Matthew 25

1At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten young women who were bridesmaids. They took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but brought no oil along with them. 4But the wise ones took flasks of oil as well as their lamps. 5When the bridegroom was late in coming, every one of them nodded off and slept. 6In the middle of the night a shout was heard: ‘The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him.’ 7Then all the young women woke up and got their lamps ready. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Share some of your oil with us; our lamps are going out.’ 9But the wise ones replied, ‘We cannot; there would surely not be enough for both you and us. You had better go to the oil sellers and buy your own.’ 10While they were off buying it, the bridegroom arrived. The ones who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed. 11Later the rest of the young women came as well. ‘Lord, lord,’ they cried, ‘open the door for us!’ 12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13Keep awake, then, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

14It is like a man about to travel abroad. He summoned his own servants and handed his property over to them. 15He gave five bags of silver to one, two to another and one to a third, according to what each could manage. Then he set off. At once 16the servant with the five bags went and did business with them and made five more. 17In the same way the one with two made two more. 18The servant who had received only one, however, went away and buried his master’s money in a hole in the ground. 19A long time afterward the master of those servants returned and went over the accounts with them. 20The one who had received five bags of silver came and brought five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you put five bags of silver in my care. See, I have made five more.’ 21His master answered, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You proved faithful in small matters; I will put you in charge of great ones. Come in and share the joy of your master.’ 22The one with the two bags of silver came too. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you put two bags of silver in my care. See, I have made two more.’ 23His master answered, ‘Well done! You are a good and faithful servant. You proved faithful in small matters; I will put you in charge of great ones. Come in and share the joy of your master.’ 24Then the one who had received the one bag of silver came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew how hard a man you are. You reap fields you never sowed and gather grain where you scattered no seed. 25I was afraid, so I went off and buried your bag of silver in the ground. Here it is; you have what is yours.’ 26His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter? 27In that case you should have handed my money to the bankers. On my return I would at least have got back what is mine, with interest. 28So take the bag of silver away from him and give it to the servant who has ten bags. 29For everyone who has will be given more, and they will have more than enough. But anyone who has nothing will lose even what they have. 30Throw this useless servant out into the darkness outside, where people will weep and grind their teeth.’

31The Son of Man will come in his glory, and all the angels with him. Then he will take his seat on the throne of his glory. 32Every nation will be brought together before him. Then he will divide the people into two groups, the way a shepherd sorts the sheep from the goats. 33He will stand the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. 34Then the King will say to those at his right, ‘Come, you whom my Father has blessed. The kingdom has been ready for you since the world was founded; now it is yours to inherit. 35For when I was hungry, you gave me food; when I was thirsty, you gave me a drink; when I was a stranger, you took me into your home; 36when I had no clothes, you dressed me; when I was sick, you looked after me; when I was in prison, you came to see me.’ 37Then the righteous will reply, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and fed you, or thirsty and gave you a drink? 38When was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you in, or without clothes and dressed you? 39When was it that we saw you sick or in prison and came to you?’ 40The King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, each time you did it for one of these my brothers and sisters, even the least of them, you did it for me.’ 41Then he will say to those at his left, ‘Go away from me, you who are under a curse, into the eternal fire that has been made ready for the devil and his angels. 42For when I was hungry, you gave me no food; when I was thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink; 43when I was a stranger, you did not take me into your home; when I had no clothes, you did not dress me; when I was sick and in prison, you did not look after me.’ 44Then they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or without clothes, sick or in prison, and not come to your help?’ 45Then he will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, each time you failed to do it for one of these, even the least of them, you failed to do it for me.’ 46These will depart to eternal punishment, and the righteous will go to eternal life.”