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Matthew 25:14-30
The Message
Matthew 25:14-30
The Message
The Story About Investment
14-18 “It’s also like a man going off on an extended trip. He called his servants together and delegated responsibilities. To one he gave five thousand dollars, to another two thousand, to a third one thousand, depending on their abilities. Then he left. Right off, the first servant went to work and doubled his master’s investment. The second did the same. But the man with the single thousand dug a hole and carefully buried his master’s money.
19-21 “After a long absence, the master of those three servants came back and settled up with them. The one given five thousand dollars showed him how he had doubled his investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
22-23 “The servant with the two thousand showed how he also had doubled his master’s investment. His master commended him: ‘Good work! You did your job well. From now on be my partner.’
24-25 “The servant given one thousand said, ‘Master, I know you have high standards and hate careless ways, that you demand the best and make no allowances for error. I was afraid I might disappoint you, so I found a good hiding place and secured your money. Here it is, safe and sound down to the last cent.’
26-27 “The master was furious. ‘That’s a terrible way to live! It’s criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.
28-30 “‘Take the thousand and give it to the one who risked the most. And get rid of this “play-it-safe” who won’t go out on a limb. Throw him out into utter darkness.’
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Matthew 25:14-30
New International Version
Matthew 25:14-30
New International Version
The Parable of the Bags of Gold(A)
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,(B) who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability.(C) Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.(D) 20 The 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.’
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.(E) Come and share your master’s happiness!’
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.’
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.(F) Come and share your master’s happiness!’
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. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
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? 27 Well 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.
28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For 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.(G) 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’(H)
Footnotes
- Matthew 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.
Matthew 25:14-30
English Standard Version
Matthew 25:14-30
English Standard Version
The Parable of the Talents
14 (A)“For (B)it will be like a man (C)going on a journey, who called his servants[a] and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five (D)talents,[b] to another two, to another one, (E)to each according to his ability. Then he (F)went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and (G)dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 Now (H)after a long time the master of those servants came and (I)settled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and (J)faithful servant.[c] (K)You have been faithful over a little; (L)I will set you over much. Enter into (M)the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be (N)a hard man, reaping (O)where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, (P)you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You (Q)wicked and (R)slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 (S)For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And (T)cast (U)the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place (V)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Matthew 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19
- Matthew 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a laborer
- Matthew 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30
ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 25:14-30
1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament
ΚΑΤΑ ΜΑΤΘΑΙΟΝ 25:14-30
1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament
14 ωσπερ γαρ ανθρωπος αποδημων εκαλεσεν τους ιδιους δουλους και παρεδωκεν αυτοις τα υπαρχοντα αυτου
15 και ω μεν εδωκεν πεντε ταλαντα ω δε δυο ω δε εν εκαστω κατα την ιδιαν δυναμιν και απεδημησεν ευθεως
16 πορευθεις ο τα πεντε ταλαντα λαβων ηργασατο εν αυτοις και εκερδησεν αλλα πεντε
17 ωσαυτως ο τα δυο εκερδησεν αλλα δυο
18 ο δε το εν λαβων απελθων ωρυξεν γην και εκρυψεν το αργυριον του κυριου αυτου
19 μετα δε πολυν χρονον ερχεται ο κυριος των δουλων εκεινων και συναιρει λογον μετ αυτων
20 και προσελθων ο τα πεντε ταλαντα λαβων προσηνεγκεν αλλα πεντε ταλαντα λεγων κυριε πεντε ταλαντα μοι παρεδωκας ιδε αλλα πεντε ταλαντα εκερδησα
21 εφη αυτω ο κυριος αυτου ευ δουλε αγαθε και πιστε επι ολιγα ης πιστος επι πολλων σε καταστησω εισελθε εις την χαραν του κυριου σου
22 προσελθων και ο τα δυο ταλαντα ειπεν κυριε δυο ταλαντα μοι παρεδωκας ιδε αλλα δυο ταλαντα εκερδησα
23 εφη αυτω ο κυριος αυτου ευ δουλε αγαθε και πιστε επι ολιγα ης πιστος επι πολλων σε καταστησω εισελθε εις την χαραν του κυριου σου
24 προσελθων δε και ο το εν ταλαντον ειληφως ειπεν κυριε εγνων σε οτι σκληρος ει ανθρωπος θεριζων οπου ουκ εσπειρας και συναγων οθεν ου διεσκορπισας
25 και φοβηθεις απελθων εκρυψα το ταλαντον σου εν τη γη ιδε εχεις το σον
26 αποκριθεις δε ο κυριος αυτου ειπεν αυτω πονηρε δουλε και οκνηρε ηδεις οτι θεριζω οπου ουκ εσπειρα και συναγω οθεν ου διεσκορπισα
27 εδει σε ουν βαλειν τα αργυρια μου τοις τραπεζιταις και ελθων εγω εκομισαμην αν το εμον συν τοκω
28 αρατε ουν απ αυτου το ταλαντον και δοτε τω εχοντι τα δεκα ταλαντα
29 τω γαρ εχοντι παντι δοθησεται και περισσευθησεται του δε μη εχοντος και ο εχει αρθησεται απ αυτου
30 και τον αχρειον δουλον εκβαλετε εις το σκοτος το εξωτερον εκει εσται ο κλαυθμος και ο βρυγμος των οδοντων
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The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.