Matthew 25
25
The Parable of the 10 Virgins
1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins # Or bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. # Mt 13:24; Ac 20:8; Rv 4:5; 19:7; 21:2,9 2Five of them were foolish and five were sensible. # Mt 7:24; 10:16; 24:45 3When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take olive oil with them. 4But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6“In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’
7“Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9“The sensible ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.’
10“When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. # Mt 22:2; Lk 13:25
11“Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us! ’
12“But he replied, ‘I assure you: I do not know you! ’
13“Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour. # Other mss add in which the Son of Man is coming.
The Parable of the Talents
14“For it is just like a man going on a journey. # Lk 19:12-27 He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. 15To one he gave five talents; # Worth a very large sum of money; a talent = 6,000 denarii to another, two; and to another, one — to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey. # Mt 18:24; Lk 19:13; Rm 12:6; 1Co 12:11; Eph 4:7 Immediately 16the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. 17In the same way the man with two earned two more. 18But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19“After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’
21“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy! ’ # Mt 24:45,47; Lk 12:44; 22:28; Heb 12:2
22“Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’
23“His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy! ’
24“Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed. # 1Sm 25:3; 2Co 8:12 25So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’
26“But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave! # Pr 20:4; Mt 18:32; Rm 12:11 If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, 27then # Or So you knew . . . scattered? Then (as a question) you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money # Lit received what is mine back with interest.
28“ ‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. 29For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. # Mt 13:12; Mk 4:25; Lk 8:18; 19:26; Jn 15:2 30And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness. # Mt 8:12; 22:13; Lk 13:28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Sheep and the Goats
31“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels # Other mss read holy angels # Gn 16:7; Mt 5:34; 13:49; Lk 1:11; Ac 5:19; Rv 14:6 with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. # Mt 16:27; 19:28; 2Th 1:7; Jd 14; Rv 1:7 32All the nations # Or the Gentiles # Jl 3:12; Mt 24:14; 28:19; Rm 1:5; Gl 1:16 will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. # Ezk 34:17,20; Mt 13:49 33He will put the sheep on His right and 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 # Mt 19:29; Lk 12:32; 1Co 15:50; Gl 5:21; Jms 2:5; 1Pt 3:9; Rv 21:7 prepared for you from the foundation of the world. # Mt 13:35; 20:23; 1Co 2:9; Heb 4:3; 9:26; 11:16; Rv 13:8; 17:8
35For 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 took Me in;
36I was naked and you clothed Me;
I was sick and you took care of Me;
I was in prison and you visited Me.’ # Jb 31:32; Is 58:7; Ezk 18:7; 2Tm 1:16; Heb 13:2; Jms 1:27; 2:15-16
37“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? 39When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You? ’
40“And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’ # Pr 19:17; Mt 10:42; 25:34; Heb 6:10 41Then He will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels! # Mt 7:23; 13:40,42; Mk 9:48; 2Pt 2:4; Jd 6-7
42For I was hungry
and you gave Me nothing to eat;
I was thirsty
and you gave Me nothing to drink;
43I was a stranger
and you didn’t take Me in;
I was naked
and you didn’t clothe Me,
sick and in prison
and you didn’t take care of Me.’
44“Then they too will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or without clothes, or sick, or in prison, and not help You? ’
45“Then He will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me either.’ # Pr 14:31; 17:5; Ac 9:5
46“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” # Dn 12:2; Jn 5:21; Ac 24:15; Rm 2:7
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Matthew 25: HCSB
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© 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. All rights reserved.
Matthew 25
25
The Story of the Virgins
1-5“God’s kingdom is like ten young virgins who took oil lamps and went out to greet the bridegroom. Five were silly and five were smart. The silly virgins took lamps, but no extra oil. The smart virgins took jars of oil to feed their lamps. The bridegroom didn’t show up when they expected him, and they all fell asleep.
6“In the middle of the night someone yelled out, ‘He’s here! The bridegroom’s here! Go out and greet him!’
7-8“The ten virgins got up and got their lamps ready. The silly virgins said to the smart ones, ‘Our lamps are going out; lend us some of your oil.’
9“They answered, ‘There might not be enough to go around; go buy your own.’
10“They did, but while they were out buying oil, the bridegroom arrived. When everyone who was there to greet him had gone into the wedding feast, the door was locked.
11“Much later, the other virgins, the silly ones, showed up and knocked on the door, saying, ‘Master, we’re here. Let us in.’
12“He answered, ‘Do I know you? I don’t think I know you.’
13“So stay alert. You have no idea when he might arrive.
The Story About Investment
14-18“It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.
19-21“After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
22-23“The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
24-25“The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
26-27“The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
28-30“‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’
The Sheep and the Goats
31-33“When he finally arrives, blazing in beauty and all his angels with him, the Son of Man will take his place on his glorious throne. Then all the nations will be arranged before him and he will sort the people out, much as a shepherd sorts out sheep and goats, putting sheep to his right and goats to his left.
34-36“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Enter, you who are blessed by my Father! Take what’s coming to you in this kingdom. It’s been ready for you since the world’s foundation. And here’s why:
I was hungry and you fed me,
I was thirsty and you gave me a drink,
I was homeless and you gave me a room,
I was shivering and you gave me clothes,
I was sick and you stopped to visit,
I was in prison and you came to me.’
37-40“Then those ‘sheep’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ Then the King will say, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.’
41-43“Then he will turn to the ‘goats,’ the ones on his left, and say, ‘Get out, worthless goats! You’re good for nothing but the fires of hell. And why? Because—
I was hungry and you gave me no meal,
I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
I was homeless and you gave me no bed,
I was shivering and you gave me no clothes,
Sick and in prison, and you never visited.’
44“Then those ‘goats’ are going to say, ‘Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or homeless or shivering or sick or in prison and didn’t help?’
45“He will answer them, ‘I’m telling the solemn truth: Whenever you failed to do one of these things to someone who was being overlooked or ignored, that was me—you failed to do it to me.’
46“Then those ‘goats’ will be herded to their eternal doom, but the ‘sheep’ to their eternal reward.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.