Matthew 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

25:14 “For it is like a man going on a journey, who summoned his slaves ¹  and entrusted his property to them. 25:15 To ²  one he gave five talents, ³  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 ⁴  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 ⁵  a long time, the master of those slaves came and settled his accounts with them. 25:20 The ⁶  one who had received the five talents came and brought five more, saying, ‘Sir, ⁷  you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ 25:21 His master answered, ⁸  ‘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 ⁹  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 ¹⁰  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, ¹¹  ‘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, ¹²  and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! ¹³  25:28 Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. ¹⁴  25:29 For the one who has will be given more, ¹⁵  and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹⁶  25:30 And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

[25:14]  ¹ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 8:9.

[25:15]  ² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:15]  ³ sn A talent was equal to 6000 denarii. See the note on this term in 18:24.

[25:16]  ⁴ tn Grk “traded with them.”

[25:19]  ⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:20]  ⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:20]  ⁷ tn Grk Or “Lord; or “Master” (and so throughout this paragraph).

[25:21]  ⁸ tn Grk “His master said to him.”

[25:22]  ⁹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:25]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[25:26]  ¹¹ tn Grk “But answering, his master said to him.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:27]  ¹² tn For the translation “deposited my money with the bankers,” see L&N 57.216.

[25:27]  ¹³ sn That is, “If you really feared me you should have done a minimum to get what I asked for.”

[25:28]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “the ten talents.”

[25:29]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “to everyone who has, he will be given more.”

[25:29]  ¹⁶ 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.