Matthew
25
New
Century Version (NCV)
A Story
About Ten Bridesmaids
25 “At that
time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps
and went to wait for the bridegroom.
2 Five of
them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The five
foolish bridesmaids took their lamps, but they did not take more oil for the
lamps to burn.
4 The wise
bridesmaids took their lamps and more oil in jars.
5 Because
the bridegroom was late, they became sleepy and went to sleep.
6 “At
midnight someone cried out, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come and meet him!’
7 Then all
the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready.
8 But the
foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are
going out.’
9 The wise
bridesmaids answered, ‘No, the oil we have might not be enough for all of us.
Go to the people who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “So while
the five foolish bridesmaids went to buy oil, the bridegroom came. The
bridesmaids who were ready went in with the bridegroom to the wedding feast.
Then the door was closed and locked.
11 “Later
the others came back and said, ‘Sir, sir, open the door to let us in.’
12 But the
bridegroom answered, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t want to know you.’
13 “So
always be ready, because you don’t know the day or the hour the Son of Man will
come.
A Story
About Three Servants
14 “The
kingdom of heaven is like a man who was going to another place for a visit.
Before he left, he called for his servants and told them to take care of his
things while he was gone.
15 He gave
one servant five bags of gold, another servant two bags of gold, and a third
servant one bag of gold, to each one as much as he could handle. Then he left.
16 The
servant who got five bags went quickly to invest the money and earned five more
bags.
17 In the
same way, the servant who had two bags invested them and earned two more.
18 But the
servant who got one bag went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid the
master’s money.
19 “After a
long time the master came home and asked the servants what they did with his
money.
20 The
servant who was given five bags of gold brought five more bags to the master
and said, ‘Master, you trusted me to care for five bags of gold, so I used your
five bags to earn five more.
21 The
master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you
were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come
and share my joy with me.’
22 “Then the
servant who had been given two bags of gold came to the master and said,
‘Master, you gave me two bags of gold to care for, so I used your two bags to
earn two more.’
23 The
master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you
were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come
and share my joy with me.’
24 “Then the
servant who had been given one bag of gold came to the master and said,
‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man. You harvest things you did not plant.
You gather crops where you did not sow any seed.
25 So I was
afraid and went and hid your money in the ground. Here is your bag of gold.’
26 The
master answered, ‘You are a wicked and lazy servant! You say you knew that I
harvest things I did not plant and that I gather crops where I did not sow any
seed.
27 So you
should have put my gold in the bank. Then, when I came home, I would have
received my gold back with interest.’
28 “So the
master told his other servants, ‘Take the bag of gold from that servant and
give it to the servant who has ten bags of gold.
29 Those who
have much will get more, and they will have much more than they need. But those
who do not have much will have everything taken away from them.’
30 Then the
master said, ‘Throw that useless servant outside, into the darkness where
people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.’
The King Will Judge All
People
31 “The Son
of Man will come again in his great glory, with all his angels. He will be King
and sit on his great throne.
32 All the
nations of the world will be gathered before him, and he will separate them
into two groups as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 The Son
of Man will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the
King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has given you his
blessing. Receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was
made.
35 I was
hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to
drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house.
36 I was
without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared
for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then the
good people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food,
or thirsty and give you something to drink?
38 When did
we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we
see you without clothes and give you something to wear?
39 When did
we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’
40 “Then the
King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you did for even the least of
my people here, you also did for me.’
41 “Then the
King will say to those on his left, ‘Go away from me. You will be punished. Go
into the fire that burns forever that was prepared for the devil and his
angels.
42 I was
hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing
to drink.
43 I was
alone and away from home, and you did not invite me into your house. I was
without clothes, and you gave me nothing to wear. I was sick and in prison, and
you did not care for me.’
44 “Then
those people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or alone
and away from home or without clothes or sick or in prison? When did we see
these things and not help you?’
45 “Then the
King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, anything you refused to do for even
the least of my people here, you refused to do for me.’
46 “These
people will go off to be punished forever, but the good people will go to live
forever.”
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