Matthew 25 - English Standard Version Anglicised (ESVUK)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ^(A)ten virgins who took their lamps^[a] and went to meet ^(B)the bridegroom.^{[b] 2} Five of them were foolish, and five were ^(C)wise. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom ^(D)was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But ^(E)at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and ^(F)trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and ^(G)those who were ready went in with him to ^(H)the marriage feast, and ^(I)the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, ^(J)‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ^{12 (K)}But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, ^(L)I do not know you.’ ^{13 (M)}Watch therefore, for you ^(N)know neither the day nor the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

^{14 (O)}“For ^(P)it will be like a man ^(Q)going on a journey, who called his servants^[c] and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five ^(R)talents,^[d] to another two, to another one, ^(S)to each according to his ability. Then he ^(T)went away. ¹⁶ He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. ¹⁷ So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. ¹⁸ But he who had received the one talent went and ^(U)dug in the ground and hid his master's money. ¹⁹ Now ^(V)after a long time the master of those servants came and ^(W)settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here I have made five talents more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and ^(X)faithful servant.^{[e] (Y)}You have been faithful over a little; ^(Z)I will set you over much. Enter into ^(AA)the joy of your master.’ ²² And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here I have made two talents more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ ²⁴ He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be ^(AB)a hard man, reaping ^(AC)where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here ^(AD)you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You ^(AE)wicked and ^(AF)slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. ^{29 (AG)}For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. ³⁰ And ^(AH)cast ^(AI)the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place ^(AJ)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Final Judgement

^{31 (AK)}“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, ^(AL)then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him ^(AM)will be gathered ^(AN)all the nations, and ^(AO)he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates ^(AP)the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then ^(AQ)the King will say to ^(AR)those on his right, ‘Come, you ^(AS)who are blessed by my Father, ^(AT)inherit ^(AU)the kingdom ^(AV)prepared for you ^(AW)from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For ^(AX)I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you ^(AY)gave me drink, ^(AZ)I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ^{36 (BA)}I was naked and you clothed me, ^(BB)I was sick and you ^(BC)visited me, ^(BD)I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And ^(BE)the King will answer them, ^(BF)‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these ^(BG)my brothers,^[f] you did it to me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ^(BH)‘Depart from me, you ^(BI)cursed, into ^(BJ)the eternal fire prepared for ^(BK)the devil and his angels. ⁴² For ^(BL)I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, ^(BM)you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away ^(BN)into eternal punishment, but the righteous ^(BO)into ^(BP)eternal life.”

Footnotes

1. Matthew 25:1 Or torches
2. Matthew 25:1 Some manuscripts add and the bride
3. Matthew 25:14 Greek bondservants; also verse 19
4. Matthew 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a labourer
5. Matthew 25:21 Greek bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30
6. Matthew 25:40 Or brothers and sisters

Cross references

1. Matthew 25:1 : Luke 19:13
2. Matthew 25:1 : ch. 9:15; John 3:29; Rev. 19:7; 21:2, 9
3. Matthew 25:2 : [See ch. 24:45 above]; ch. 7:24; 10:16; 25:2
4. Matthew 25:5 : ch. 24:48; [ver. 19; Heb. 10:37; 2 Pet. 3:4, 9]
5. Matthew 25:6 : Mark 13:35
6. Matthew 25:7 : [Luke 12:35]
7. Matthew 25:10 : ch. 24:44
8. Matthew 25:10 : ch. 22:2
9. Matthew 25:10 : For ver. 10-12, [Luke 13:25-27]
10. Matthew 25:11 : [ch. 7:22, 23]
11. Matthew 25:12 : [See ver. 11 above]; [ch. 7:22, 23]
12. Matthew 25:12 : ch. 10:33; [2 Tim. 2:19]
13. Matthew 25:13 : ch. 24:42
14. Matthew 25:13 : [ch. 24:50]
15. Matthew 25:14 : For ver. 14-30, [Luke 19:12-27]
16. Matthew 25:14 : [Mark 13:34]
17. Matthew 25:14 : ch. 21:33
18. Matthew 25:15 : ch. 18:24
19. Matthew 25:15 : [Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:11; Eph. 4:7; 1 Pet. 4:10]
20. Matthew 25:15 : [See ver. 14 above]; ch. 21:33
21. Matthew 25:18 : [ch. 13:44]
22. Matthew 25:19 : [ver. 5]
23. Matthew 25:19 : ch. 18:23; Rom. 14:12; [Luke 16:2]
24. Matthew 25:21 : ver. 23; ch. 24:45
25. Matthew 25:21 : Luke 16:10; 1 Cor. 4:2; [1 Tim. 3:13]
26. Matthew 25:21 : ch. 24:47
27. Matthew 25:21 : Heb. 12:2; [John 15:11]
28. Matthew 25:24 : 1 Sam. 25:3
29. Matthew 25:24 : [2 Cor. 8:12]
30. Matthew 25:25 : ch. 20:14
31. Matthew 25:26 : ch. 18:32; Prov. 20:4; Rom. 12:11
32. Matthew 25:26 : ch. 18:32; Prov. 20:4; Rom. 12:11
33. Matthew 25:29 : [Luke 12:48]; See ch. 13:12
34. Matthew 25:30 : See ch. 8:12
35. Matthew 25:30 : [Luke 17:10]
36. Matthew 25:30 : See ch. 8:12
37. Matthew 25:31 : See ch. 16:27, 28
38. Matthew 25:31 : ch. 19:28
39. Matthew 25:32 : [ch. 24:31]
40. Matthew 25:32 : Joel 3:12; [ch. 24:14; 28:19]
41. Matthew 25:32 : ch. 13:49
42. Matthew 25:32 : Ezek. 34:17
43. Matthew 25:34 : ver. 40; Luke 19:38; Rev. 17:14; 19:16; [Isa. 6:5]
44. Matthew 25:34 : 1 Kgs. 2:19; Ps. 45:9; 110:1
45. Matthew 25:34 : [Ps. 37:22; Isa. 65:23; Eph. 1:3]
46. Matthew 25:34 : ch. 19:29; Rev. 21:7
47. Matthew 25:34 : Luke 12:32; 22:29
48. Matthew 25:34 : ch. 20:23; [1 Cor. 2:9; Heb. 11:16]
49. Matthew 25:34 : See ch. 13:35
50. Matthew 25:35 : Isa. 58:7; Ezek. 18:7, 16; [James 2:15, 16]
51. Matthew 25:35 : ch. 10:42
52. Matthew 25:35 : Job 31:32; Rom. 12:13; Heb. 13:1, 2; 3 John 5
53. Matthew 25:36 : [See ver. 35 above]; Isa. 58:7; Ezek. 18:7, 16; [James 2:15, 16]
54. Matthew 25:36 : [Luke 10:33, 34]
55. Matthew 25:36 : James 1:27
56. Matthew 25:36 : 2 Tim. 1:16; [Heb. 10:34; 13:3]
57. Matthew 25:40 : ver. 34
58. Matthew 25:40 : See ch. 10:40, 42
59. Matthew 25:40 : ch. 28:10; John 20:17; Rom. 8:29; Heb. 2:11; [ch. 12:50]
60. Matthew 25:41 : ch. 7:23
61. Matthew 25:41 : [Heb. 6:8]
62. Matthew 25:41 : ch. 13:40, 42; 18:8; Mark 9:43, 48; Jude 7; [Luke 16:24]; See 2 Thess. 1:8
63. Matthew 25:41 : 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:7
64. Matthew 25:42 : Job 22:7
65. Matthew 25:45 : [Luke 10:16; Acts 9:5; 1 Cor. 8:12]
66. Matthew 25:46 : Dan. 12:2; [John 5:29; Acts 24:15]
67. Matthew 25:46 : Dan. 12:2; [John 5:29; Acts 24:15]
68. Matthew 25:46 : Rom. 2:7; 5:21; 6:23