Chapter 25

  Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be made like to ten virgins that having taken their torches, went forth to meet the bridegroom.  

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  And five of them were prudent and five foolish.  

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  They that were foolish took their torches and did not take oil with them;  

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  but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their torches.  

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  Now the bridegroom tarrying, they all grew heavy and slept.  

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  But in [the] middle of [the] night there was a cry, Behold, the bridegroom; go forth to meet him.  

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  Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their torches.  

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  And the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, for our torches are going out.  

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  But the prudent answered saying, [We cannot,] lest it might not suffice for us and for you. Go rather to those that sell, and buy for yourselves.  

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  But as they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and the [ones that were] ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.  

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  Afterwards come also the rest of the virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us;  

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  but he answering said, Verily I say unto you, I do not know you.  

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  Watch therefore, for ye know not the day nor the hour.  

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  For [it is] as [if] a man going away out of a country called his own bondmen and delivered to them his substance.  

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  And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to each according to his particular ability, and immediately went away out of the country.  

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  And he that had received the five talents went and trafficked with them, and made five other talents.  

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  In like manner also he that [had received] the two, [he also] gained two others.  

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  But he that had received the one went and dug in the earth, and hid the money of his lord.  

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  And after a long time the lord of those bondmen comes and reckons with them.  

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  And he that had received the five talents came to [him] and brought five other talents, saying, [My] lord, thou deliveredst me five talents; behold, I have gained five other talents besides them.  

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  His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter into the joy of thy lord.  

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  And he also that had received the two talents came to [him] and said, [My] lord, thou deliveredst me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents besides them.  

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  His lord said to him, Well, good and faithful bondman, thou wast faithful over a few things, I will set thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.  

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  And he also that had received the one talent coming to [him] said, [My] lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hadst not sowed, and gathering from where thou hadst not scattered,  

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  and being afraid I went away and hid thy talent in the earth; behold, thou hast that which is thine.  

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  And his lord answering said to him, Wicked and slothful bondman, thou knewest that I reap where I had not sowed, and gather from where I had not scattered;  

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  thou oughtest then to have put my money to the money-changers, and when I came I should have got what is mine with interest.  

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  Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that has the ten talents:  

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  for to every one that has shall be given, and he shall be in abundance; but from him that has not, that even which he has shall be taken from him.  

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  And cast out the useless bondman into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.  

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  But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit down upon his throne of glory,  

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  and all the nations shall be gathered before him; and he shall separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;  

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  and he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on [his] left.  

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  Then shall the King say to those on his right hand, Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from [the] world's foundation:  

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  for I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in;  

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  naked, and ye clothed me; I was ill, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came to me.  

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  Then shall the righteous answer him saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, and nourished thee; or thirsting, and gave thee to drink?  

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  and when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in; or naked, and clothed thee?  

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  and when saw we thee ill, or in prison, and came to thee?  

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  And the King answering shall say to them, Verily, I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me.  

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  Then shall he say also to those on the left, Go from me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:  

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  for I hungered, and ye gave me not to eat; I thirsted, and ye gave me not to drink;  

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  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; naked, and ye did not clothe me; ill, and in prison, and ye did not visit me.  

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  Then shall they also answer saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungering, or thirsting, or a stranger, or naked, or ill, or in prison, and have not ministered to thee?  

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  Then shall he answer them saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have not done it to one of these least, neither have ye done it to me.  

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  And these shall go away into eternal punishment, and the righteous into life eternal.  

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