Chapter 25

  Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be made like to ten virgins that having taken their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom.  

  And five of them were prudent and five foolish.  

  They that were foolish took their torches and did not take oil with them;  

  but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their torches.  

  Now the bridegroom tarrying, they all grew heavy and slept.  

  But in [the] middle of [the] night there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom; go forth to meet him.  

  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their torches.  

  And the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, for our torches are going out.  

  But the prudent answered saying, [We cannot,] lest it might not suffice for us and for you. Go rather to those that sell, and buy for yourselves.  

  But as they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and the [ones that were] ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.  

  Afterwards come also the rest of the virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us;  

  but he answering said, Verily I say unto you, I do not know you.  

  Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.  

  For [it is] as [if] a man going away out of a country called his own bondmen and delivered to them his substance.  

  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to each according to his particular ability, and immediately went away out of the country.  

  And he that had received the five talents went and trafficked with them, and made five other talents.  

  In like manner also he that [had received] the two, [he also] gained two others.  

  But he that had received the one went and dug in the earth, and hid the money of his lord.  

  And after a long time the lord of those bondmen comes and reckons with them.  

  And he that had received the five talents came to [him] and brought five other talents, saying, [My] lord, thou deliveredst me five talents; behold, I have gained five other talents besides them.  

  His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord.  

  And he also that had received the two talents came to [him] and said, [My] lord, thou deliveredst me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents besides them.  

  His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  

  And he also that had received the one talent coming to [him] said, [My] lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hadst not sowed, and gathering from where thou hadst not scattered,  

  and being afraid I went away and hid thy talent in the earth; behold, thou hast that which is thine.  

  And his lord answering said to him, Wicked and slothful bondman, thou knewest that I reap where I had not sowed, and gather from where I had not scattered;  

  thou oughtest then to have put my money to the money-changers, and when I came I should have got what is mine with interest.  

  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that has the ten talents:  

  for to every one that has shall be given, and he shall be in abundance; but from him that has not, that even which he has shall be taken from him.  

  And cast out the useless bondman into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.  

  But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit down upon his throne of glory,  

  and all the nations shall be gathered before him; and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;  

  and he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on [his] left.  

  Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from [the] world's foundation:  

  for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;  

  naked, and ye clothed me; I was ill, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me.  

  Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, and nourished thee; or thirsting, and gave thee to drink?  

  and when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and clothed thee?  

  and when saw we thee ill, or in prison, and came to thee?  

  And the King answering shall say to them, Verily, I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me.  

  Then shall he say also to those on the left, Go from me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  

  for I hungered, and ye gave me not to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me not to drink;  

  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye did not clothe me; ill, and in prison, and ye did not visit me.  

  Then shall they also answer saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or ill, or in prison, and have not ministered to thee?  

  Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have not done it to one of these least, neither have ye done it to me.  

  And these shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.