Matthew 25
25
Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
1 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten bridesmaids # 25:1 Or virgins; also in 25:7, 11. who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3The five who were foolish didn’t take enough olive oil for their lamps, 4but the other five were wise enough to take along extra oil. 5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight they were roused by the shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!’
7 “All the bridesmaids got up and prepared their lamps. 8Then the five foolish ones asked the others, ‘Please give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’
9 “But the others replied, ‘We don’t have enough for all of us. Go to a shop and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came. Then those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11Later, when the other five bridesmaids returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’
12 “But he called back, ‘Believe me, I don’t know you!’
13 “So you, too, must keep watch! For you do not know the day or hour of my return.
Parable of the Three Servants
14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his money to them while he was gone. 15He gave five bags of silver#25:15 Greek talents; also throughout the story. A talent is equal to 75 pounds or 34 kilograms. to one, two bags of silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver began to invest the money and earned five more. 17The servant with two bags of silver also went to work and earned two more. 18But the servant who received the one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money.
19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of how they had used his money. 20The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’
21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together! # 25:21 Greek Enter into the joy of your master [or your Lord ]; also in 25:23. ’
22 “The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23 “The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!’
24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’
26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I didn’t cultivate, 27why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have gotten some interest on it.’
28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant, and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29To those who use well what they are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30Now throw this useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Final Judgment
31 “But when the Son of Man # 25:31 “Son of Man” is a title Jesus used for himself. comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. 32All the nations#25:32 Or peoples. will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.
34 “Then 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 creation of the world. 35For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. 36I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? 39When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
40 “And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, # 25:40 Greek my brothers. you were doing it to me!’
41 “Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. # 25:41 Greek his angels. 42For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. 43I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’
45 “And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’
46 “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”
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Matthew 25: NLT
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Matthew 25
25
The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins
1“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet #(Eph. 5:29, 30; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9)the bridegroom. 2#Matt. 13:47; 22:10Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, 4but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5But while the bridegroom was delayed, #1 Thess. 5:6they all slumbered and slept.
6“And at midnight #(Matt. 24:31; 1 Thess. 4:16)a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ 7Then all those virgins arose and #Luke 12:35trimmed their lamps. 8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ 10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and #(Matt. 7:21); Luke 13:25the door was shut.
11“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, #(Matt. 7:21–23; Luke 13:25–30)‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ 12But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, #(Ps. 5:5; Hab. 1:13; John 9:31)I do not know you.’
13#Mark 13:35; (Luke 21:36); 1 Thess. 5:6“Watch therefore, for you #Matt. 24:36, 42know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
The Parable of the Talents
14#Luke 19:12–27“For the kingdom of heaven is #Matt. 21:33like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, #(Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:7, 11, 29; Eph. 4:11)to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey. 16Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them.
20“So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were #(Luke 16:10; 1 Cor. 4:2; 2 Tim. 4:7, 8)faithful over a few things, #(Matt. 24:47; 25:34, 46; Luke 12:44; 22:29, 30; Rev. 3:21; 21:7)I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into #(2 Tim. 2:12; Heb. 12:2; 1 Pet. 1:8)the joy of your lord.’ 22He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23His lord said to him, #Matt. 24:45, 47; 25:21‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into #(Ps. 16:11; John 15:10, 11)the joy of your lord.’
24“Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’
26“But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You #Matt. 18:32; Luke 19:22wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28Therefore take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents.
29#Matt. 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18; (John 15:2)‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30And cast the unprofitable servant #Matt. 8:12; 22:13; (Luke 13:28)into the outer darkness. #Matt. 7:23; 8:12; 24:51There will be weeping and #Ps. 112:10gnashing of teeth.’
The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations
31#(Zech. 14:5); Matt. 16:27; Mark 8:38; Acts 1:11; (1 Thess. 4:16); 2 Thess. 1:7; (Jude 14); Rev. 1:7“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. 32#(Rom. 14:10; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:12)All the nations will be gathered before Him, and #Ezek. 20:38He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33And He will set the #Ps. 79:13; 100:3; (John 10:11, 27, 28)sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, #(Rom. 8:17; 1 Pet. 1:4, 9; Rev. 21:7)inherit the kingdom #Matt. 20:23; Mark 10:40; 1 Cor. 2:9; Heb. 11:16prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35#Is. 58:7; Ezek. 18:7, 16; (James 1:27; 2:15, 16)for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; #Job 31:32; (Heb. 13:2); 3 John 5I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36I was #Is. 58:7; Ezek. 18:7, 16; (James 2:15, 16)naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; #2 Tim. 1:16I was in prison and you came to Me.’
37“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, #Prov. 14:31; Matt. 10:42; Mark 9:41; Heb. 6:10inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’
41“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, #Ps. 6:8; Matt. 7:23; Luke 13:27‘Depart from Me, you cursed, #Matt. 13:40, 42into the everlasting fire prepared for #(2 Pet. 2:4); Jude 6the devil and his angels: 42for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’
44“Then they also will answer Him, 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, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, #Prov. 14:31; Zech. 2:8; Acts 9:5inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46And #(Dan. 12:2; John 5:29; Acts 24:15; Rom. 2:7)these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.