| Chapter
25 |
| 1 | Then
shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their
lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. |
| 2 | And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. |
| 3 | They that were foolish took
their lamps, and took no oil with them: |
| 4 | But the wise took oil in their vessels with their
lamps. |
| 5 | While the
bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. |
|
6 | And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the
bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. |
| 7 | Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their
lamps. |
| 8 | And the foolish
said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. |
| 9 | But the wise answered, saying,
Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that
sell, and buy for yourselves. |
| 10
| And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were
ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. |
| 11 | Afterward came also the other virgins,
saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. |
|
12 | But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you
not. |
| 13 | Watch therefore,
for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh. |
| 14 | For the kingdom of heaven
is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and
delivered unto them his goods. |
| 15
| And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one;
to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his
journey. |
| 16 | Then he that
had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them
other five talents. |
| 17 |
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. |
| 18 | But he that had received one went
and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. |
|
19 | After a long time the lord of those servants
cometh, and reckoneth with them. |
|
20 | And so he that had received five talents came and brought other
five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I
have gained beside them five talents more. |
| 21 | His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and
faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee
ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. |
| 22 | He also that had received two talents
came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have
gained two other talents beside them. |
| 23 | His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful
servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over
many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. |
|
24 | Then he which had received the one talent came
and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast
not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: |
| 25 | And I was afraid, and went and hid thy
talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. |
| 26 | His lord answered and said unto him,
Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not,
and gather where I have not strawed: |
|
27 | Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers,
and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. |
| 28 | Take therefore the talent from
him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. |
|
29 | For unto every one that hath shall be given, and
he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even
that which he hath. |
| 30 |
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth. |
| 31
| When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels
with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: |
| 32 | And before him shall be gathered all
nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth
his sheep from the goats: |
| 33 |
And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the
left. |
| 34 | Then shall the
King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: |
| 35 | For I was an hungred, and ye gave me
meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me
in: |
| 36 | Naked, and ye
clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto
me. |
| 37 | Then shall the
righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee?
or thirsty, and gave thee drink? |
|
38 | When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and
clothed thee? |
| 39 | Or when
saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? |
|
40 | And the King shall answer and say unto them,
Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of
these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. |
| 41 | Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand,
Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels: |
| 42 | For I was
an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: |
| 43 | I was a stranger, and ye
took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye
visited me not. |
| 44 | Then
shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or
athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister
unto thee? |
| 45 | Then shall
he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one
of the least of these, ye did it not to me. |
| 46 | And these shall go away into everlasting punishment:
but the righteous into life eternal. |
