24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, 3 whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves 4 their food at the proper time? 24:46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work 5 when he comes. 24:47 I tell you the truth, 6 the master 7 will put him in charge of all his possessions. 24:48 But if 8 that evil slave should say to himself, 9 ‘My master is staying away a long time,’ 24:49 and he begins to beat his fellow slaves and to eat and drink with drunkards, 24:50 then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, 24:51 and will cut him in two, 10 and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
25:1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 25:2 Five 11 of the virgins 12 were foolish, and five were wise. 25:3 When 13 the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra 14 olive oil 15 with them. 25:4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps. 25:5 When 16 the bridegroom was delayed a long time, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 25:6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look, the bridegroom is here! Come out to meet him.’ 17 25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 25:8 The 18 foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. 19 ‘There won’t be enough for you and for us. Go instead to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ 25:10 But while they had gone to buy it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding banquet. Then 20 the door was shut. 25:11 Later, 21 the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ 22 25:12 But he replied, 23 ‘I tell you the truth, 24 I do not know you!’ 25:13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. 25
25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves 26 and entrusted his property to them. 25:15 To 27 one he gave five talents, 28 to another two, and to another one, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 25:16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work 29 and gained five more. 25:17 In the same way, the one who had two gained two more. 25:18 But the one who had received one talent went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money in it. 25:19 After 30 a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 25:20 The 31 one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, 32 you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered, 33 ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:22 The 34 one with the two talents also came and said, ‘Sir, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more.’ 25:23 His master answered, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 25:24 Then the one who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, 25:25 so 35 I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’ 25:26 But his master answered, 36 ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? 25:27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, 37 and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! 38 25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. 39 25:29 For the one who has will be given more, 40 and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 41 25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
1 sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.
2 sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it would take some time – so long, in fact, that some will not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).
3 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
4 tn Grk “give them.”
5 tn That is, doing his job, doing what he is supposed to be doing.
6 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
7 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the master) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
8 tn In the Greek text this is a third class condition that for all practical purposes is a hypothetical condition (note the translation of the following verb “should say”).
9 tn Grk “should say in his heart.”
10 tn The verb διχοτομέω (dicotomew) means to cut an object into two parts (L&N 19.19). This is an extremely severe punishment compared to the other two later punishments. To translate it simply as “punish” is too mild. If taken literally this servant is dismembered, although it is possible to view the stated punishment as hyperbole (L&N 38.12).
11 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
12 tn Grk “Five of them.”
13 tn Grk “For when.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.
14 tn The word “extra” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The point is that the five foolish virgins had only the oil in their lamps, but took along no extra supply from which to replenish them. This is clear from v. 8, where the lamps of the foolish virgins are going out because they are running out of oil.
15 tn On the use of olive oil in lamps, see L&N 6.202.
16 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
17 tc ‡ Most witnesses have αὐτοῦ (autou, “[with] him”) after ἀπάντησιν (apanthsin, “meeting”), a reading which makes explicit what is already implied in the shorter text (as found in א B 700). The translation likewise adds “him” for clarity’s sake even though the word is not considered part of the original text. NA27 has αὐτοῦ in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.
18 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
19 tn Grk “The wise answered, saying, ‘No.’”
20 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
21 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
22 tn Grk “Open to us.”
23 tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
24 tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”
25 tc Most later
26 tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.
27 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
28 sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.
29 tn Grk “traded with them.”
30 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
31 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
32 tn Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).
33 tn Grk “His master said to him.”
34 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
35 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.
36 tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.
37 tn For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see L&N 57.216.
38 sn That is, “If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for.”
39 tn Grk “the ten talents.”
40 tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”
41 sn The one who has nothing has even what he seems to have taken from him, ending up with no reward at all (see also Luke 8:18). The exact force of this is left ambiguous, but there is no comfort here for those who are pictured by the third slave as being totally unmoved by the master. Though not an outright enemy, there is no relationship to the master either.