Matthew 19:3--25:46
19:3 Then some Pharisees came to him in order to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful to divorce a wife for any cause?”
19:4 He answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator made them male and female,
19:5 and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and will be united with his wife, and the two will become one flesh’?
19:6 So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
19:7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her?”
19:8 Jesus said to them, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of your hard hearts, but from the beginning it was not this way.
19:9 Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except for immorality, and marries another commits adultery.”
19:10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a husband with a wife, it is better not to marry!”
19:11 He said to them, “Not everyone can accept this statement, except those to whom it has been given.
19:12 For there are some eunuchs who were that way from birth, and some who were made eunuchs by others, and some who became eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this should accept it.”
Jesus and Little Children
19:13 Then little children were brought to him for him to lay his hands on them and pray. But the disciples scolded those who brought them.
19:14 But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
19:15 And he placed his hands on them and went on his way.
The Rich Young Man
19:16 Now someone came up to him and said, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to gain eternal life?”
19:17 He said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
19:18 “Which ones?” he asked. Jesus replied, “Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony,
19:19 honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
19:20 The young man said to him, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws. What do I still lack?”
19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
19:22 But when the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he was very rich.
19:23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you the truth, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven!
19:24 Again I say, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter into the kingdom of God.”
19:25 The disciples were greatly astonished when they heard this and said, “Then who can be saved?”
19:26 Jesus looked at them and replied, “This is impossible for mere humans, but for God all things are possible.”
19:27 Then Peter said to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
19:28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth: In the age when all things are renewed, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
19:29 And whoever has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
19:30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.
Workers in the Vineyard
20:1 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard.
20:2 And after agreeing with the workers for the standard wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
20:3 When it was about nine o’clock in the morning, he went out again and saw others standing around in the marketplace without work.
20:4 He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and I will give you whatever is right.’
20:5 So they went. When he went out again about noon and three o’clock that afternoon, he did the same thing.
20:6 And about five o’clock that afternoon he went out and found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day without work?’
20:7 They said to him, ‘Because no one hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go and work in the vineyard too.’
20:8 When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and give the pay starting with the last hired until the first.’
20:9 When those hired about five o’clock came, each received a full day’s pay.
20:10 And when those hired first came, they thought they would receive more. But each one also received the standard wage.
20:11 When they received it, they began to complain against the landowner,
20:12 saying, ‘These last fellows worked one hour, and you have made them equal to us who bore the hardship and burning heat of the day.’
20:13 And the landowner replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me to work for the standard wage?
20:14 Take what is yours and go. I want to give to this last man the same as I gave to you.
20:15 Am I not permitted to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?’
20:16 So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Third Prediction of Jesus’ Death and Resurrection
20:17 As Jesus was going up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve aside privately and said to them on the way,
20:18 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the experts in the law. They will condemn him to death,
20:19 and will turn him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged severely and crucified. Yet on the third day, he will be raised.”
A Request for James and John
20:20 Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling down she asked him for a favor.
20:21 He said to her, “What do you want?” She replied, “Permit these two sons of mine to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom.”
20:22 Jesus answered, “You don’t know what you are asking! Are you able to drink the cup I am about to drink?” They said to him, “We are able.”
20:23 He told them, “You will drink my cup, but to sit at my right and at my left is not mine to give. Rather, it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father.”
20:24 Now when the other ten heard this, they were angry with the two brothers.
20:25 But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions use their authority over them.
20:26 It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,
20:27 and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave –
20:28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Two Blind Men Healed
20:29 As they were leaving Jericho, a large crowd followed them.
20:30 Two blind men were sitting by the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!”
20:31 The crowd scolded them to get them to be quiet. But they shouted even more loudly, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!”
20:32 Jesus stopped, called them, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?”
20:33 They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.”
20:34 Moved with compassion, Jesus touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.
The Triumphal Entry
21:1 Now when they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples,
21:2 telling them, “Go to the village ahead of you. Right away you will find a donkey tied there, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me.
21:3 If anyone says anything to you, you are to say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.”
21:4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet:
21:5 “Tell the people of Zion,
‘Look, your king is coming to you,
unassuming and seated on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
21:6 So the disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them.
21:7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them, and he sat on them.
21:8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road. Others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road.
21:9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those following kept shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”
21:10 As he entered Jerusalem the whole city was thrown into an uproar, saying, “Who is this?”
21:11 And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee.”
Cleansing the Temple
21:12 Then Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves.
21:13 And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are turning it into a den of robbers!”
21:14 The blind and lame came to him in the temple courts, and he healed them.
21:15 But when the chief priests and the experts in the law saw the wonderful things he did and heard the children crying out in the temple courts, “Hosanna to the Son of David,” they became indignant
21:16 and said to him, “Do you hear what they are saying?” Jesus said to them, “Yes. Have you never read, ‘Out of the mouths of children and nursing infants you have prepared praise for yourself’?”
21:17 And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and spent the night there.
The Withered Fig Tree
21:18 Now early in the morning, as he returned to the city, he was hungry.
21:19 After noticing a fig tree by the road he went to it, but found nothing on it except leaves. He said to it, “Never again will there be fruit from you!” And the fig tree withered at once.
21:20 When the disciples saw it they were amazed, saying, “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?”
21:21 Jesus answered them, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what was done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will happen.
21:22 And whatever you ask in prayer, if you believe, you will receive.”
The Authority of Jesus
21:23 Now after Jesus entered the temple courts, the chief priests and elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?”
21:24 Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question. If you answer me then I will also tell you by what authority I do these things.
21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’
21:26 But if we say, ‘From people,’ we fear the crowd, for they all consider John to be a prophet.”
21:27 So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Then he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
The Parable of the Two Sons
21:28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’
21:29 The boy answered, ‘I will not.’ But later he had a change of heart and went.
21:30 The father went to the other son and said the same thing. This boy answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but did not go.
21:31 Which of the two did his father’s will?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, tax collectors and prostitutes will go ahead of you into the kingdom of God!
21:32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him. But the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe. Although you saw this, you did not later change your minds and believe him.
The Parable of the Tenants
21:33 “Listen to another parable: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a pit for its winepress, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenant farmers and went on a journey.
21:34 When the harvest time was near, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his portion of the crop.
21:35 But the tenants seized his slaves, beat one, killed another, and stoned another.
21:36 Again he sent other slaves, more than the first, and they treated them the same way.
21:37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’
21:38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and get his inheritance!’
21:39 So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
21:40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?”
21:41 They said to him, “He will utterly destroy those evil men! Then he will lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him his portion at the harvest.”
21:42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:
‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
This is from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
21:43 For this reason I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
21:44 The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces, and the one on whom it falls will be crushed.”
21:45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.
21:46 They wanted to arrest him, but they were afraid of the crowds, because the crowds regarded him as a prophet.
The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
22:1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:
22:2 “The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.
22:3 He sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come.
22:4 Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’
22:5 But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.
22:6 The rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them.
22:7 The king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death and set their city on fire.
22:8 Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy.
22:9 So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’
22:10 And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.
22:11 But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.
22:12 And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes?’ But he had nothing to say.
22:13 Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’
22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen.”
Paying Taxes to Caesar
22:15 Then the Pharisees went out and planned together to entrap him with his own words.
22:16 They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful, and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality.
22:17 Tell us then, what do you think? Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”
22:18 But Jesus realized their evil intentions and said, “Hypocrites! Why are you testing me?
22:19 Show me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought him a denarius.
22:20 Jesus said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?”
22:21 They replied, “Caesar’s.” He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
22:22 Now when they heard this they were stunned, and they left him and went away.
Marriage and the Resurrection
22:23 The same day Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to him and asked him,
22:24 “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children for his brother.’
22:25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother.
22:26 The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh.
22:27 Last of all, the woman died.
22:28 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”
22:29 Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God.
22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
22:31 Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God,
22:32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living!”
22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.
The Greatest Commandment
22:34 Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together.
22:35 And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him:
22:36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”
22:37 Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’
22:38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
22:39 The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’
22:40 All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
The Messiah: David’s Son and Lord
22:41 While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them a question:
22:42 “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.”
22:43 He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying,
22:44 ‘The Lord said to my lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet”’?
22:45 If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?”
22:46 No one was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.
Seven Woes
23:1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,
23:2 “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat.
23:3 Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.
23:4 They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.
23:5 They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long.
23:6 They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues
23:7 and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’
23:8 But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers.
23:9 And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven.
23:10 Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.
23:11 The greatest among you will be your servant.
23:12 And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
23:13 “But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven! For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.
23:14 [[EMPTY]]
23:15 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You cross land and sea to make one convert, and when you get one, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves!
23:16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the temple is bound by nothing. But whoever swears by the gold of the temple is bound by the oath.’
23:17 Blind fools! Which is greater, the gold or the temple that makes the gold sacred?
23:18 And, ‘Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift on it he is bound by the oath.’
23:19 You are blind! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?
23:20 So whoever swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it.
23:21 And whoever swears by the temple swears by it and the one who dwells in it.
23:22 And whoever swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and the one who sits on it.
23:23 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You give a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, yet you neglect what is more important in the law – justice, mercy, and faithfulness! You should have done these things without neglecting the others.
23:24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat yet swallow a camel!
23:25 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.
23:26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside may become clean too!
23:27 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean.
23:28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
23:29 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous.
23:30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have participated with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’
23:31 By saying this you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.
23:32 Fill up then the measure of your ancestors!
23:33 You snakes, you offspring of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?
23:34 “For this reason I am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town,
23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
23:36 I tell you the truth, this generation will be held responsible for all these things!
Judgment on Israel
23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!
23:38 Look, your house is left to you desolate!
23:39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now until you say, ‘Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
The Destruction of the Temple
24:1 Now as Jesus was going out of the temple courts and walking away, his disciples came to show him the temple buildings.
24:2 And he said to them, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left on another. All will be torn down!”
Signs of the End of the Age
24:3 As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
24:4 Jesus answered them, “Watch out that no one misleads you.
24:5 For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and they will mislead many.
24:6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. Make sure that you are not alarmed, for this must happen, but the end is still to come.
24:7 For nation will rise up in arms against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
24:8 All these things are the beginning of birth pains.
Persecution of Disciples
24:9 “Then they will hand you over to be persecuted and will kill you. You will be hated by all the nations because of my name.
24:10 Then many will be led into sin, and they will betray one another and hate one another.
24:11 And many false prophets will appear and deceive many,
24:12 and because lawlessness will increase so much, the love of many will grow cold.
24:13 But the person who endures to the end will be saved.
24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole inhabited earth as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.
The Abomination of Desolation
24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation – spoken about by Daniel the prophet – standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),
24:16 then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.
24:17 The one on the roof must not come down to take anything out of his house,
24:18 and the one in the field must not turn back to get his cloak.
24:19 Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing their babies in those days!
24:20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
24:21 For then there will be great suffering unlike anything that has happened from the beginning of the world until now, or ever will happen.
24:22 And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
24:23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe him.
24:24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
24:25 Remember, I have told you ahead of time.
24:26 So then, if someone says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him.
24:27 For just like the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.
24:28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
The Arrival of the Son of Man
24:29 “Immediately after the suffering of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.
24:30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
24:31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet blast, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Parable of the Fig Tree
24:32 “Learn this parable from the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near.
24:33 So also you, when you see all these things, know that he is near, right at the door.
24:34 I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.
24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
Be Ready!
24:36 “But as for that day and hour no one knows it – not even the angels in heaven – except the Father alone.
24:37 For just like the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be.
24:38 For in those days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark.
24:39 And they knew nothing until the flood came and took them all away. It will be the same at the coming of the Son of Man.
24:40 Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one left.
24:41 There will be two women grinding grain with a mill; one will be taken and one left.
24:42 “Therefore stay alert, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.
24:43 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been alert and would not have let his house be broken into.
24:44 Therefore you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.
The Faithful and Wise Slave
24:45 “Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their food at the proper time?
24:46 Blessed is that slave whom the master finds at work when he comes.
24:47 I tell you the truth, the master will put him in charge of all his possessions.
24:48 But if that evil slave should say to himself, ‘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, and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
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 of the virgins were foolish, and five were wise.
25:3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take extra olive oil with them.
25:4 But the wise ones took flasks of olive oil with their lamps.
25:5 When 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.’
25:7 Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
25:8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
25:9 ‘No,’ they replied. ‘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 the door was shut.
25:11 Later, the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’
25:12 But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I do not know you!’
25:13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The Parable of the Talents
25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them.
25:15 To one he gave five talents, 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 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 a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them.
25:20 The one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
25:21 His master answered, ‘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 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 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, ‘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, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest!
25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten.
25:29 For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.
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 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 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 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, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?
25:38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you?
25:39 When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’
25:40 And the king will answer them, ‘I tell you the truth, just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters of mine, you did it for me.’
25:41 “Then he will say 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, ‘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, ‘I tell you the truth, 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.”