十个伴娘的比喻

25 “那时,天国就像十个伴娘提着灯去迎接新郎, 其中五个是糊涂的,五个是聪明的。 五个糊涂的只顾拿着灯,却不预备油; 那些聪明的不但拿着灯,还用器皿预备了足够的油。 新郎迟迟未到,她们等得困倦,便打盹睡着了。

“到了半夜,忽然听见有人喊道,‘新郎来了!出来迎接吧!’ 伴娘们醒来,把灯点亮。 糊涂的伴娘对聪明的伴娘说,‘请给我们一些油吧,因为我们的灯快要灭了!’

“聪明的伴娘回答说,‘不行,我们的油不够大家用的,你们去油店买吧!’

10 “当糊涂的伴娘去买油的时候,新郎来了。那些预备好的伴娘跟他一同进去参加婚宴,门就关了。 11 后来,其他伴娘回来了,喊道,‘主啊!主啊!请给我们开门吧!’

12 “新郎却说,‘我实在告诉你们,我不认识你们。’

13 “所以,你们要警醒,因为你们不知道我回来的日子和时辰。

才干的比喻

14 “天国就像一个人即将远行,他召来自己的奴仆,把产业托付给他们, 15 按各人的才干分别交给一个人五千银币,一个人两千银币,一个人一千银币,然后便离开了。 16 得到五千银币的立刻去做买卖,结果赚了五千; 17 得到两千银币的也赚了两千; 18 可是得到一千银币的却挖了一个洞,把主人的钱藏在地里。 19 过了很久,这些奴仆的主人回来了,要跟他们结帐。 20 得到五千银币的奴仆带来了另外的五千,说,‘主人,你交给我五千银币,请看,我又赚了五千。’

21 “主人说,‘做得好!你真是个又良善又忠心的奴仆。既然你在小事上忠心,我要把更大的事交给你。进来分享你主人的快乐吧!’

22 “得到两千银币的奴仆也上前说,‘主人,你交给我两千银币,请看,我又赚了两千。’

23 “主人说,‘做得好!你真是个又良善又忠心的奴仆,既然你在小事上忠心,我要把更大的事交给你。进来分享你主人的快乐吧!’

24 “得到一千银币的奴仆也上前说,‘主人,我知道你为人苛刻,没有播种的地方也要收割,没有撒种的地方也要收获。 25 我很害怕,就去把你的钱藏在地里。请看,这是你的钱。’

26 “主人说,‘你这又可恶又懒惰的奴仆!既然你知道我没有播种的地方也要收割,没有撒种的地方也要收获, 27 就应该把钱存入钱庄,等我回来时,可以连本带利还给我。’

28 “主人接着说,‘收回他的一千银币,赏给那个有一万银币的奴仆。 29 因为凡有的,还要给他更多,使他丰富有余;凡没有的,连他仅有的,也要夺去。 30 把这没用的奴仆扔进外边的黑暗里,他必在那里哀哭切齿。’

末日的审判

31 “当人子在祂的荣耀中与众天使降临的时候,祂要坐在荣耀的宝座上, 32 万民要聚集在祂面前。祂要把他们分开,就像牧人把绵羊和山羊分开一样。 33 祂要把绵羊放在右边,山羊放在左边。 34 那时,王会对右边的人说,‘我父所赐福的人啊,来承受创世以来为你们预备的国度吧。 35 因为我饥饿时,你们给我吃的;我口渴时,你们给我喝的;我身在异乡时,你们接待我; 36 我赤身露体时,你们给我穿的;我生病时,你们照顾我;我坐牢时,你们来看我。’

37 “那些义人会回答说,‘主啊!我们什么时候见你饿了就给你吃的?见你渴了就给你喝的? 38 见你身在异乡就接待你?见你赤身露体就给你穿的呢? 39 我们又什么时候见你生病或坐牢,就去看你呢?’

40 “王会回答说,‘我实在告诉你们,你们帮助我最卑微的一个弟兄,就是帮助我了。’

41 “王又对左边的人说,‘你们这些被咒诅的人,走开!到专为魔鬼及其使者预备的永远不灭的火里去吧! 42 因为我饥饿时,你们不给我吃的;我口渴时,你们不给我喝的; 43 我身在异乡时,你们不接待我;我赤身露体时,你们不给我衣服;我生病时,你们不照顾我;我坐牢时,你们不来看我。’

44 “他们会问,‘主啊,我们什么时候见你饿了,或渴了,或身在异乡,或赤身露体,或病了,或坐牢,却没有帮助你呢?’

45 “王会回答说,‘我实在告诉你们,你们没有帮助我最卑微的一个弟兄,就是没有帮助我。’ 46 这些人要受永远的刑罚,但义人要得到永远的生命。”

十個伴娘的比喻

25 「那時,天國就像十個伴娘提著燈去迎接新郎, 其中五個是糊塗的,五個是聰明的。 五個糊塗的只顧拿著燈,卻不預備油; 那些聰明的不但拿著燈,還用器皿預備了足夠的油。 新郎遲遲未到,她們等得困倦,便打盹睡著了。

「到了半夜,忽然聽見有人喊道,『新郎來了!出來迎接吧!』 伴娘們醒來,把燈點亮。 糊塗的伴娘對聰明的伴娘說,『請給我們一些油吧,因為我們的燈快要滅了!』

「聰明的伴娘回答說,『不行,我們的油不夠大家用的,你們去油店買吧!』

10 「當糊塗的伴娘去買油的時候,新郎來了。那些預備好的伴娘跟他一同進去參加婚宴,門就關了。 11 後來,其他伴娘回來了,喊道,『主啊!主啊!請給我們開門吧!』

12 「新郎卻說,『我實在告訴你們,我不認識你們。』

13 「所以,你們要警醒,因為你們不知道我回來的日子和時辰。

才幹的比喻

14 「天國就像一個人即將遠行,他召來自己的奴僕,把產業託付給他們, 15 按各人的才幹分別交給一個人五千銀幣,一個人兩千銀幣,一個人一千銀幣,然後便離開了。 16 得到五千銀幣的立刻去做買賣,結果賺了五千; 17 得到兩千銀幣的也賺了兩千; 18 可是得到一千銀幣的卻挖了一個洞,把主人的錢藏在地裡。 19 過了很久,這些奴僕的主人回來了,要跟他們結帳。 20 得到五千銀幣的奴僕帶來了另外的五千,說,『主人,你交給我五千銀幣,請看,我又賺了五千。』

21 「主人說,『做得好!你真是個又良善又忠心的奴僕。既然你在小事上忠心,我要把更大的事交給你。進來分享你主人的快樂吧!』

22 「得到兩千銀幣的奴僕也上前說,『主人,你交給我兩千銀幣,請看,我又賺了兩千。』

23 「主人說,『做得好!你真是個又良善又忠心的奴僕,既然你在小事上忠心,我要把更大的事交給你。進來分享你主人的快樂吧!』

24 「得到一千銀幣的奴僕也上前說,『主人,我知道你為人苛刻,沒有播種的地方也要收割,沒有撒種的地方也要收穫。 25 我很害怕,就去把你的錢藏在地裡。請看,這是你的錢。』

26 「主人說,『你這又可惡又懶惰的奴僕!既然你知道我沒有播種的地方也要收割,沒有撒種的地方也要收穫, 27 就應該把錢存入錢莊,等我回來時,可以連本帶利還給我。』

28 「主人接著說,『收回他的一千銀幣,賞給那個有一萬銀幣的奴僕。 29 因為凡有的,還要給他更多,使他豐富有餘;凡沒有的,連他僅有的,也要奪去。 30 把這沒用的奴僕扔進外邊的黑暗裡,他必在那裡哀哭切齒。』

末日的審判

31 「當人子在祂的榮耀中與眾天使降臨的時候,祂要坐在榮耀的寶座上, 32 萬民要聚集在祂面前。祂要把他們分開,就像牧人把綿羊和山羊分開一樣。 33 祂要把綿羊放在右邊,山羊放在左邊。 34 那時,王會對右邊的人說,『我父所賜福的人啊,來承受創世以來為你們預備的國度吧。 35 因為我饑餓時,你們給我吃的;我口渴時,你們給我喝的;我身在異鄉時,你們接待我; 36 我赤身露體時,你們給我穿的;我生病時,你們照顧我;我坐牢時,你們來看我。』

37 「那些義人會回答說,『主啊!我們什麼時候見你餓了就給你吃的?見你渴了就給你喝的? 38 見你身在異鄉就接待你?見你赤身露體就給你穿的呢? 39 我們又什麼時候見你生病或坐牢,就去看你呢?』

40 「王會回答說,『我實在告訴你們,你們幫助我最卑微的一個弟兄,就是幫助我了。』

41 「王又對左邊的人說,『你們這些被咒詛的人,走開!到專為魔鬼及其使者預備的永遠不滅的火裡去吧! 42 因為我饑餓時,你們不給我吃的;我口渴時,你們不給我喝的; 43 我身在異鄉時,你們不接待我;我赤身露體時,你們不給我衣服;我生病時,你們不照顧我;我坐牢時,你們不來看我。』

44 「他們會問,『主啊,我們什麼時候見你餓了,或渴了,或身在異鄉,或赤身露體,或病了,或坐牢,卻沒有幫助你呢?』

45 「王會回答說,『我實在告訴你們,你們沒有幫助我最卑微的一個弟兄,就是沒有幫助我。』 46 這些人要受永遠的刑罰,但義人要得到永遠的生命。」

25 “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of ten bridesmaids[a] who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2-4 But only five of them were wise enough to fill their lamps with oil, while the other five were foolish and forgot.

5-6 “So, when the bridegroom was delayed, they lay down to rest until midnight, when they were roused by the shout, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome him!’

7-8 “All the girls jumped up and trimmed their lamps. Then the five who hadn’t any oil begged the others to share with them, for their lamps were going out.

“But the others replied, ‘We haven’t enough. Go instead to the shops and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked.

11 “Later, when the other five returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’

12 “But he called back, ‘Go away! It is too late!’[b]

13 “So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of my return.[c]

14 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of a man going into another country, who called together his servants and loaned them money to invest for him while he was gone.

15 “He gave $5,000 to one, $2,000 to another, and $1,000 to the last—dividing it in proportion to their abilities—and then left on his trip. 16 The man who received the $5,000 began immediately to buy and sell with it and soon earned another $5,000. 17 The man with $2,000 went right to work, too, and earned another $2,000.

18 “But the man who received the $1,000 dug a hole in the ground and hid the money for safekeeping.

19 “After a long time their master returned from his trip and called them to him to account for his money. 20 The man to whom he had entrusted the $5,000 brought him $10,000.

21 “His master praised him for good work. ‘You have been faithful in handling this small amount,’ he told him, ‘so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Begin the joyous tasks I have assigned to you.’

22 “Next came the man who had received the $2,000, with the report, ‘Sir, you gave me $2,000 to use, and I have doubled it.’

23 “‘Good work,’ his master said. ‘You are a good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over this small amount, so now I will give you much more.’

24-25 “Then the man with the $1,000 came and said, ‘Sir, I knew you were a hard man, and I was afraid you would rob me of what I earned,[d] so I hid your money in the earth and here it is!’

26 “But his master replied, ‘Wicked man! Lazy slave! Since you knew I would demand your profit, 27 you should at least have put my money into the bank so I could have some interest. 28 Take the money from this man and give it to the man with the $10,000. 29 For the man who uses well what he is given shall be given more, and he shall have abundance. But from the man who is unfaithful, even what little responsibility he has shall be taken from him. 30 And throw the useless servant out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

31 “But when I, the Messiah,[e] shall come in my glory, and all the angels with me, then I shall sit upon my throne of glory. 32 And all the nations shall be gathered before me. And I will separate the people[f] as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, 33 and place the sheep at my right hand, and the goats at my left.

34 “Then I, the King, shall say to those at my right, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, into the Kingdom prepared for you from the founding of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you fed me; I was thirsty and you gave me water; I was a stranger and you invited me into your homes; 36 naked and you clothed me; sick and in prison, and you visited me.’

37 “Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Sir, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you anything to drink? 38 Or a stranger, and help you? Or naked, and clothe you? 39 When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?’

40 “And I, the King, will tell them, ‘When you did it to these my brothers, you were doing it to me!’ 41 Then I will turn to those on my left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. 42 For I was hungry and you wouldn’t feed me; thirsty, and you wouldn’t give me anything to drink; 43 a stranger, and you refused me hospitality; naked, and you wouldn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’

44 “Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

45 “And I will answer, ‘When you refused to help the least of these my brothers, you were refusing help to me.’

46 “And they shall go away into eternal punishment; but the righteous into everlasting life.”

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 25:1 bridesmaids, literally, “virgins.”
  2. Matthew 25:12 It is too late, literally, “I know you not.”
  3. Matthew 25:13 of my return, implied.
  4. Matthew 25:24 and I was afraid you would rob me of what I earned, literally, “reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter, and I was afraid.”
  5. Matthew 25:31 the Messiah, literally, “the Son of Man.”
  6. Matthew 25:32 separate the people, literally, “separate the nations.”