Matthew 25 :: New International Version (NIV)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Mat 25:1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Mat 25:2

Mat 25:2Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

Mat 25:3

Mat 25:3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them.

Mat 25:4

Mat 25:4The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps.

Mat 25:5

Mat 25:5The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

Mat 25:6

Mat 25:6“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

Mat 25:7

Mat 25:7“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.

Mat 25:8

Mat 25:8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’

Mat 25:9

Mat 25:9“ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

Mat 25:10

Mat 25:10“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.

Mat 25:11

Mat 25:11“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

Mat 25:12

Mat 25:12“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’

Mat 25:13

Mat 25:13“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

The Parable of the Bags of Gold

(Luk 19:11–27 )

Mat 25:14

Mat 25:14“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them.

Mat 25:15

Mat 25:15To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[fn] each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey.

Mat 25:16

Mat 25:16The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more.

Mat 25:17

Mat 25:17So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more.

Mat 25:18

Mat 25:18But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

Mat 25:19

Mat 25:19“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.

Mat 25:20

Mat 25:20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

Mat 25:21

Mat 25:21“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Mat 25:22

Mat 25:22“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

Mat 25:23

Mat 25:23“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Mat 25:24

Mat 25:24“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

Mat 25:25

Mat 25:25So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

Mat 25:26

Mat 25:26“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed?

Mat 25:27

Mat 25:27Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

Mat 25:28

Mat 25:28“ ‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags.

Mat 25:29

Mat 25:29For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.

Mat 25:30

Mat 25:30And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Sheep and the Goats

Mat 25:31

Mat 25:31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.

Mat 25:32

Mat 25:32All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Mat 25:33

Mat 25:33He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

Mat 25:34

Mat 25:34“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.

Mat 25:35

Mat 25:35For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,

Mat 25:36

Mat 25:36I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Mat 25:37

Mat 25:37“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

Mat 25:38

Mat 25:38When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?

Mat 25:39

Mat 25:39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

Mat 25:40

Mat 25:40“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

Mat 25:41

Mat 25:41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Mat 25:42

Mat 25:42For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink,

Mat 25:43

Mat 25:43I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

Mat 25:44

Mat 25:44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

Mat 25:45

Mat 25:45“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

Mat 25:46

Mat 25:46“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”

See the NIV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

NIV Footnotes

(25:15)

Greek five talents ? two talents ? one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.

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