A Story about Ten Young Women
1 The kingdom of heaven is like what happened one night when ten young women took their oil lamps and went to a wedding to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps, but no extra oil. 4 The ones who were wise took along extra oil for their lamps.
5 The groom was late arriving, and the young women became drowsy and fell asleep. 6 Then in the middle of the night someone shouted, “Here's the groom! Come to meet him!”
7 When the women got up and started getting their lamps ready, 8 the foolish ones said to the others, “Let us have some of your oil! Our lamps are going out.”
9 Those who were wise answered, “There's not enough oil for all of us! Go and buy some for yourselves.”
10 While the foolish ones were on their way to get some oil, the groom arrived. The five who were ready went into the wedding, and the doors were closed. 11 Later the others returned and shouted, “Sir, sir! Open the door for us!”
12 But the groom replied, “I don't even know you!”
13 So, my disciples, always be ready! You don't know the day or the time when all this will happen.
A Story about Three Servants
(Luke 19.11-27)
14 The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. 15 The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed 5,000 coins to the first servant, 2,000 to the second, and 1,000 to the third. Then he left the country.
16 As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the 5,000 coins used them to earn 5,000 more. 17 The servant who had 2,000 coins did the same with his money and earned 2,000 more. 18 But the servant with 1,000 coins dug a hole and hid his master's money in the ground.
19 Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked what they had done with his money. 20 The servant who had been given 5,000 coins brought them in with the 5,000 that he had earned. He said, “Sir, you gave me 5,000 coins, and I have earned 5,000 more.”
21 “Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”
22 Next, the servant who had been given 2,000 coins came in and said, “Sir, you gave me 2,000 coins, and I have earned 2,000 more.”
23 “Wonderful!” his master replied. “You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!”
24 The servant who had been given 1,000 coins then came in and said, “Sir, I know that you are hard to work for. You harvest what you don't plant and gather crops where you haven't scattered seed. 25 I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin!”
26 The master of the servant told him, “You are lazy and good-for-nothing! You know I harvest what I don't plant and gather crops where I haven't scattered seed. 27 You could have at least put my money in the bank, so I could have earned interest on it.”
28 Then the master said, “Now your money will be taken away and given to the servant with 10,000 coins! 29 Everyone who has something will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But everything will be taken from those who don't have anything. 30 You are a worthless servant, and you will be thrown out into the dark where people will cry and grit their teeth in pain.”
The Final Judgment
31 When the Son of Man comes in his glory with all his angels, he will sit on his royal throne. 32 The people of all nations will be brought before him, and he will separate them, as shepherds separate their sheep from their goats.
33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 Then the king will say to those on his right, “My father has blessed you! Come and receive the kingdom that was prepared for you before the world was created. 35 When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me, 36 and when I was naked, you gave me clothes to wear. When I was sick, you took care of me, and when I was in jail, you visited me.”
37 Then the ones who pleased the Lord will ask, “When did we give you something to eat or drink? 38 When did we welcome you as a stranger or give you clothes to wear 39 or visit you while you were sick or in jail?”
40 The king will answer, “Whenever you did it for any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you did it for me.”
41 Then the king will say to those on his left, “Get away from me! You are under God's curse. Go into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels! 42 I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat, and I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink. 43 I was a stranger, but you did not welcome me, and I was naked, but you did not give me any clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail, but you did not take care of me.”
44 Then the people will ask, “Lord, when did we fail to help you when you were hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in jail?”
45 The king will say to them, “Whenever you failed to help any of my people, no matter how unimportant they seemed, you failed to do it for me.”
46 Then Jesus said, “Those people will be punished forever. But the ones who pleased God will have eternal life.”
1 Then the kingdome of heauen shalbe likened vnto tenne virgins, which tooke their lampes, and went foorth to meete the bridegrome. 2 And fiue of them were wise, and fiue foolish. 3 The foolish tooke their lampes, but tooke none oyle with them. 4 But the wise tooke oyle in their vessels with their lampes. 5 Nowe while the bridegrome taried long, all slumbred and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a crie made, Behold, the bridegrome commeth: goe out to meete him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lampes. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, Giue vs of your oyle, for our lampes are out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so, lest there will not be ynough for vs and you: but goe ye rather to them that sell, and bye for your selues. 10 And while they went to bye, the bridegrome came: and they that were readie, went in with him to the wedding, and the gate was shut. 11 Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to vs. 12 But he answered, and said, Verely I say vnto you, I knowe you not. 13 Watch therfore: for ye know neither the day, nor the houre, when the sonne of man will come. 14 For the kingdome of heauen is as a man that going into a strange countrey, called his seruants, and deliuered to them his goods. 15 And vnto one he gaue fiue talents, and to an other two, and to another one, to euery man after his own ability, and straightway went from home. 16 Then he that had receiued the fiue talents, went and occupied with them, and gained other fiue talents. 17 Likewise also, he that receiued two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that receiued that one, went and digged it in the earth, and hid his masters money. 19 But after a long season, the master of those seruants came, and reckoned with them. 20 Then came he that had receiued fiue talents, and brought other fiue talents, saying, Master, thou deliueredst vnto me fiue talents: behold, I haue gained with them other fiue talents. 21 Then his master saide vnto him, It is well done good seruant and faithfull, Thou hast bene faithfull in litle, I will make thee ruler ouer much: enter into thy masters ioy. 22 Also he that had receiued two talents, came, and said, Master, thou deliueredst vnto me two talents: behold, I haue gained two other talets more. 23 His master saide vnto him, It is well done good seruant, and faithfull, Thou hast bene faithfull in litle, I will make thee ruler ouer much: enter into thy masters ioy. 24 Then he which had receiued the one talent, came, and said, Master, I knewe that thou wast an hard man, which reapest where thou sowedst not, and gatherest where thou strawedst not: 25 I was therefore afraide, and went, and hid thy talent in the earth: behold, thou hast thine owne. 26 And his master answered, and said vnto him, Thou euill seruant, and slouthfull, thou knewest that I reape where I sowed not, and gather where I strawed not. 27 Thou oughtest therefore to haue put my money to ye exchangers, and then at my comming should I haue receiued mine owne with vantage. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and giue it vnto him which hath tenne talents. 29 For vnto euery man that hath, it shall be giuen, and he shall haue abundance, and from him that hath not, euen that he hath, shalbe taken away. 30 Cast therefore that vnprofitable seruant into vtter darkenes: there shalbe weeping and gnasshing of teeth. 31 And when the Sonne of man commeth in his glory, and all the holy Angels with him, then shall he sit vpon the throne of his glorie, 32 And before him shalbe gathered all nations, and he shall seperate them one from another, as a shepheard separateth the sheepe from ye goates. 33 And he shall set the sheepe on his right hand, and the goates on the left. 34 Then shall ye king say to them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my father: take the inheritance of the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was an hungred, and ye gaue me meate: I thirsted, and ye gaue me drinke: I was a stranger, and ye tooke me in vnto you. 36 I was naked, and ye clothed me: I was sicke, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came vnto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answere him, saying, Lord, when sawe we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or a thirst, and gaue thee drinke? 38 And when sawe we thee a stranger, and tooke thee in vnto vs? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when sawe we thee sicke, or in prison, and came vnto thee? 40 And the King shall answere, and say vnto them, Verely I say vnto you, in as much as ye haue done it vnto one of the least of these my brethre, ye haue done it to me. 41 Then shall he say vnto them on ye left hand, Depart from me ye cursed, into euerlasting fire, which is prepared for the deuill and his angels. 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gaue me no meate: I thirsted, and ye gaue me no drinke: 43 I was a stranger, and ye tooke me not in vnto you: I was naked, and ye clothed me not: sicke, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they also answere him, saying, Lord, when sawe we thee an hungred, or a thirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sicke, or in prison, and did not minister vnto thee? 45 Then shall he answere them, and say, Verely I say vnto you, in as much as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall goe into euerlasting paine, and the righteous into life eternall.