¹Then the kingdom of the heavens will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Now five of them were prudent and five foolish, ³and the foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them, ⁴but the prudent ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. ⁵But when the bridegroom took a long time, they all dozed off and were asleep. ⁶Then in the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Look, the bridegroom is coming. Come out and meet him.’ ⁷Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸Then the foolish ones said to the prudent, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps keep going out.’ ⁹But the prudent ones answered and said, ‘No, in case there is not sufficient for us and you. Go rather to those who sell, and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰But while they were going off to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him to the wedding, and the door was closed. ¹¹Then later the other virgins also came and said, ‘Lord, lord, open up to us.’ ¹²But he answered and said, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ ¹³So be watchful, because you do not know the day or the hour when the son of man will come. ¹⁴For these things are like a man who went abroad and called his personal servants and handed over his property to them, ¹⁵and to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one – to each according to his own capacity – and straightaway went off abroad. ¹⁶Now the one who had received five talents went and did business with them and made another five talents. ¹⁷Similarly, he who had two talents also gained another two. ¹⁸But he who had received one went away and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled his accounts with them. ²⁰And the one who had received five talents came and brought another five talents and said, ‘Master, you handed me five talents. Look, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’ ²¹And his master said to him, ‘Well done, you good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a little, so I will appoint you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²²Then the one who had received two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I have gained another two in addition to them.’ ²³His master said to him, ‘Well done, you good and faithful servant. You were faithful over a little, so I will appoint you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴Then the one who had received one talent also came and said, ‘Master, I know that you are a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from where you did not scatter. ²⁵And, being afraid, I went away and hid your talent in the ground. Look, here you have what is yours.’ ²⁶But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter. ²⁷Therefore you should have placed my money with the bankers so that when I came, I would have received what was mine with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. ²⁹For to everyone who has, more will be given, and it will be made to abound, but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken. ³⁰And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There, there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ³¹But when the son of man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne, ³²and all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³And he will place the sheep on his right hand side, but the goats on his left hand side. ³⁴Then the king will say to those on his right hand side, ‘Come, my father's blessed ones, inherit the kingdom prepared for you after the overthrow of the world. ³⁵For 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 took me in; ³⁶naked, and you clothed me; ill, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’ ³⁷Then the righteous will reply to him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸And when did we see you a stranger and take you in? Or naked and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you ill or in prison and come to you?’ ⁴⁰And the king will reply and say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you have done this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you have done it to me.’ ⁴¹Then he will say in turn to those on the left hand side, ‘Depart from me, you cursed people, to the age-abiding fire prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴²For I was hungry, but you did not give me anything to eat; I was thirsty, but you did not give me anything to drink; ⁴³I was a stranger, but you did not take me in; naked, but you did not clothe me; ill, and in prison, but you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴Then they too will reply and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger or naked, or ill or in prison, and did not take care of you?’ ⁴⁵Then he will answer them and say, ‘Truly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, neither did you do it to me.’ ⁴⁶And these will go away to age-abiding punishment, but the righteous to age-abiding life.”