25:1 “Therefore, the sanctuary of the spiritual realm can be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
25:2 Five of them were wise and five were foolish.
25:3 Those who were foolish brought their lamps – but brought no oil with them.
25:4 But the wise brought oil in jars together with their lamps.
25:5 Now while waiting for the bridegroom, they got drowsy and fell asleep.
25:6 And at midnight the shouts came, ‘The bridegroom has arrived, so go out to meet him.’
25:7 Then all the maidens awoke and trimmed their lamps.
25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us your oil because our lamps have gone out.’
25:9 But the wise replied, ‘There might be enough for all of us – so you should go back to the market and buy some for yourselves.’
25:10 And when they had gone to buy some, the bridegroom appeared – and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was closed.
25:11 Afterwards the other maidens arrived, saying, ‘Master, master, open up for us.’
25:12 But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I don’t know you.’
25:13 Therefore, watch out, for you don’t know the day nor the time.1
25:14 For it is like a man who is about to go on a journey abroad and called his servants and gave his belongings to them.
25:15 And to one he gave five talents,2 to another two and to another one – to each man according to his own ability – and then immediately left on his journey.
25:16 Then the one who received the five talents went out and banked them, earning another five talents.
25:17 And the same with the one who had two – he also earned another two.
25:18 But the one who had received one went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
25:19 After some time the master of those servants returned and settled with them.
25:20 And the one who received five talents said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents and look, I have earned another five talents more.’
25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, you are a devoted and trustworthy servant – you have proved to be trustworthy with just a few things. I will put you in charge of many things – now share in the happiness of your master.’
25:22 The one who received two talents approached and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents, and look, I have earned another two talents more.’
25:23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, devoted and trustworthy servant – you have been trustworthy with just a few things. I will put you in charge of many things – now share in the happiness of your master.’
25:24 Then the one who was given the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and harvesting where you have not planted:
25:25 And I was afraid, so I went and hid your talent in the ground – so that you would have what is yours.
25:26 His master replied and said to him, ‘Wicked and lazy servant – you knew that I reap where I don’t sow, and harvest where I have not planted:
25:27 You should therefore have placed my money with the bankers and then when I returned I should have received the principal together with the interest.
25:28 So take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten talents.
25:29 Because to every one who holds fast, more will be given, and will have abundance – but for the one who does not hold fast, even what he does have will be taken away.
25:30 So cast the unprofitable servant into the darkness – where there will be weeping and suffering.’
25:31 But when the Servant of Humanity shall appear with His majesty – and all the holy angels with him – he will be sitting upon a throne of His majesty,
25:32 and before him will be gathered all the people, and he will separate one from the other just as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
25:33 And he shall place the sheep on his right side, and the goats on his left.
25:34 Then the prince will say to them on his right side, ‘Come, you blessed by my LORD – take your inheritance, the sanctuary prepared for you from the beginning of creation.
25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in:
25:36 I was naked – and you clothed me; I was ill and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.’
25:37 Then the devoted will answer him, saying, ‘Master, when did we see you hungry and fed you? And gave you something to drink?
25:38 When did we see a stranger that we took in? Or naked, and clothed?
25:39 Or when did we see you sick, or in prison and came to you?’
25:40 And the prince will declare to them, ‘Truly I say to you, whatever you have done to the least of my brothers, you have done to me.’
25:41 Then he will say to those on the left side, ‘Get away from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the wicked and its messengers –
25:42 because I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink;
25:43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me; I was sick in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
25:44 Then they will also answer him, saying, ‘Master, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick or in prison, and did not assist you?’
25:45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, whatever you didn’t do for the least of these, you did not do for me.’
25:46 And they shall go away into everlasting rehabilitation3 – but the devoted, into life everlasting.”
25:2 Five of them were wise and five were foolish.
25:3 Those who were foolish brought their lamps – but brought no oil with them.
25:4 But the wise brought oil in jars together with their lamps.
25:5 Now while waiting for the bridegroom, they got drowsy and fell asleep.
25:6 And at midnight the shouts came, ‘The bridegroom has arrived, so go out to meet him.’
25:7 Then all the maidens awoke and trimmed their lamps.
25:8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us your oil because our lamps have gone out.’
25:9 But the wise replied, ‘There might be enough for all of us – so you should go back to the market and buy some for yourselves.’
25:10 And when they had gone to buy some, the bridegroom appeared – and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was closed.
25:11 Afterwards the other maidens arrived, saying, ‘Master, master, open up for us.’
25:12 But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I don’t know you.’
25:13 Therefore, watch out, for you don’t know the day nor the time.1
25:14 For it is like a man who is about to go on a journey abroad and called his servants and gave his belongings to them.
25:15 And to one he gave five talents,2 to another two and to another one – to each man according to his own ability – and then immediately left on his journey.
25:16 Then the one who received the five talents went out and banked them, earning another five talents.
25:17 And the same with the one who had two – he also earned another two.
25:18 But the one who had received one went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
25:19 After some time the master of those servants returned and settled with them.
25:20 And the one who received five talents said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents and look, I have earned another five talents more.’
25:21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, you are a devoted and trustworthy servant – you have proved to be trustworthy with just a few things. I will put you in charge of many things – now share in the happiness of your master.’
25:22 The one who received two talents approached and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents, and look, I have earned another two talents more.’
25:23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, devoted and trustworthy servant – you have been trustworthy with just a few things. I will put you in charge of many things – now share in the happiness of your master.’
25:24 Then the one who was given the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and harvesting where you have not planted:
25:25 And I was afraid, so I went and hid your talent in the ground – so that you would have what is yours.
25:26 His master replied and said to him, ‘Wicked and lazy servant – you knew that I reap where I don’t sow, and harvest where I have not planted:
25:27 You should therefore have placed my money with the bankers and then when I returned I should have received the principal together with the interest.
25:28 So take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten talents.
25:29 Because to every one who holds fast, more will be given, and will have abundance – but for the one who does not hold fast, even what he does have will be taken away.
25:30 So cast the unprofitable servant into the darkness – where there will be weeping and suffering.’
25:31 But when the Servant of Humanity shall appear with His majesty – and all the holy angels with him – he will be sitting upon a throne of His majesty,
25:32 and before him will be gathered all the people, and he will separate one from the other just as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.
25:33 And he shall place the sheep on his right side, and the goats on his left.
25:34 Then the prince will say to them on his right side, ‘Come, you blessed by my LORD – take your inheritance, the sanctuary prepared for you from the beginning of creation.
25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in:
25:36 I was naked – and you clothed me; I was ill and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me.’
25:37 Then the devoted will answer him, saying, ‘Master, when did we see you hungry and fed you? And gave you something to drink?
25:38 When did we see a stranger that we took in? Or naked, and clothed?
25:39 Or when did we see you sick, or in prison and came to you?’
25:40 And the prince will declare to them, ‘Truly I say to you, whatever you have done to the least of my brothers, you have done to me.’
25:41 Then he will say to those on the left side, ‘Get away from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the wicked and its messengers –
25:42 because I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink;
25:43 I was a stranger and you didn’t take me in; I was naked and you didn’t clothe me; I was sick in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
25:44 Then they will also answer him, saying, ‘Master, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick or in prison, and did not assist you?’
25:45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly I say to you, whatever you didn’t do for the least of these, you did not do for me.’
25:46 And they shall go away into everlasting rehabilitation3 – but the devoted, into life everlasting.”
Footnotes:
1. Verse 25:13 - Jesus is speaking of the time of death of the physical body.
2. Verse 25:15 - A talent is a sum of money – put into a bag and weighed out – approximating 100 pounds of silver or 200 pounds of gold.
3. Verse 25:46 – The Greek word κόλασις (kolasis) has a primary meaning of “correction” according to the lexicon.
