The Gospel According to St. Matthew

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- Chapter 25 -

Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

For when the foolish virgins took their lamps, they did not take any oil with them.

But the wise virgins took containers of oil along with their lamps.

Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all got sleepy and slept.

But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Look, the bridegroom! Go out and meet him.’

Then all those virgins rose up and trimmed their lamps.

The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’

But the wise answered and said, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and you, go instead to those who sell and buy some for yourselves.’

While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

Afterward the other virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open for us.’

But he answered and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’

Watch therefore, for you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

(Luke 19:11–27)

For it is like when a man was about to go into another country. He called his own servants and gave over to them his wealth.

To one of them he gave five talents, to another he gave two, and to yet another he gave one talent. Each one received an amount according to his own ability, and that man went on his journey.

The one who received the five talents went at once and invested them and made another five talents.

Likewise the one who had received two talents made another two.

But the servant who had received one talent went away, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

Now after a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.

The servant who had received five talents came and he brought another five talents. He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five talents more.’

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things. I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’

The servant who had received two talents came and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more talents.’

His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few things. I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’

Then the servant who had received one talent came and said, ’Master, I know that you are a strict man. You reap where you did not sow, and you harvest where you did not scatter.

I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have here what belongs to you.’

But his master answered and said to him, ’You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sowed and harvest where I have not scattered.

Therefore, you should have given my money to the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest.

Therefore, take away the talent from him and give it to the servant who has ten talents.

For to everyone who possesses, more will be given-even more abundantly. But from anyone who does not possess anything, even what he does have will be taken away.

Throw the worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’

The Sheep and the Goats

When the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

He will place the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right hand, ’Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me a drink; I was a stranger and you took me in;

I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you cared for me; I was in prison and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer and say, ’Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you a drink?

When did we see you a stranger and take you in? Or naked and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

Then the King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, what you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.’

Then he will say to those on his left hand, ’Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels,

because I was hungry, but you did not give me food; I was thirsty, but you did not give me a drink;

I was a stranger, but you did not take me in; naked, but you did not clothe me; sick and in prison, but you did not care for me.’

Then they will also answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not serve you?’

Then he will answer them and say, ‘Truly I say to you, what you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

These will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous into eternal life.”

“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. (a)

The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’

While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’

But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.

The Parable of the Talents

(Luke 19:11–27)

“For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them.

To one he gave five talents, (b) to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.

But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.

“Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them.

He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

“He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’

“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’

“He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter.

I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’

“But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.

You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.

Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Sheep and the Goats

“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in.

I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?

When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you?

When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’

“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, (c) you did it to me.’

Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;

for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’

“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Footnotes

(a)25:7 The end of the wick of an oil lamp needs to be cut off periodically to avoid having it become clogged with carbon deposits. The wick height is also adjusted so that the flame burns evenly and gives good light without producing a lot of smoke.

(b)25:15 A talent is about 30 kilograms or 66 pounds (usually used to weigh silver unless otherwise specified)