called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. |
| 15. | To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one--to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately |
| 16. | the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. |
| 17. | Likewise, the one who received two made another two. |
| 18. | But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money. |
| 19. | After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. |
| 20. | The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.' |
| 21. | His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' |
| 22. | (Then) the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.' |
| 23. | His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.' |
| 24. | Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, 'Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; |
| 25. | so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.' |
| 26. | His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? |
| 27. | Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? |
| 28. | Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. |
| 29. | For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. |
| 30. | And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' |
| 31. | "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, |
| 32. | and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. |
| 33. | He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. |
| 34. | Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by 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, a stranger and you welcomed me, |
| 36. | naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.' |
| 37. | Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? |
| 38. | When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? |
| 39. | When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?' |
| 40. | And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.' |
| 41. | Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, 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. | a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and in prison, and you did not care for me.' |
| 44. | Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?' |
| 45. | He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, you did not do for me.' |
| 46. | And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." |
