1‘Here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like at that time. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.2Five of them were foolish. Five were wise.3The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t take any olive oil with them.4The wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps.5The groom did not come for a long time. So the bridesmaids all grew tired and fell asleep.6‘At midnight someone cried out, “Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him!”7‘Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.8The foolish ones said to the wise ones, “Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.”9‘ “No”, they replied. “There may not be enough for all of us. Instead, go to those who sell oil. Buy some for yourselves.”10‘So they went to buy the oil. But while they were on their way, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding dinner. Then the door was shut.11‘Later, the other bridesmaids also came. “Sir! Sir!” they said. “Open the door for us!”12‘But he replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. I don’t know you.”13‘So keep watch. You do not know the day or the hour that the groom will come.
The story of three slaves
14‘Again, here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like. A man was going on a journey. He sent for his slaves and put them in charge of his money.15He gave five bags of gold to one. He gave two bags to another. And he gave one bag to the third. The man gave each slave the amount of money he knew the slave could take care of. Then he went on his journey.16The slave who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work. He earned five bags more.17The one with the two bags of gold earned two more.18But the man who had received one bag went and dug a hole in the ground. He hid his master’s money in it.19‘After a long time the master of those slaves returned. He wanted to collect all the money they had earned.20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. “Master”, he said, “you trusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have earned five more.”21‘His master replied, “You have done well, good and faithful slave! 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 trusted me with two bags of gold. See, I have earned two more.”23‘His master replied, “You have done well, good and faithful slave! 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. You harvest where you have not planted. You gather crops where you have not scattered seed.25So I was afraid. I went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.”26‘His master replied, “You evil, lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I have not planted? You knew that I gather crops where I have not scattered seed?27Well then, you should have put my money in the bank. When I returned, I would have received it back with interest.”28‘Then his master commanded the other slaves, “Take the bag of gold from him. Give it to the one who has ten bags.29Everyone who has will be given more. They will have more than enough. And what about anyone who doesn’t have? Even what they have will be taken away from them.30Throw that worthless slave outside. There in the darkness, people will weep and grind their teeth.”
The sheep and the goats
31‘The Son of Man will come in all his glory. All the angels will come with him. Then he will sit in glory on his throne.32All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate the people into two groups. He will be like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats.33He will put the sheep to his right and the goats to his left.34‘Then the King will speak to those on his right. He will say, “My Father has blessed you. Come and take what is yours. It is the kingdom prepared for you since the world was created.35I 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.36I needed clothes. And you gave them to me. I was ill. And you took care of me. I was in prison. And you came to visit me.”37‘Then the people who have done what is right will answer him. “Lord”, they will ask, “when did we see you hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink?38When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give them to you?39When did we see you ill or in prison and go to visit you?”40‘The King will reply, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”41‘Then he will say to those on his left, “You are cursed! Go away from me into the fire that burns for ever. It has been prepared for the devil and his angels.42I was hungry. But you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty. But you gave me nothing to drink.43I was a stranger. But you did not invite me in. I needed clothes. But you did not give me any. I was ill and in prison. But you did not take care of me.”44‘They also will answer, “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and not help you? When did we see you as a stranger or needing clothes or ill or in prison and not help you?”45‘He will reply, “What I’m about to tell you is true. Anything you didn’t do for one of the least important of these, you didn’t do for me.”46‘Then they will go away to be punished for ever. But those who have done what is right will receive eternal life.’
Matthew 25
English Standard Version
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps[1] and went to meet the bridegroom.[2] (Mt 9:15; Lu 19:13; Joh 3:29; Re 19:7; Re 21:2; Re 21:9)2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. (Mt 24:45)3For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.5As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. (Mt 24:48; Mt 25:19; Heb 10:37; 2Pe 3:4; 2Pe 3:9)6But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ (Mr 13:35)7Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. (Lu 12:35)8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’9But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’10And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. (Mt 22:2; Mt 24:44; Lu 13:25)11Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ (Mt 7:22)12But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ (Mt 10:33; Mt 25:11; 2Ti 2:19)13Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. (Mt 24:42; Mt 24:50)
The Parable of the Talents
14“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants[3] and entrusted to them his property. (Mt 21:33; Mr 13:34; Lu 19:12)15To one he gave five talents,[4] to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. (Mt 18:24; Mt 25:14; Ro 12:6; 1Co 12:11; Eph 4:7; 1Pe 4:10)16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.17So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.18But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. (Mt 13:44)19Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. (Mt 18:23; Mt 25:5; Lu 16:2; Ro 14:12)20And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.[5] You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ (Mt 24:45; Mt 24:47; Mt 25:23; Lu 16:10; Joh 15:11; 1Co 4:2; 1Ti 3:13; Heb 12:2)22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, (1Sa 25:3; 2Co 8:12)25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ (Mt 20:14)26But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? (Pr 20:4; Mt 18:32; Ro 12:11)27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.29For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. (Mt 13:12; Lu 12:48)30And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ (Mt 8:12; Lu 17:10)
The Final Judgment
31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. (Mt 16:27; Mt 19:28)32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Eze 34:17; Joe 3:12; Mt 13:49; Mt 24:14; Mt 24:31; Mt 28:19)33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.34Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (1Ki 2:19; Ps 37:22; Ps 45:9; Ps 110:1; Isa 6:5; Isa 65:23; Mt 13:35; Mt 19:29; Mt 20:23; Mt 25:40; Lu 12:32; Lu 19:38; Lu 22:29; 1Co 2:9; Eph 1:3; Heb 11:16; Re 17:14; Re 19:16; Re 21:7)35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, (Job 31:32; Isa 58:7; Eze 18:7; Eze 18:16; Mt 10:42; Ro 12:13; Heb 13:1; Jas 2:15; 3Jo 1:5)36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ (Mt 25:35; Lu 10:33; 2Ti 1:16; Heb 10:34; Heb 13:3; Jas 1:27)37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers,[6] you did it to me.’ (Mt 10:40; Mt 10:42; Mt 12:50; Mt 25:34; Mt 28:10; Joh 20:17; Ro 8:29; Heb 2:11)41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. (Mt 7:23; Mt 13:40; Mt 13:42; Mt 18:8; Mr 9:43; Mr 9:48; Lu 16:24; 2Th 1:8; Heb 6:8; 2Pe 2:4; Jud 1:6; Jud 1:7; Re 12:7)42For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, (Job 22:7)43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’44Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’45Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ (Lu 10:16; Ac 9:5; 1Co 8:12)46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Da 12:2; Joh 5:29; Ac 24:15; Ro 2:7; Ro 5:21; Ro 6:23)