Matthew 25:5-12

25:5 When¹ the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’² 25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The³ foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied.⁴ ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then⁵ the door was shut. 25:11 Later,⁶ the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’⁷ 25:12 But he replied,⁸ ‘I tell you the truth,⁹ I do not know you!’

Matthew 25:19-33

25:19 After¹⁰ a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 25:20 The¹¹ one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir,¹² you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered,¹³ ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:22 The¹⁴ one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 25:23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25:25 so¹⁵ I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 25:26 But his master answered,¹⁶ ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 25:27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers,¹⁷ and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!¹⁸ 25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten.¹⁹ 25:29 For the one who has will be given more,²⁰ and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.²¹ 25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Judgment

25:31 “When²² the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 25:32 All²³ the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He²⁴ will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

¹tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

²tc ‡ Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apanthsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. NA²⁷ has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

³tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁴tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”

⁵tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁶tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁷tn Grk “Open to us.”

⁸tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

⁹tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

¹⁰tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹¹tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹²tn Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).

¹³tn Grk “His master said to him.”

¹⁴tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁵tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹⁶tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

¹⁷tn For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see L&N 57.216.

¹⁸sn That is, “If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for.”

¹⁹tn Grk “the ten talents.”

²⁰tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”

sn The one who has will be given more. Faithfulness yields great reward (see Matt 13:12; also Mark 4:25; Luke 8:18, 19:26).

²¹sn The one who has nothing has even what he seems to have taken from him, ending up with no reward at all (see also Luke 8:18). The exact force of this is left ambiguous, but there is no comfort here for those who are pictured by the third slave as being totally unmoved by the master. Though not an outright enemy, there is no relationship to the master either.

²²tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

²³tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

²⁴tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.