Matthew 25

1Jesus said: In the future when God in heaven rules over all, it will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom before the wedding.

2Five of the girls were foolish, and five were wise.

3The five foolish girls took their lamps, but they did not take extra oil for the lamps.

4The five wise girls took their lamps and also jars of oil.

5The bridegroom was late, and all the girls became sleepy and they started to sleep.

6At midnight someone shouted: The bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him.

7Then all ten girls woke up and made their lamps ready.

8The foolish girls said to the wise girls: Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.

9The wise girls answered: No, the oil we have might not be enough for all of us. But go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.

10So the foolish girls went to buy oil. While they were gone, the bridegroom came. The girls who were ready went in with the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Then the door was closed.

11When they came back, the door was closed and they shouted: Sir, sir, open the door for us.

12But the bridegroom said: I am telling you this and it is true: I do not know you.

13You must be ready, because you do not know what day and what time of the day the Son of Man will come.

14Jesus said: In the future when God in heaven rules over all, it is like when a man went away from his home to another country. He called his servants and told them to look after his money.

15He gave five bags of gold to the first servant, two bags of gold to the second servant, and one bag of gold to the third servant.

16The servant who got five bags of gold started to buy and sell many things and he got five more bags of gold, so then he had ten bags of gold.

17The servant with two bags of gold did the same and he got two more bags of gold, so then he had four bags of gold.

18But the servant who had one bag of gold dug a hole in the ground and he hid his master's money.

19After a long time the master of the servants came back and asked the servants what they had done with his money.

20The servant who got five bags of gold brought the ten bags of gold and he said: Sir, you gave me five bags of gold. Here are another five bags of gold that I have worked for.

21His master said: Good Job. You are a good servant who can be trusted. You did well with that small amount of money. I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my happiness with me.

22The servant who got two bags of gold came with the four bags of gold and he said: Sir, you gave me two bags of gold. Here are another two bags of gold that I have worked for.

23His master said: That is good. You are a good servant. You did what I wanted. You have worked well with the little money that I gave you. Now I will give you much to work with. Come in and be happy with me, your master.

24The servant who got one bag of gold came and said: Sir, I know you are a very hard-working man. You harvest wheat that you did not plant. You cut wheat where you did not sow any seeds.

25I was afraid, so I buried the money and hid it under the ground. Here is the one bag of gold that you gave me. It belongs to you.

26His master said: You are a bad and lazy servant. You know I harvest wheat where I did not plant seeds and I cut wheat where I did not sow any seeds.

27Why did you not put my money in the bank? Then when I came home, the bank would have given me more money.

28He said to his other servants: Take the money away from him and give it to the servant who has ten bags of gold.

29I will give more to everyone who has something, then he will have a lot more. But I will take away from anyone who does not have anything. I will take away what he has.

30Then the master said: Throw that useless servant outside into the darkness, where people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.

31Jesus said: The Son of Man will come again with greatness, and all His angels will come with Him. He will sit as king on His great and glorious throne.

32Then all the nations will come together before me, and I will separate all the people into two groups like a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats.

33I will put the sheep on my right-hand side and the goats on my left-hand side.

34Then the king will say to the godly people on His right, Come, my Father has great blessings for you. The kingdom He promised is now yours. It has been prepared for you since the world was made.

35When I was hungry, you gave me food to eat and when I was thirsty, you gave me water to drink. When I was a stranger, you welcomed me into your house.

36I did not have any clothes and you gave me clothes to wear. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in jail, and you visited me.

37Then the godly people will answer: Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink?

38When did we see that You were a stranger and when did we welcome You into our homes? When did we see that You had no clothes and when did we give You clothes to wear?

39When did we see that You were sick or in jail and when did we visit You?

40Then the king will answer: The truth is, anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.

41Then the king will say to the evil people on His left: Go away from me. God has punished you. You will go into the fire that burns forever. God has made that fire for the devil and his angels.

42I was hungry, you gave me no food to eat and when I was thirsty, you gave me no water to drink.

43I was a stranger, and you did not welcome me into your home and when I had no clothes, you did not give me clothes to wear. I was sick and in jail and you did not come to visit me.

44Then the people on His left-hand side will ask the King: Lord, when did we see that You were hungry or thirsty, or when were You a stranger and did not have clothes? When were You sick or in jail? When did we not help You?

45The king will answer: The truth is, anything you refused to do for any of my people here, you refused to do for me.

46Then these evil people will go away to be punished forever. But the godly people will go and enjoy eternal life.