Matthew 25
The
Parable of the Ten Virgins
“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet THE BRIDEGROOM.
2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with
them.
4 The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.
5 THE BRIDEGROOM was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and
fell asleep.
6 At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s THE BRIDEGROOM! Come
out to meet him!’
7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of
your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both
us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 But while they were on their way to buy the oil, THE BRIDEGROOM arrived.
The virgins who were ready went in with HIM to the wedding banquet. And
the door was shut.
11 Later the others also came. ‘LORD! LORD!,’ they said, ‘open the door
for us!’
12 But HE replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
13 Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day
or the hour.
The
Parable of the Bags of Gold
14 Again, it will be like a man going on a
journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.
15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags,
and to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he went
on his journey.
16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once
and put his money to work and gained five bags more.
17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.
18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a
hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 ‘After a long time the master of those servants
returned and settled accounts with them.
20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the
other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I
have gained five more.’
21 ‘His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of
many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22 ‘The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he
said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’
23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful
servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of
many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24 ‘Then the man who had received one bag of gold came.
‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have
not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the
ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26 ‘His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew
that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?
27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with
the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with
interest.
28 ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the
one who has ten bags.
29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have
an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from
them.
30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the
darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The
Sheep and the Goats
31 ‘When THE SON OF MAN comes in HIS glory, and all the angels
with HIM, HE will sit on HIS glorious throne.
32 All the nations will be gathered before HIM, and HE
will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the
sheep from the goats.
33 HE will put the sheep on HIS right 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; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared
for you since the creation of the world.
35 For 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 invited me in,
36 I
needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after
me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 ‘Then the righteous will answer HIM, ‘LORD, when did we see
YOU hungry and feed YOU, or thirsty and give YOU something to drink?
38 When did we see YOU a stranger and invite YOU in, or
needing clothes and clothe YOU?
39 When did we see YOU sick or in prison and go to visit YOU?’
40 “THE
KING will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the
least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for ME.’
41 ‘Then HE will say to those on HIS left, ‘Depart from ME, you
who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his
angels.
42 For I was hungry and you gave ME nothing to eat, I was
thirsty and you gave ME nothing to drink,
43 I was a stranger and you did not invite ME in, I needed
clothes and you did not clothe ME, I was sick and in prison and you did not
look after ME.’
44 ‘They also will answer, ‘LORD, when did we see YOU hungry or
thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help
YOU?’
45 ‘HE will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not
do for one of the least of these, you did not do for ME.’
46 ‘Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the
righteous to ETERNAL
LIFE.’
