¹ THEN shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom.

² But five of them were provident, and five foolish.

³ Those who were taking their lamps, took no oil with them:

⁴ but the provident took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

⁵ But as the bridegroom stayed long, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶ Then at midnight the cry came, Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go forth to meet him.

⁷ Then all these virgins arose, and set about trimming their lamps.

⁸ And the foolish said to the provident, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

⁹ But the provident replied, saying, No; lest there be not a sufficiency for us and you: but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰ But while they were gone away to buy, the bridegroom came; and they who were prepared went in with him to the marriage-feast: and the door was shut.

¹¹ Then came afterwards the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us.

¹² But he answering said, Verily, I know you not.

¹³ Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh.

¹⁴ For the case is like that of a man, who travelling abroad, called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods.

¹⁵ And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his several capacity; and immediately went abroad.

¹⁶ He then who had received the five talents, went and traded with them, and acquired five other talents.

¹⁷ In the same manner also he that had the two, gained also himself two others.

¹⁸ But he that had received the one talent, went and digged a hole in the ground, and hid the silver of his master.

¹⁹ Then after a long absence the master of these servants cometh, and maketh a reckoning with them.

²⁰ And he who had received the five talents, coming to him, brought five other talents, saying, Sir, thou deliveredst to me five talents: I have gained to them five other talents.

²¹ His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many: enter into the joy of thy master.

²² Then came also he that had received the two talents: and said, Sir, thou deliveredst to me two talents: lo! I have gained to them two other talents.

²³ His master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many: enter thou into thy master’s joy.

²⁴ Then came also he that had received the one talent, and said, Sir, knowing thee, that thou art a severe man, reaping where thou hast not sowed, and gathering from whence thou hast not scattered:

²⁵ and being afraid, I went and hid thy talent in the ground: see here, thou hast thine own.

²⁶ Then his master answering said to him, Thou wicked and idle slave, thou knewest that I reap whence I had not sown, and gather where I had not scattered:

²⁷ thou oughtest then to have placed my money with the bankers, so when I came I should have received my own with interest.

²⁸ Take therefore from him the talent, and give it to him that hath the ten talents.

²⁹ For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: but from him that hath not, even that he hath shall be taken away from him.

³⁰ And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

³¹ But when the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory:

³² and before him shall all the nations be gathered together; and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats:

³³ and he shall place the sheep at his right hand, but the goats at the left.

³⁴ Then shall the King say to those on his right-hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

³⁵ for I was hungry, and ye gave me to eat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me to drink: I was a stranger, and ye received me hospitably:

³⁶ naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye took care of me: I was in prison, and ye came to me.

³⁷ Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

³⁸ When indeed saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

³⁹ When indeed saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

⁴⁰ And the king answering shall say to them, Verily I tell you, for as much as ye have done it to one of these my brethren, the very least of them, ye have done it unto me.

⁴¹ Then shall he say also to those on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

⁴² for I was hungry, and ye gave me nothing to eat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me nothing to drink:

⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye did not clothe me: sick, and in prison, and ye took no care of me.

⁴⁴ Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

⁴⁵ Then shall he reply to them, saying, For as much as ye have not done it to one of the least of these, neither have ye done it to me.

⁴⁶ And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.