Chapter 25

1Jesus continued, “Then God’s rule from heaven will be like ten unmarried young women who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.

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

3The foolish women took their lamps but brought no oil with them.

4The wise women brought containers of oil along with their lamps.

5The groom was delayed, so they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

6At midnight someone shouted, ‘The groom is here! Come out to meet him!’

7All the young women got up and prepared their lamps.

8The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’

9The wise ones replied, ‘There may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil sellers and buy some for yourselves.’

10While the foolish women were away buying oil, the groom arrived. Those who were ready went with him into the wedding celebration, and the door was shut.

11Later, the other women arrived and called, ‘Sir, sir, open the door for us!’

12But the groom answered, ‘I tell you the truth: I do not know you.’

13So stay alert and ready, because you do not know the day or the hour.”

14Jesus continued, “God’s rule will also be like what happened when a man was about to leave on a journey. He called his servants and put them in charge of his possessions.

15He gave one servant five talents, another two talents, and another one talent. A talent was a very large amount of money. He gave each servant an amount suited to that servant’s ability. Then he left on his journey.

16The servant who had received five talents immediately put the money to work and gained five more.

17In the same way, the servant who had received two talents gained two more.

18But the servant who had received one talent went away, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

19After a long time, the master returned and had the servants give an account of what they had done.

20The servant who had received five talents came forward with five more. He said, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. Look, I have gained five more.’

21His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and trustworthy servant. You proved trustworthy with a few responsibilities, so I will put you in charge of many. Come and share your master’s joy.’

22The servant who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. Look, I have gained two more.’

23His master replied, ‘Well done! You are a good and trustworthy servant. You proved trustworthy with a few responsibilities, so I will put you in charge of many. Come and share your master’s joy.’

24Then the servant who had received one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a harsh man. You harvest where you did not plant and gather crops where you did not scatter seed.

25I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. Look, here is what belongs to you.’

26His master answered, ‘You evil, lazy servant! You knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather crops where I did not scatter seed?

27Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers. When I returned, I would have received my money back with interest.

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

29Everyone who has will receive more and have plenty. But anyone who has nothing will lose even what little they have.

30Throw this useless servant outside into the darkness. There people will weep in anguish and grind their teeth.’”

31Jesus continued, “When the Son of Man comes in majestic splendor with all the angels, he will sit on his royal throne.

32People from every nation will be gathered before him. He will separate them from one another, just as a shepherd separates sheep from goats.

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

34Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you whom my Father has favored. Receive as your inheritance the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

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

36I had no clothes, and you gave me clothes. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to see me.’

37Then those who had done what was right will ask him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

38When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or without clothes and give you clothes?

39When did we see you sick or in prison and come to see you?’

40The king will answer, ‘I tell you the truth: whatever you did for even one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.’

41Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Go away from me, you who are under a curse. Go into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

42I was hungry, and you gave me no food. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink.

43I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me. I had no clothes, and you gave me none. I was sick and in prison, and you did not visit me.’

44They too will ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, thirsty, a stranger, without clothes, sick, or in prison and fail to help you?’

45The king will answer, ‘I tell you the truth: whatever you failed to do for even one of the least important of these people, you failed to do for me.’

46These people will go away into eternal punishment, but those who did what was right will enter eternal life.”