Open English Translation MAT Chapter 25

25 [ref]“The kingdom of the heavens can also be likened to ten young women in a wedding party who took their lamps and went off to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were harebrained and five were sensible. 3 The less clever ones took their lamps but didn’t take any oil for them, 4 whereas the sensible ones had oil in containers along with the lamps. 5 When the groom was held up, they started nodding off and napping.

6 “But in the middle of the night there was a shout, ‘Look, the groom’s on his way. Come out and meet him.’ 7 So all the young women got up and trimmed the wicks on their lamps, 8 and the less sensible ones asked the others, ‘Here, give us some of your oil because our lamps are starting to splutter.’ 9 But the sensible ones answered, ‘We don’t have enough for everyone. You need to go to the stall and buy some for your lamps.’ 10 However, while they were still away buying oil, the groom appeared and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding and the door was shut.

11 [ref]“Later the other young women arrived and called out, ‘Master, master, let us in.’ 12 But he answered, ‘I can assure you all that I don’t know you.’

13 “So then, be watchful because you all don’t know the day or the time.

14 [ref]“It’s like a man who was leaving on a trip. He called his slaves and shared his savings among them for them to manage. 15 He gave five bags of silver[fn] to one, two bags to another, and one to the other, each according to his ability, and then he departed. 16 In his absence, the one with five bags of silver used it for trading and gained five more bags. 17 Similar, the one with two bags gained two more bags. 18 But the one who received the one bag, he went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s silver.

19 “Eventually the master of those slaves returned, and he called them in to settle up their accounts. 20 The slave who’d received five bags of silver approached, also bringing the other five bags, and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with five bags, and look, I gained another five.’ 21 ‘Well done, good and faithful slave,’ said the master. ‘You were faithful over a few things, so I’ll put you in charge of a lot more things. Come and join your master in celebrating.’ 22 The slave who’d received two bags approached and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two bags of silver. Look, I gained another two.’ 23 ‘Well done, good and faithful slave,’ said the master. ‘You were faithful over a few things, so I’ll put you in charge of a lot more things. Come and join your master in celebrating.’ 24 Then the slave with one bag of silver also approached and said, ‘Master, I knew that you’d are hard man, harvesting where you didn’t plant, and gathering where you didn’t spread seed. 25 So because I was afraid, I went and hid your silver in the ground. So look, here’s all of it back.’ 26 ‘You evil and lazy slave,’ his master answered. ‘You know that I harvest where I didn’t plant and gather where I didn’t spread seed 27 so you should have at least invested my silver with the bankers and then I could have gotten it back with some interest. 28 Therefore take the bag of silver off him and give it to the one with ten bags 29 [ref]because everyone who has will be given more and will have plenty, but anyone who doesn’t have, even what they do have will be taken away from them. 30 [ref]So throw that useless slave out into the darkness where there’ll be crying and great anguish.

31 [ref]“But when humanity’s child comes in his glory and all the messengers with him, then he’ll sit down on his splendid throne 32 and all the nations will be gathered together in front of him. He’ll separate them all from each other, just like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 Then the sheep will be standing on his right, and the goats on his left 34 and the king will say to the sheep on his right, ‘Come all of you who’ve been blessed by my father. Now you’ll inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you since the creation of the world 35 because 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 accommodated me, 36 I was naked and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to see me.’ 37 Then those godly people will ask, ‘Master, when did we ever see you hungry and we fed you, or thirsty and we gave you a drink? 38 And when did we see you as a stranger and accommodate you, or naked and we clothed you? 39 And when did we see you in prison, and we came to see you?’ 40 Then the king will answer them, ‘I can assure you that whenever you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, then you did it to me.’

41 “Then the king will also speak to the ones on his left, ‘Get away from me you who are cursed. You’ll go into the eternal fire which was prepared for the devil and his messengers. 42 Because I was hungry and you didn’t give me anything to drink, I was thirsty and you didn’t give me anything to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you didn’t offer me shelter, I was naked and you didn’t give me any clothes, and I was sick and in prison and you never visited me.’ 44 Then they’ll also respond, ‘Master, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger or naked, or sick or in prison and we didn’t help you?’ 45 ‘I can assure you,’ the king answered, ‘that whenever you failed to help even one of the least of these others, you failed to serve me.’ 46 [ref]Then this group will be sent off to eternal punishment, but the guiltless ones will receive eternal life.”