Matthew 25:1–46

¹“Then the kingdom of the heavens will become like ten virgins that took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.²Five of them were foolish, and five were discreet.³For the foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them,⁴whereas the discreet took oil in their receptacles with their lamps.⁵While the bridegroom was delaying, they all nodded and went to sleep.⁶Right in the middle of the night there arose a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Be on ​YOUR​ way out to meet him.’⁷Then all those virgins rose and put their lamps in order.⁸The foolish said to the discreet, ‘Give us some of ​YOUR​ oil, because our lamps are about to go out.’⁹The discreet answered with the words, ‘Perhaps there may not be quite enough for us and ​YOU. Be on ​YOUR​ way, instead, to those who sell it and buy for yourselves.’¹⁰While they were going off to buy, the bridegroom arrived, and the virgins that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut.¹¹Afterwards the rest of the virgins also came, saying, ‘Sir, sir, open to us!’¹²In answer he said, ‘I tell ​YOU​ the truth, I do not know ​YOU.’

¹³“Keep on the watch, therefore, because ​YOU​ know neither the day nor the hour.

¹⁴“For it is just as when a man, about to travel abroad, summoned slaves of his and committed to them his belongings.¹⁵And to one he gave five talents, to another two, to still another one, to each one according to his own ability, and he went abroad.¹⁶Immediately the one that received the five talents went his way and did business with them and gained five more.¹⁷In the same way the one that received the two gained two more.¹⁸But the one that received just one went off, and dug in the ground and hid the silver money of his master.

¹⁹“After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.²⁰So the one that had received five talents came forward and brought five additional talents, saying, ‘Master, you committed five talents to me; see, I gained five talents more.’²¹His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’²²Next the one that had received the two talents came forward and said, ‘Master, you committed to me two talents; see, I gained two talents more.’²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things. I will appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’

²⁴“Finally the one that had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be an exacting man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you did not winnow.²⁵So I grew afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.’²⁶In reply his master said to him, ‘Wicked and sluggish slave, you knew, did you, that I reaped where I did not sow and gathered where I did not winnow?²⁷Well, then, you ought to have deposited my silver monies with the bankers, and on my arrival I would be receiving what is mine with interest.

²⁸“‘Therefore ​TAKE​ away the talent from him and give it to him that has the ten talents.²⁹For to everyone that has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but as for him that does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.³⁰And throw the good‐for‐nothing slave out into the darkness outside. There is where [his] weeping and the gnashing of [his] teeth will be.’

³¹“When the Son of man arrives in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit down on his glorious throne.³²And all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.³³And he will put the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.

³⁴“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, ​YOU​ who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for ​YOU​ from the founding of the world.³⁵For I became hungry and ​YOU​ gave me something to eat; I got thirsty and ​YOU​ gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and ​YOU​ received me hospitably;³⁶naked, and ​YOU​ clothed me. I fell sick and ​YOU​ looked after me. I was in prison and ​YOU​ came to me.’³⁷Then the righteous ones will answer him with the words, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty, and give you something to drink?³⁸When did we see you a stranger and receive you hospitably, or naked, and clothe you?³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to you?’⁴⁰And in reply the king will say to them, ‘Truly I say to ​YOU, To the extent that ​YOU​ did it to one of the least of these my brothers, ​YOU​ did it to me.’

⁴¹“Then he will say, in turn, to those on his left, ‘Be on ​YOUR​ way from me, ​YOU​ who have been cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.⁴²For I became hungry, but ​YOU​ gave me nothing to eat, and I got thirsty, but ​YOU​ gave me nothing to drink.⁴³I was a stranger, but ​YOU​ did not receive me hospitably; naked, but ​YOU​ did not clothe me; sick and in prison, but ​YOU​ did not look after me.’⁴⁴Then they also will answer with the words, ‘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?’⁴⁵Then he will answer them with the words, ‘Truly I say to ​YOU, To the extent that ​YOU​ did not do it to one of these least ones, ​YOU​ did not do it to me.’⁴⁶And these will depart into everlasting cutting‐off, but the righteous ones into everlasting life.”