Matthew, 25

1. 'Then the kingdom of Heaven will be like this: Ten wedding attendants took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

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 sensible:

2. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

3. the foolish ones, though they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

3. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them;

4. whereas the sensible ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps.

4. but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

5. The bridegroom was late, and they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.

5. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

6. But at midnight there was a cry, "Look! The bridegroom! Go out and meet him."

6. But at midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'

7. Then all those wedding attendants woke up and trimmed their lamps,

7. Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps.

8. and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, "Give us some of your oil: our lamps are going out."

8. And the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

9. But they replied, "There may not be enough for us and for you; you had better go to those who sell it and buy some for yourselves."

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. They had gone off to buy it when the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding hall and the door was closed.

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. The other attendants arrived later. "Lord, Lord," they said, "open the door for us."

11. Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.'

12. But he replied, "In truth I tell you, I do not know you."

12. But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'

13. So stay awake, because you do not know either the day or the hour.

13. Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

14. 'It is like a man about to go abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them.

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 a third one, each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out on his journey.

15. to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

16. The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more.

16. He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them; and he made five talents more.

17. The man who had received two made two more in the same way.

17. So also, he who had the two talents made two talents more.

18. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

18. But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master's money.

19. Now a long time afterwards, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them.

19. Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

20. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made."

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 trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."

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. Next the man with the two talents came forward. "Sir," he said, "you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made."

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 trustworthy servant; you have shown you are trustworthy in small things; I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master's happiness."

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. Last came forward the man who had the single talent. "Sir," said he, "I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you had not sown and gathering where you had not scattered;

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 off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back."

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 lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered?

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. Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have got my money back with interest.

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 now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the ten talents.

28. So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.

29. For to everyone who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but anyone who has not, will be deprived even of what he has.

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. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

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, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory.

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. All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats.

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. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left.

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 on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world.

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 made me welcome,

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. lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see 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 upright will say to him in reply, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

37. Then the righteous will answer him, `Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink?

38. When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you?

38. And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee?

39. When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?"

39. And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?'

40. And the King will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me."

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 on his left hand, "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

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 never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink,

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 never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me."

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 it will be their turn to ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?"

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, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me."

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 to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.'

46. And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."