CHAPTER 25
1 Then the kingdom of heavens shall be like to ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went out to meet the husband and the wife;
2 and five of them were fools, and five (of them were) prudent.
3 But the five fools took their lamps, and took not oil with them;
4 but the prudent (ones) took oil in their vessels with the lamps.
5 And whiles the husband tarried, all they napped and slept [or all napped and slept].
6 But at midnight a cry was made, Lo! the spouse cometh, go ye out to meet with him [or go ye out to meet him].
7 Then all those virgins rose up, and arrayed their lamps.
8 And the fools said to the wise (ones), Give ye to us (some) of your oil, for our lamps be quenched.
9 The prudent (ones) answered, and said, Lest peradventure it suffice not to us and to you, go ye rather to men that sell (it), and buy to you (or and buy some for yourselves).
10 And while they went to buy (some), the spouse came; and those that were ready, entered [in] with him to the weddings; and the gate was shut.
11 And at the last the other virgins came, and said, Lord, lord, open to us.
12 And he answered, and said, Truly I say to you, I know you not. (And he answered, and said, I tell you the truth, I do not know you.)
13 Therefore wake ye, for ye know not the day nor the hour. (And so be on watch, or stay awake, for you do not know the day or the hour.)
14 For as a man that goeth [far] in pilgrimage, called his servants, and betook to them his goods, (or and gave his substance, or his assets, to them);
15 and to one he gave five bezants or five talents, to another twain, and to another one, to each after his own virtue; and he went forth anon. (and to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own power, or his own ability; and then he went forth at once.)
16 And he that had (received) five bezants [or five talents] went forth, and wrought in them, and won (an)other five. (And he who had received five talents went forth, and worked with them, and earned another five.)
17 Also and he that had taken twain, won (an)other twain (or earned another two).
18 But he that had taken one, went forth, and delved in the earth (or and dug in the ground), and hid the money of his lord.
19 But after (a) long time, the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them.
20 And he that had taken five bezants, came, and brought (an)other five, and said, Lord, thou betookest to me five bezants, lo! I have gotten above five others. [+And he that had taken five talents, nighing (or approaching), offered (an)other five, saying, Lord, thou betookest to me five talents, lo! I have gotten over (an)other five.](And he who had received five talents, came, and brought another five, and said, Lord, thou gavest to me five talents, behold! I have earned another five.)
21 His lord said to him, Well be thou, good servant and faithful, (or Well done, good and faithful servant); for on few things thou hast been true, [or thou hast been faithful], (now) I shall ordain thee on many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
22 And he that had taken two bezants, or two talents, came, and said, Lord, thou betookest to me two bezants; lo! I have won over (an)other twain. [+Forsooth he that had taken two talents, nighed (or approached), and said, Lord, thou betookest to me two talents, lo! I have gotten over (an)other two.](And he who had received two talents, came, and said, Lord, thou gavest to me two talents; behold! I have earned another two.)
23 His lord said to him, Well be thou, good servant and true [or good servant and faithful], (or Well done, good and faithful servant); for on few things thou hast been true, [or thou hast been faithful], (now) I shall ordain thee on many things; enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
24 But he that had taken one bezant [or one talent], came, and said, Lord, I know that thou art an hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and thou gatherest together where thou hast not spread abroad; (But he who had received one talent, came, and said, Lord, I know that thou art a hard man; thou harvestest where thou hast not sown, and thou gatherest together where thou hast not spread abroad;)
25 and I dreading (or and I greatly fearing thee), went, and hid thy bezant [or thy talent] in the earth; lo! thou hast that that is thine.
26 His lord answered, and said to him, Evil servant and slow, knewest thou that I reap where I sowed not, and gather together where I spreaded not abroad? (His master answered, and said to him, Wicked and lazy servant, knewest thou that I harvest where I did not sow, and gather together where I did not spread abroad?)
27 Therefore it behooved thee to betake my money to (money-)changers, that when I came, I should have received that that is mine with usuries. (And so it behooved thee to give my money to the money-changers, so that when I came back, I could have received what was mine with interest.)
28 Therefore take away from him the bezant, and give to him that hath ten bezants. [And so take away the talent from him, and give ye it to him that hath ten talents.]
29 For to every man that hath me shall give, and he shall increase [+or For to every man having it shall be given, and he shall have plenty, or increase]; but from him that hath not, also that that he seemeth to have, shall be taken away from him.
30 And cast ye out the unprofitable servant into outer-more [or uttermore] darknesses; there shall be weeping, and grinding of teeth.
31 When man’s Son shall come in his majesty, and all his angels with him, then he shall sit on the seat (or on the throne) of his majesty;
32 and all folks shall be gathered before him (or and all the nations and all the peoples shall be gathered before him), and he shall separate them [or he shall part them] atwain, as a shepherd separateth [or parteth] sheep from kids;
33 and he shall set the sheep on his right half, and the kids on the left half [or and the kids forsooth on his left half]. (and he shall set the sheep on his right side, and the goats on his left side.)
34 Then the king shall say to them, that shall be on his right half, Come ye, the blessed of my Father, take ye in possession the kingdom made ready to you from the making [or from the beginning] of the world. (Then the King shall say to those, who shall be on his right side, Come, the blessed of my Father, take into possession the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.)
35 For I hungered [or Forsooth I was hungry], and ye gave me (something) to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me (something) to drink; I was harbourless, and ye harboured me;
36 naked, and ye covered me; sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me.
37 Then just men shall answer to him, and say (or Then the righteous shall say to him), Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and we fed thee; thirsty, and we gave to thee, [or and we gave thee], (something to) drink?
38 and when saw we thee harbourless, and we harboured thee, [or when forsooth saw we thee harbourless, and we gathered thee to harbour]; or naked, and we covered thee?
39 or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and we came to thee?
40 And the king answering shall say to them, Truly I say to you (or I tell you the truth), as long as ye did (it) to one of these my least brethren, ye did (it) to me.
41 Then the king shall say also to them, that shall be on his left half, Depart from me, ye cursed, into (the) everlasting fire, that is made ready to the devil and his angels. (Then the King shall say to those, who shall be on his left side, Go away from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.)
42 For I hungered, and ye gave not me (anything) to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave not me (anything) to drink; [+For I hungered, and ye gave not to me (anything) to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave not to me (anything) to drink;]
43 I was harbourless, and ye harboured not me, [or I was harbourless, and ye gathered not me to harbour]; naked, and ye covered not me; sick, and in prison, and ye visited not me.
44 Then and they shall answer to him, and shall say, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, or thirsting, or harbourless, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and we served not to thee?
45 Then he shall answer to them, and say, Truly I say to you (or I tell you the truth), as long as ye did (it) not to one of these least (ones), neither ye did (it) to me [or ye did (it) not to me].
46 And these shall go into everlasting torment; but the just men shall go into everlasting life. (And they shall go into eternal torment; but the righteous shall go into eternal life.)