Matthew 25:16-27

25:16 The one who had received five talents went off right away and put his money to work ¹  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 ²  a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 25:20 The ³  one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, ⁴  you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered, ⁵  ‘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 ⁶  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 ⁷  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, ⁸  ‘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, ⁹  and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! ¹⁰ 

¹ tn Grk “traded with them.”

² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

³ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

⁴ tn Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).

⁴ tn Grk “His master said to him.”

⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

⁷ tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

⁸ tn For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see L&N 57.216.

⁹ sn That is, “If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for.”