Matthew

¹“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³Those who were foolish took their lamps but brought no oil along with them, ⁴whereas the wise ones brought oil in their vessels along with their lamps. ⁵Now since the bridegroom was late, they all became tired and fell asleep. ⁶But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.^{347 8}The foolish virgins said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil because our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But the wise virgins answered: ‘What if there is not enough for us and you?³⁴⁸ But go rather to those who sell [oil] and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰While they went away to buy [oil], the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and then the door was shut. ¹¹Afterwards, the other virgins also arrived and said: ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ ¹²But he answered, ‘Amen, I tell you that I do not know you!’ ¹³Watch therefore, for you do not know the day or the hour <that the Son of Man is coming.>³⁴⁹

The parable of the talents

¹⁴Indeed, the Kingdom³⁵⁰ is like a man who was leaving for another country. He called his own slaves³⁵¹ and entrusted his goods to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. And immediately he went on a journey. ¹⁶Then the one who received five talents went off, did business with them and earned another five talents. ¹⁷And in the same way, the one who had received two gained another two. ¹⁸But the slave³⁵² who received one talent went off, dug [a hole] in the ground and hid his lord’s money.

¹⁹After a long time, the lord of those slaves returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰The one who had received the five talents came forward and brought another five talents, saying: ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five!’

²¹The lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord!’

²²The one who had received the two talents also came forward and said, ‘Lord, you entrusted me with two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents!’

²³The lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord!’

²⁴The one who had received one talent now came forward and said, ‘Lord, I knew³⁵³ you, that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter. ²⁵I was afraid! I went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours!’

²⁶But his lord answered, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You understood that I reap where I did not sow, and that I gather where I did not scatter. ²⁷And so, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming, I would have received it back with interest. ²⁸Therefore, take away the talent from this one, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. ²⁹For to everyone who has, [more] will be given and he will have in abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰Throw out the unprofitable slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

The judgment—The sheep and the goats

³¹”But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another, just as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will place the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. ³⁴Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of my Father! Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world! ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me food to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in. ³⁶I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me.’

³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, saying: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you a drink? ³⁸When did we see you as a stranger and take you in; or naked, and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick, or in prison, and visit you?’

⁴⁰The King will answer them, ‘Amen, I tell you: as much as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren,³⁵⁴ you did it to me.’ ⁴¹Then he will also say to those on his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels! ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me no food; I was thirsty and you gave me no drink; ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not receive me; naked, and you did not clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.’

⁴⁴Then they will answer him: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵Then he will answer them, saying: ‘Amen, I tell you: as much as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶These [ones on the left] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

The passion announced again—The plot against Jesus

347. The end of the wick of an oil lamp needs to be cut off periodically to avoid having it become clogged with carbon deposits. The wick height is also adjusted so that the flame burns evenly and gives good light without producing a lot of smoke.
348. CT reads “it is certain that there will not be enough”
349. This clause is absent from the CT and also from most Byzantine manuscripts (the printed Majority Text editions omit it); it is retained here in <> because it is part of the Patriarchal Text.
350. Greek “it”
351. Or “servants”
352. Greek “the one”
353. Or “perceived”
354. Or “brothers”