Matthew 25

¹Then the kingdom of the heavens will be compared to ten young women who took their torches and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³For the foolish ones, when they took their torches, did not take oil with them. ⁴But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their torches. ⁵While the bridegroom was delayed, they all grew drowsy and fell asleep.

⁶But in the middle of the night a cry rang out: "Look! The bridegroom! Come out to meet him!" ⁷Then all those young women rose and trimmed their torches. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, "Give us some of your oil, because our torches are going out." ⁹But the wise ones answered, saying, "No—there may not be enough for both us and you. Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves." ¹⁰But while they were going away to buy, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut. ¹¹Later the rest of the young women also came, saying, "Lord, lord, open up for us!" ¹²But he answered and said, "Truly I tell you, I do not know you." ¹³Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

¹⁴For it is like a man going on a journey who called his own slaves and entrusted his property to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one—to each according to his own ability—and he went away. Immediately

¹⁶the one who had received the five talents went and put them to work and gained five more. ¹⁷Likewise the one with the two gained two more. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went away, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money.

¹⁹Now after a long time the master of those slaves comes and settles accounts with them. ²⁰The one who had received the five talents came forward and brought five more talents, saying, "Master, you entrusted five talents to me. Look—I have gained five more talents." ²¹His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave! You were trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into the joy of your master." ²²The one with the two talents also came forward and said, "Master, you entrusted two talents to me. Look—I have gained two more talents." ²³His master said to him, "Well done, good and trustworthy slave! You were trustworthy over a little; I will put you in charge of much. Enter into the joy of your master."

²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward and said, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed. ²⁵And being afraid, I went away and hid your talent in the ground. Look—you have what is yours." ²⁶But his master answered and said to him, "Wicked and lazy slave! You knew that I harvest where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and when I came I would have received back what was mine with interest. ²⁸Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. ²⁹For to everyone who has, more will be given and they will have abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. ³⁰And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and grinding of teeth."

³¹When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the 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 who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. ³⁶I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you looked after me. I was in prison and you came to me."

³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?"

⁴⁰And the king will answer and say to them, "Truly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me."

⁴¹Then he will also say to those on his left, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat. I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink. ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not take me in. I was naked and you did not clothe me. I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me."

⁴⁴Then they too will answer, saying, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and not serve you?"

⁴⁵Then he will answer them, saying, "Truly I tell you, inasmuch as you did not do it for one of the least of these, neither did you do it for me."

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