Matthew 25

1"At that time, God's kingdom will be like ten young women who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

Note"The kingdom of heaven" is Matthew's regular phrase for what the other Gospels call the kingdom of God. Jewish writers of the time often said "heaven" in place of the name of God out of reverence, and the word translated "kingdom" means a reign or rule rather than a territory. The "virgins" are unmarried young women serving as the bride's attendants; the King James word describes their unmarried status and is not a comment on their conduct. At a Jewish wedding the groom came in procession, often at night, to fetch the bride from her family's house to his own, and the attendants met the procession and escorted it with lamps.

2Five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3The foolish ones took their lamps, but they did not bring any extra oil with them.

3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

NoteThe lamps are small clay oil lamps, or possibly rag torches, burning olive oil. Either kind holds only a few hours' worth of fuel, so anyone expecting a long wait carries a separate flask of oil to refill it.

4But the wise ones brought jars of oil along with their lamps.

4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5The bridegroom was slow in coming, so they all got sleepy and fell asleep.

5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6At midnight someone shouted, 'Look, the bridegroom is coming! Come out and meet him!'

6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7Then all those young women woke up and got their lamps ready.

7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

Note"Trimmed their lamps" means they pulled the wick up, pinched off the charred end so it would burn clean instead of smoking, and topped up the oil.

8The foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.'

8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9But the wise ones answered, 'No. There may not be enough for us and for you. Go instead to the people who sell oil, and buy some for yourselves.'

9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

NoteOil was an ordinary household commodity, sold by neighbors and small dealers rather than only in a market open by day, so a late errand to buy some is not as far fetched as it sounds to a modern reader. Whether anyone would actually be selling at midnight is left unaddressed by the story.

10While they were gone to buy the oil, the bridegroom came. The ones who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

NoteA wedding celebration ran for days and the feast was the center of it. Shutting the door is the normal end of the reception of guests, not an unusual cruelty: once the procession was inside, the house was closed for the night.

11Later the other young women came too. They said, 'Sir, sir, open the door for us!'

11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

NoteThe word behind "Lord, Lord" is the everyday Greek word of respectful address. It can mean simply "sir", or the owner of a household, or the Lord; the same word is used of the master in the next parable.

12But he answered, 'I tell you the truth, I do not know you.'

12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

Note"I know you not" is a formal phrase of disowning rather than a statement about memory. It means "I do not recognize you as one of mine", the kind of thing a householder says to people with no claim on him.

13So stay awake and watch, because you do not know the day or the hour when the Son of Man will come.

13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

Note"Son of man" is the title Jesus regularly uses of himself in the Gospels. It can mean simply "a human being", and it also echoes Daniel 7:13, where "one like the Son of man" comes with the clouds of heaven and is given authority over all peoples.

14"God's kingdom is like a man who was about to travel to a country far away. He called in his own servants and put his property in their care.

14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

NoteThe "servants" are household slaves. In the Roman world a trusted slave could manage a wealthy man's property, trade on his behalf and handle large sums, which is why the master hands over his whole estate to them while he is away.

15He gave one servant five talents of money, another two, and another one. He gave each servant an amount that matched what that servant was able to handle. Then he left on his trip.

15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

NoteA talent was a unit of weight, not a coin: roughly seventy five pounds of silver, worth about six thousand denarii, and a denarius was a day's pay for a laborer. One talent is therefore something like twenty years' wages, and five talents is a fortune. The English word "talent" meaning a natural ability comes from later readings of this parable; in the story itself it means only money.

16The servant who got the five talents went right away and put the money to work, and he made five more talents.

16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17In the same way, the one who got two talents made two more.

17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18But the servant who got one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money.

18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.

NoteBurying valuables was a recognized way of keeping money safe, and Jewish legal tradition held that someone who buried a deposit in the ground had taken proper care of it and was not liable if it was stolen. The servant is doing the cautious, defensible thing, not something obviously negligent.

19After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.

19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20The one who had gotten five talents came and brought five more. He said, 'Master, you put five talents in my care. Look, I have made five more.'

20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21His master said to him, 'Well done, you good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things, so I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's joy.'

21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

Note"Enter thou into the joy of thy lord" can be heard two ways, and the Greek leaves both open: come and share the master's own gladness, or come in and join the celebration he is holding.

22The one who had gotten two talents also came. He said, 'Master, you put two talents in my care. Look, I have made two more.'

22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful with a few things, so I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's joy.'

23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24Then the servant who had gotten the one talent came. He said, 'Master, I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest where you did not plant, and you gather where you did not scatter seed.

24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

Note"An hard man" means harsh and demanding, a tough master to work for. "Strawed" is an old spelling of "strewed", meaning scattered. Reaping where you did not sow was a proverbial way of describing someone who takes the profit from other people's labor.

25So I was afraid. I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have back what belongs to you.'

25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26His master answered him, 'You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I harvest where I did not plant, and gather where I did not scatter seed.

26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27Then you should have put my money in the bank, and when I came back I would have gotten my money back with interest.

27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

NoteThe "exchangers" are bankers or money dealers, who took deposits and paid a return on them. "Usury" in 1611 English meant interest of any kind, not excessive or predatory interest, so the King James wording does not imply the master is asking for something shady.

28So take the talent away from him, and give it to the servant who has ten talents.

28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have plenty. But from the one who has nothing, even what he does have will be taken away.

29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30And throw that useless servant outside into the dark, where people will cry and grind their teeth.'

30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Note"Outer darkness" is the darkness outside the lit house where the feast is going on, the night beyond the doorway. "Gnashing of teeth" is grinding the teeth together, a physical sign of rage or of anguish.

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels come with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.

31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32All the nations will be gathered in front of him, and he will separate the people from one another, the way a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

NoteSheep and goats were pastured together in mixed flocks and routinely sorted out, often at evening because goats needed more shelter from the cold. The image is an ordinary daily chore that any listener would have watched done, not a comment on the worth of either animal.

33He will put the sheep on his right side and the goats on his left.

33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

NoteThe right hand was the side of honor and favor in the ancient world; the left was the lesser side. Placing someone on the right of a seated ruler was a public mark of standing.

34Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Take what is yours: the kingdom that has been ready for you since the world was made.

34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

Note"Inherit" means receive as an heir, as property passes to a son, rather than earn or win. "From the foundation of the world" means since the world was founded or laid down.

35For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me in.

35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Note"Meat" in 1611 English means food of any kind, not flesh in particular, so "ye gave me meat" means you fed me. "An hungred" is simply an old form of hungry. A "stranger" is a foreigner or a traveler with no household of his own in the place; inns were few, expensive and often dangerous, so taking in such a traveler was a basic and expected duty.

36I had no clothes and you clothed me. I was sick and you cared for me. I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Note"Naked" in Greek and in older English can mean stripped down to an undergarment or badly clothed, not necessarily wearing nothing. Ancient prisons supplied no food, bedding or clothing, so a prisoner depended on friends and family bringing these in; "visited me" means came and looked after me, and was a practical lifeline rather than a social call.

37Then the ones who did what was right will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?

37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you in, or with no clothes and clothe you?

38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39When did we see you sick or in prison and come to visit you?'

39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40And the King will answer them, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Note"Brethren" translates the ordinary Greek word for brothers, which covers the members of a family or group and can include women. Who "these my brethren" are has been read both as anyone in need and as Jesus' own followers or messengers, and the wording here does not settle the question.

41Then he will also say to those on his left, 'Get away from me, you who are cursed. Go into the fire that never ends, which was made ready for the devil and his angels.

41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink.

42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me in. I had no clothes and you did not clothe me. I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.'

43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44Then they too will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or without clothes or sick or in prison, and not help you?'

44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

Note"Minister unto thee" means wait on you, serve you, look after your needs.

45Then he will answer them, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least important of these, you did not do for me.'

45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46And these will go away into punishment that never ends, but the ones who did what was right will go into life that never ends."

46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

NoteThe same Greek word, aionios, stands behind both "everlasting punishment" and "life eternal" in this verse. It is built on the word for an age or era and means belonging to the age to come; English translations have rendered it "everlasting" and "eternal" interchangeably, and the verse uses one word for both halves of the sentence.