¹ Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

² And five of them were foolish, and five wise.

³ For the foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them.

⁴ But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

⁵ And as the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶ But at midnight there was a cry, Lo! the bridegroom! go out to meet him.

⁷ Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

⁹ But the wise answered, saying, Perhaps there will not be enough for us and you; go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

¹¹ Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, lord, open to us.

¹² But he answering said, Truly do I say to you, I know you not,

¹³ Watch, therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.

¹⁴ For it will be as when a man going abroad called his own servants, and intrusted to them his property;

¹⁵ and to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his ability, and went abroad.

¹⁶ He that had received the five talents went immediately and traded with the same, and gained five talents more.

¹⁷ In like manner, he that had received the two gained two more.

¹⁸ But he that had received the one went and dug in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

¹⁹ And after a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

²⁰ And he that had received the five talents came and brought five talents more, saying, Lord, thou intrustedst to me five talents; see, I have gained five talents more.

²¹ His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! thou hast been faithful over a little, I will place thee in charge of much; enter into the joy of thy lord.

²² He also that had received the two talents came and said, Lord, thou intrustedst to me two talents; see, I have gained two talents more.

²³ His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! thou hast been faithful over a little, I will place thee in charge of much; enter into the joy of thy lord.

²⁴ Then he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee to be a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou didst not scatter seed;

²⁵ and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth. See! thou hast thine own.

²⁶ But his lord answered and said to him, Wicked and slothful servant! Didst thou know that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter seed?

²⁷ Thou oughtest then to have put my money with the money-dealers, and on my coming I should have received mine own with interest.

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

²⁹ For to every one that hath will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him that hath not, even that which he hath will be taken away.

³⁰ And cast out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness; there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

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

³² and before him will be gathered all the nations; and he will separate men one from another, as a shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats;

³³ and he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on the left.

³⁴ Then will the king say to those on his right hand, Come, ye blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

³⁵ For I was hungry, and ye gave me food; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;

³⁶ naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me.

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

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

³⁹ or when did we see thee sick, or in prison, and come to thee?

⁴⁰ And the king will answer and say to them, Truly do I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye did it to me.

⁴¹ Then will he say also to those on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the everlasting fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.

⁴² For I was hungry, and ye gave me no food; I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink;

⁴³ I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye clothed me not; sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

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

⁴⁵ Then will he answer them, saying, Truly do I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

⁴⁶ And these will go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life.