1“Then will the kingdom of the heavens be likened to ten virgins, who, having taken their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom; 2and five of them were prudent, and five foolish; 3they who were foolish having taken their lamps, did not take with themselves oil; 4and the prudent took oil in their vessels, with their lamps. 5And the bridegroom lingering, they all nodded and were sleeping, 6and in the middle of the night a cry was made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go forth to meet him! 7Then all those virgins rose, and trimmed their lamps, 8and the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, because our lamps are going out; 9and the prudent answered, saying, Lest there may not be sufficient for us and you, go rather to those selling, and buy for yourselves. 10And while they are going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those ready went in with him to the wedding feasts, and the door was shut; 11and afterward come also the rest of the virgins, saying, Lord, lord, open to us; 12and he answering said, Truly I say to you, I have not known you. 13Watch therefore, for you have not known the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man comes.

14For—as a man going abroad called his own servants, and delivered to them his substance, 15and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to each according to his several ability, went abroad immediately. 16And he who received the five talents, having gone, worked with them, and made five other talents; 17in like manner also he who [received] the two, he gained, also he, other two; 18and he who received the one, having gone away, dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

19And after a long time comes the lord of those servants, and takes reckoning with them; 20and he who received the five talents, having come, brought five other talents, saying, Lord, you delivered five talents to me; behold, I gained five other talents besides them. 21And his lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your lord.

22And he also, who received the two talents, having come, said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents; behold, I gained two other talents besides them. 23His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant, you were faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your lord.

24And he also who has received the one talent, having come, said, Lord, I knew you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering from where you did not scatter; 25and having been afraid, having gone away, I hid your talent in the earth; behold, you have your own!

26And his lord answering said to him, Evil servant, and slothful, you had known that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather from where I did not scatter! 27It was necessary [for] you then to put my money to the money-lenders, and having come I had received my own with increase. 28Take therefore from him the talent, and give to him having the ten talents,

29for to everyone having will be given, and he will have overabundance, and from him who is not having, even that which he has will be taken from him; 30and cast forth the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness; there will be the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth.

31And whenever the Son of Man may come in His glory, and all the holy messengers with Him, then He will sit on a throne of His glory; 32and all the nations will be gathered together before Him, and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33and He will set the sheep indeed on His right hand, and the goats on the left.

34Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, the blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world; 35for I hungered, and you gave Me to eat; I thirsted, and you gave Me to drink; I was a stranger, and you received Me; 36naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you looked after Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. 37Then will the righteous answer Him, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungering, and we nourished? Or thirsting, and we gave to drink? 38And when did we see You a stranger, and we received? Or naked, and we clothed? 39And when did we see You ailing or in prison, and we came to You? 40And the King answering, will say to them, Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did [it] to one of these My brothers—the least—you did [it] to Me.

41Then will He say also to those on the left hand, Go from Me, the cursed, into the continuous fire that has been prepared for the Devil and his messengers; 42for I hungered, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I thirsted, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43I was a stranger, and you did not receive Me; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and you did not look after Me. 44Then they will answer, they also, saying, Lord, when did we see You hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and we did not minister to You? 45Then will He answer them, saying, Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did [it] not to one of these, the least, you did [it] not to Me. 46And these will go away into continuous punishment, but the righteous into continuous life.”