Study Desk

"Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

"Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent.

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

"For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take extra oil with them;

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

but the prudent ones took oil in flasks with their lamps.

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

"Now while the groom was delaying, they all became drowsy and began to sleep.

While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

"But at midnight there finally was a shout: 'Behold, the groom! Come out to meet him.'

And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

"Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps.

Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

"But the foolish virgins said to the prudent ones, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.'

And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

"However, the prudent ones answered, 'No, there most certainly would not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.'

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.

"But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the groom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut.

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.

"Yet later, the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.'

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

"But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.'

But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

"Be on the alert then, because you do not know the day nor the hour.

Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

"For it is just like a man about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them.

For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

"To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey.

And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

"The one who had received the five talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents.

Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

"In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more.

And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

"But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money.

But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

"Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

"The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have earned five more talents.'

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 beside them five talents more.

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.'

His lord said unto him, Well done, thou 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.

"Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have earned two more talents.'

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 master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.'

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.

"Now the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed.

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

'And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.'

And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

"But his master answered and said to him, 'You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed?

His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest.

Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

'Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.'

Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

"For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away.

For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

"And throw the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

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

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

"And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;

And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

and He will put the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;

For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'

Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?

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

'And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?

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

'And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'

Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

"And the King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of Mine, you did it for Me.'

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

"Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, you accursed people, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;

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

for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink;

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 you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'

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 they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'

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 He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for Me, either.'

Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

"These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

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