Matthew 25:17-46

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 ¹  a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 25:20 The ²  one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, ³  you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered, ⁴  ‘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 ⁵  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 ⁶  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, ⁷  ‘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, ⁸  and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! ⁹  25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. ¹⁰  25:29 For the one who has will be given more, ¹¹  and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹²  25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Judgment

25:31 “When ¹³  the Son of Man comes in his glory and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 25:32 All ¹⁴  the nations will be assembled before him, and he will separate people one from another like a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 25:33 He ¹⁵  will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 25:34 Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 25:35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, ¹⁶  ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When ¹⁷  did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When ¹⁸  did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 25:40 And the king will answer them, ¹⁹  ‘I tell you the truth, ²⁰  just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters ²¹  of mine, you did it for me.’

25:41 “Then he will say ²²  to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels! 25:42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink. 25:43 I was a stranger and you did not receive me as a guest, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 25:44 Then they too will answer, ²³  ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not give you whatever you needed?’ 25:45 Then he will answer them, ²⁴  ‘I tell you the truth, ²⁵  just as you did not do it for one of the least of these, you did not do it for me.’ 25:46 And these will depart into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

³ 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.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “the ten talents.”

¹¹ tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”

¹² 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.

¹³ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

¹⁶ tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

¹⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

¹⁹ tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

²⁰ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

²¹ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.

²² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

²³ tn Grk “Then they will answer, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

²⁴ tn Grk “answer them, saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

²⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”