Matthew, 25

1. the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

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

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

2. Five of them were foolish and five were sensible:

3. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them,

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

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

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

5. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

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

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

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

7. Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

7. Then all those wedding attendants woke 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.'

8. and the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, "Give us some of your oil: 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.'

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."

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.

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.

11. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, 'Lord, Lord, open the door for us!'

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

12. But he said in reply, 'Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.'

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

13. Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

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

14. called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them.

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

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.

16. the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five.

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

17. Likewise, the one who received two made another two.

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

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

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

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

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

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."

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.'

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."

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.'

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."

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.'

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."

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;

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;

25. so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.'

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."

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?

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?

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?

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.

28. Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten.

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

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.

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.

30. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'

30. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping 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,

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.

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.

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

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

33. He will place the sheep on his right hand 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.

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.

35. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me,

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,

36. naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.'

36. lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see 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?

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?

38. When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

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

39. When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'

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

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."

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.

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.

42. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

42. For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to 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.'

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."

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?'

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?"

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.'

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."

46. And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

46. And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.'