“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took
their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were
foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps,
they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with
their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy
and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the
bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and
trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us
some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise
answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for
you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while
they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were
ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was
shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord,
open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know
you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his
servants and entrusted to them his property. To one he gave five
talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his
ability. Then he went away. He who had received the five talents
went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.
So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. But he
who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid
his master's money. Now after a long time the master of those
servants came and settled accounts with them. 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.’ 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.’ 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.’
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.’ 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 scattered no
seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the
ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ But his master answered him,
‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have
not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 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. So take the talent
from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. For to
everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance.
But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.
And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that
place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with
him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be
gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from
another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he
will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 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. 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, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you
visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous
will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed
you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a
stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we
see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer
them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of
these my brothers, you did it to me.’
“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you
cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and
you gave me no drink, 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.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we
see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in
prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them,
saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the
least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away
into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
