“Then ^athe kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their ^blamps and went to ¹meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish thoughtless, silly, and careless, and five were ^awise far-sighted, practical, and sensible. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any extra oil with them, 4 but the ^awise took flasks of oil along with their lamps. 5 Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all began to nod off, and they fell asleep. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! The bridegroom is coming! Go out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order trimmed the wicks and added oil and lit them. 8 But the foolish virgins said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the ^awise replied, ‘No, otherwise there will not be enough for us and for you, too; go instead to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves.’ 10 But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ^aready went in with him to ^bthe wedding feast; and ^cthe door was shut and locked. 11 Later the others also came, and said, ‘^aLord, Lord, open the door for us.’ 12 But He replied, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you we have no relationship.’ 13 ^aTherefore, be on the alert be prepared and ready, for you do not know the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.

14 “^aFor it is just like a man who was about ^bto take a journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his possessions. Luke 19:12-27 15 To one he gave five ^1atalents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and then he ^bwent on his journey. 16 The one who had received the five ^atalents went at once and traded with them, and he made a profit and gained five more. 17 Likewise the one who had two made a profit and gained two more. 18 But the one who had received the one went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and ^asettled accounts with them. 20 And the one who had received the five ^atalents came and brought him five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted to me five talents. See, I have made a profit and gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and ^afaithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will ^bput you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’

22 “Also the one who had the two ^atalents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have made a profit and gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and ^afaithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’

24 “The one who had received one ^atalent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a harsh and demanding man, reaping the harvest where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed. 25 So I was afraid to lose the talent, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is your own.’

26 “But his master answered him, ‘You wicked, lazy servant, you knew that I reap the harvest where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers, and at my return I would have received my money back with interest. 28 So take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

29 “^aFor to everyone who has and values his blessings and gifts from God, and has used them wisely, more will be given, and he will be richly supplied so that he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have because he has ignored or disregarded his blessings and gifts from God, even what he does have will be taken away. Matt 13:12; Luke 19:26 30 And throw out the worthless servant into ^athe outer darkness; in that place of grief and torment there will be weeping over sorrow and pain and grinding of teeth over distress and anger.

31 “But when ^athe Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then ^bHe will sit on the throne of His glory. Rev 20:4-6 32 All the nations will be ^agathered before Him for judgment; and He will separate them from one another, ^bas a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats; Ezek 34:17 33 and He will put the sheep ^aon His right the place of honor, and the goats ^bon His left the place of rejection.

34 “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father you favored of God, appointed to eternal salvation, ^ainherit the kingdom prepared for you ^bfrom the foundation of the world. 35 For ^aI was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; ^bI was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 I was ^anaked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you ^bvisited Me with help and ministering care; ^cI was in prison, and you came to Me ignoring personal danger.’ Is 58:7 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? 38 And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 ^aThe King will answer and say to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, ^bto the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it for Me.’ Prov 19:17

41 “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘^aLeave Me, you cursed ones, into the ^beternal fire which has been prepared for ^cthe devil and his angels (demons) ; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me with help and ministering care.’ 44 Then they also in their turn will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will reply to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these my followers, you did not do it for Me.’ Prov 14:31; 17:5 46 Then these unbelieving people will go away into ^aeternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God will go, by His remarkable grace into ^beternal (unending) life.” Dan 12:2