THE
*GOSPEL
¶ACCORDING TO
^ MATTHEW
Matthew 25 ©
1 By the similitude of five wise and five foolish virgins, Christ again exhorts to watchfulness against His return. 14 And by the similitude of the servants, who had each of them received their talents from the lord to gain therewithal, He exhorts to a faithful employment of the gifts which God has given to everyone. 31 Afterwards He describes His last coming to judgment, how He shall distinguish His sheep from the goats, and give and execute sentence upon them both.
THEN1 shall the kingdom of heaven be 2likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
And five of them were 3wise, and five were foolish.
They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
While the bridegroom tarried, they 4all slumbered and slept.
And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
Then all those virgins arose, and 5trimmed their lamps.
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, 6Lord, Lord, open to us.
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, 7I knowa you not.
Watchb therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
¶Forcthe kingdom of heaven is 8as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
And unto one he gave five talents,d to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several 9ability; and straightway took his journey.
Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and 10made them other five talents.
And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.
11After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained 12beside them five talents more.
His lord said unto him, 13Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful overe a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: 14enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an 15hard man, 16reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
His lord answered and said unto him, 17Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
Thou oughtest therefore to have 18put my money to the exchangers,f and then at my coming I should have received mine own with 19usury.
Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
Forg unto 20every one 21that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him 22that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
And cast ye the unprofitable servant into 23outer darkness: thereh shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
¶Wheni the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit 24upon the thronej of his glory:
And before him shall be 25gathered all nations: andk he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:
And he shall set the sheep on his 26right hand, but the goats on the left.
Then shall 27the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye 28blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom 29preparedl for you from the foundation of the world:
Form I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: In was a stranger, and ye 30took me in:
Naked,o and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye 31visited me: 32I was inp prison, and ye came unto me.
Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?
When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuchq as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, 33ye have done it unto me.
Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Departr from me, ye 34cursed, into everlastings fire, prepared for the 35devil and his angels:
For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
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.
Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmucht as ye did it not to one of 36the least of these, ye did it not to me.
Andu these shall go away into everlasting 37punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.