³² But of that [exact] day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son [in His humanity], but the Father alone.

³³ “Be on guard and stay constantly alert ^[a][and pray]; for you do not know when the appointed time will come. ³⁴ It is like a man away on a journey, who when he left home put his servants in charge, each with his particular task, and also ordered the doorkeeper to be continually alert. ³⁵ Therefore, be continually on the alert—for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— ³⁶ [stay alert,] in case he should come suddenly and unexpectedly and find you asleep and unprepared. ³⁷ What I say to you I say to everyone, ‘Be on the alert [stay awake and be continually cautious]!’”

³⁶ “But of that [exact] day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son [in His humanity], but the Father alone. ³⁷ For the coming of the Son of Man (the Messiah) will be just like the days of Noah. ³⁸ For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the [very] day when Noah entered the ark, ³⁹ and they did not know or understand until the flood came and swept them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be [unexpected judgment].^{(A) 40} At that time two men will be in the field; one will be ^[a]taken [for judgment] and one will be left. ⁴¹ Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken [for judgment] and one will be left.

Be Ready for His Coming

⁴² “So be alert [give strict attention, be cautious and active in faith], for you do not know which day [whether near or far] your Lord is coming. ⁴³ But understand this: If the head of the house had known what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.^{(B) 44} Therefore, you [who follow Me] must also be ready; because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him.

⁴⁵ “Who then is the faithful and wise servant whom his master has put in charge of his household to give the others [in the house] their food and supplies at the proper time?^{(C) 46} Blessed is that [faithful] servant when his master returns and finds him doing so. ⁴⁷ I assure you and most solemnly say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. ⁴⁸ But if that servant is evil and says in his heart, ‘My master is taking his time [he will not return for a long while],’ ⁴⁹ and begins to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards; ⁵⁰ the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour of which he is not aware, ⁵¹ and will cut him in two and put him with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

³⁴ “But be on guard, so that your hearts are not weighed down and depressed with the giddiness of debauchery and the nausea of self-indulgence and the worldly worries of life, and then that day [when the Messiah returns] will not come on you suddenly like a trap; ³⁵ for it will come upon all those who live on the face of all the earth. ³⁶ But keep alert at all times [be attentive and ready], praying that you may have the strength and ability [to be found worthy and] to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand in the presence of the Son of Man [at His coming].”

³⁷ Now in the daytime Jesus was teaching in [the porches and courts of] the temple, but at night He would go out and spend the night on the mount that is called Olivet. ³⁸ And early in the morning all the people would come to Him in the temple to listen to Him.

Parable of Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps and went to ^[a]meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish [thoughtless, silly, and careless], and five were wise [far-sighted, practical, and sensible]. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they did not take any [extra] oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil along with their lamps. ⁵ Now while the bridegroom was delayed, they all began to nod off, and they fell asleep. ⁶ But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! The bridegroom [is coming]! Go out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins got up and put their own lamps in order [trimmed the wicks and added oil and lit them]. ⁸ But the foolish virgins said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise replied, ‘No, otherwise there will not be enough for us and for you, too; go instead to the dealers and buy oil for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ But while they were going away to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut and locked. ¹¹ Later the others also came, and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open [the door] for us.’ ¹² But He replied, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, I do not know you [we have no relationship].’ ¹³ Therefore, be on the alert [be prepared and ready], for you do not know the day nor the hour [when the Son of Man will come].

Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it is just like a man who was about to take a journey, and he called his servants together and entrusted them with his possessions.^{(A) 15} To one he gave five ^[b]talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The one who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he [made a profit and] gained five more. ¹⁷ Likewise the one who had two [made a profit and] gained two more. ¹⁸ But the one who had received the one went and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “Now after a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ And the one who had received the five talents came and brought him five more, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted to me five talents. See, I have [made a profit and] gained five more talents.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’

²² “Also the one who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have [made a profit and] gained two more talents.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful and trustworthy over a little, I will put you in charge of many things; share in the joy of your master.’

²⁴ “The one who had received one talent also came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a harsh and demanding man, reaping [the harvest] where you did not sow and gathering where you did not scatter seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid [to lose the talent], and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is your own.’

²⁶ “But his master answered him, ‘You wicked, lazy servant, you knew that I reap [the harvest] where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed. ²⁷ Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers, and at my return I would have received my money back with interest. ²⁸ So take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’

²⁹ “For to everyone who has [and values his blessings and gifts from God, and has used them wisely], more will be given, and [he will be richly supplied so that] he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have [because he has ignored or disregarded his blessings and gifts from God], even what he does have will be taken away.^{(B) 30} And throw out the worthless servant into the outer darkness; in that place [of grief and torment] there will be weeping [over sorrow and pain] and grinding of teeth [over distress and anger].

The Judgment

³¹ “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory and majesty and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.^{(C) 32} All the nations will be gathered before Him [for judgment]; and He will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats;^{(D) 33} and He will put the sheep on His right [the place of honor], and the goats on His left [the place of rejection].

³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father [you favored of God, appointed to eternal salvation], inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For 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; ³⁶ I was naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me [with help and ministering care]; I was in prison, and you came to Me [ignoring personal danger].’^{(E) 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? ³⁸ And when did we see You as a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? ³⁹ And when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ ⁴⁰ The King will answer and say to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did it for one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it for Me.’^(F)

⁴¹ “Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Leave Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels (demons); ⁴² for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; ⁴³ I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me [with help and ministering care].’ ⁴⁴ Then they also [in their turn] will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or as a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ ⁴⁵ Then He will reply to them, ‘I assure you and most solemnly say to you, to the extent that you did not do it for one of the least of these [my followers], you did not do it for Me.’^{(G) 46} Then these [unbelieving people] will go away into eternal (unending) punishment, but those who are righteous and in right standing with God [will go, by His remarkable grace] into eternal (unending) life.”^(H)