马太福音 25
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
十個童女的比喻
25 “那時，天國好像十個童女，拿著她們的燈出去迎接新郎。 2 她們中間有五個是愚蠢的，五個是聰明的。 3 那些愚蠢的拿著燈，卻沒有帶油； 4 但那些聰明的拿著燈，也把油裝在瓶裡帶來。 5 新郎很晚還沒有到，她們都打瞌睡，而且睡著了。 6 半夜，有人喊叫：‘新郎來了，快出來迎接他。’ 7 那些童女都醒過來，整理她們的燈。 8 愚蠢的對聰明的說：‘請把你們的油分一點給我們，我們的燈快要滅了。’ 9 聰明的回答：‘這些恐怕不夠我們大家用，不如你們自己到賣油的地方去買吧！’ 10 她們去買油的時候，新郎來了；準備好了的童女就和他一同進去參加婚筵，門就關上了。 11 後來，其餘的童女也來到，說：‘主啊，主啊，給我們開門吧！’ 12 新郎卻回答：‘我實在告訴你們，我不認識你們。’ 13 所以你們要警醒，因為不知道那日子和那時間。
三個僕人的比喻（參(A)
14 “天國又像一個人要出外遠行，就叫自己的僕人來，把產業交給他們。 15 他按照各人的才幹，一個給三萬個銀幣，一個給一萬二千個銀幣，一個給六千個銀幣（原文作“五個，二個，一個他連得”；一個他連得等於六千個銀幣），然後就遠行去了。 16 那領了三萬的馬上去做生意，另外賺了三萬。 17 那領了一萬二千的也是這樣，另賺了一萬二千。 18 但那領了六千的，卻去把地挖開，把主人的錢藏起來。 19 過了很久，那些僕人的主人回來了，要和他們算帳。 20 那領了三萬個銀幣的，帶著另外的三萬前來，說：‘主啊，你交了三萬給我，你看，我又賺了三萬。’ 21 主人對他說：‘又良善又忠心的僕人哪，你作得好！你既然在不多的事上忠心，我要派你管理許多的事。進來，享受你主人的快樂吧！’ 22 那領了一萬二千的也前來，說：‘主啊，你交了一萬二千給我，你看，我又賺了一萬二千。’ 23 主人對他說：‘又良善又忠心的僕人哪，你作得好！你既然在不多的事上忠心，我要派你管理許多的事。進來，享受你主人的快樂吧！’ 24 那領了六千的也前來，說：‘主啊，我知道你是個嚴厲的人，沒有撒種的地方，你要收割；沒有散播的地方，你要收聚。 25 所以，我就害怕起來，去把你的錢藏在地裡。你看，你的錢還在這裡。’ 26 可是主人對他說：‘你這個又可惡又懶惰的僕人，你既然知道我要在沒有撒種的地方收割，在沒有散播的地方收聚， 27 那你就應該把我的錢存入銀行，到我回來的時候，可以連本帶利收回。 28 你們把他的六千銀幣拿去，交給那個有六萬的。 29 因為凡是有的，還要給他，他就充足有餘；凡是沒有的，就算他有甚麼也要拿去。 30 把這沒有用的僕人丟在外面的黑暗裡，在那裡必要哀哭切齒。’
人子必審判萬族
31 “當人子在他的榮耀裡，帶著所有的使者降臨的時候，他要坐在榮耀的寶座上。 32 萬族要聚集在他面前，他要把他們彼此分開，好像牧羊人把綿羊和山羊分開一樣： 33 把綿羊放在右邊，山羊放在左邊。 34 那時，王要對右邊的說：‘蒙我父賜福的，來承受創世以來為你們預備好的國吧。 35 因為我餓了，你們給我吃；我渴了，你們給我喝；我作旅客，你們接待我； 36 我赤身露體，你們給我衣服穿；我病了，你們看顧我；我在監裡，你們來看我。’ 37 義人就回答：‘主啊，我們甚麼時候見你餓了就給你吃，渴了就給你喝呢？ 38 又甚麼時候見你作旅客就接待你，赤身露體就給你衣服穿呢？ 39 或者甚麼時候見你病了，或在監裡就來看你呢？’ 40 王要回答他們：‘我實在告訴你們，你們所作的，只要是作在我一個最小的弟兄身上，就是作在我的身上了。’
41 “王也要對左邊的說：‘你們這被咒詛的，離開我，到為魔鬼和他的使者所預備的永火裡去吧！ 42 因為我餓了，你們沒有給我吃；我渴了，你們沒有給我喝； 43 我作旅客，你們沒有接待我；我赤身露體，你們沒有給我衣服穿；我病了，我在監裡，你們沒有看顧我。’ 44 他們就回答：‘主啊，我們甚麼時候見你餓了、渴了、作旅客、赤身露體、病了，或在監裡，卻沒有服事你呢？’ 45 王要回答他們：‘我實在告訴你們，這些事你們既然沒有作在一個最小的身上，就是沒有作在我的身上了。’ 46 他們要進入永遠的刑罰，義人卻要進入永生。”
Matthew 25
EasyEnglish Bible
Jesus tells a story about ten young women
25 Jesus said, ‘I will tell you another story to show what the kingdom of heaven is like. There were ten young women who were going to a marriage party. They took their lamps with them and they went to meet the man who was marrying a wife. 2 Five of these young women were silly. The other five young women were wise. 3 The silly women took their lamps with them, but they did not take any extra oil with them. 4 The five wise women took jars of oil with their lamps. 5 The man who was marrying a wife did not come for a long time. So all the young women became tired, and they went to sleep.
6 In the middle of the night, someone shouted out, “The man is coming! Come out to meet him!”
7 The ten young women woke up. Then they prepared their lamps to make them work well. 8 The five silly young women said to the other five young women, “Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are not giving much light.” 9 The wise women replied, “If we did that, then there would not be enough oil for all of us. You must go instead to the people who sell oil. You must buy some oil for yourselves.”
10 So these five women went to buy some oil. While they were away, the man arrived for the marriage party. The five wise women were ready. They went with him into the house for the party. Then the servants shut the door.
11 Later, the five silly women also came to the house. They said, “Sir, Sir, please open the door for us.” 12 But he replied, “I tell you, I do not know you.” ’
13 Then Jesus said to the people, ‘So you must watch carefully. You do not know on what day or at what time I will return.’[a]
Jesus tells a story about three servants
14 Jesus said, ‘The kingdom of heaven is also like a man who began a journey. Before the master went away, he told his servants to come to him. He said to them, “Take care of all my money and all my things for me.” 15 The master gave one servant 5,000 gold coins. He gave another servant 2,000 gold coins, and to another servant he gave 1,000 gold coins. The master gave to each servant what he would be able to use well.[b] Then he went away on his journey.
16 The servant who had received 5,000 gold coins went out immediately. He bought and sold things with the money. When he did this, he got 5,000 more gold coins. 17 The servant who had received 2,000 gold coins did the same thing. This servant got 2,000 more gold coins. 18 But the servant who had received only 1,000 gold coins did something different. He went outside and he dug a hole in the ground. He buried the money that his master had given him.
19 After a long time, the master came home.[c] He asked the servants to come to him. He wanted to know how much money they had now. 20 The servant who had received 5,000 gold coins came to his master. The servant said, “Master, you gave me 5,000 gold coins. Now I have an extra 5,000 gold coins.”
21 The master said to this servant, “You are a good servant and you have done really well. You were careful with a small amount of money. Now I will give you authority over many more things. I am really happy about this and I want you to be happy with me.”
22 The servant who had received 2,000 gold coins also came to his master. The servant said, “Master, you gave me 2,000 gold coins. Now I have an extra 2,000 gold coins.”
23 The master said to this servant, “You are a good servant and you have done really well. You were careful with a small amount of money. Now I will give you authority over many more things. I am really happy about this and I want you to be happy with me.”
24 The servant who had received 1,000 gold coins then came to his master. The servant said, “Master, I know what you are like. You tell people what they should do all the time. You take food from fields where you did not put any seed in the ground. You get fruit from trees that you did not plant. 25 So I was afraid of you. I went and I buried your gold coins in the ground. Look! Here they are. You can have your money back again.”
26 The master said to him, “You are a bad and lazy servant. You know what I am like, do you? I get food from fields where I did not put any seeds. I get fruit from trees that I did not plant. You knew all that. 27 So you should have put the money into a bank. Then, when I came home, I could have received my money back from the bank, with extra money.”
28 Then the master said to his other servants, “Take the 1,000 gold coins from this bad servant. Give them to the man who now has 10,000 coins. 29 Some people have received good things. They will all receive even more and have lots of good things. Some other people have nothing. Those people will lose even the little bit that they do have. 30 This servant cannot work for me any longer. Take him outside and throw him into a dark place. There, people will cry and they will bite their teeth together.” ’[d]
God judges everybody
31 Jesus said, ‘I, the Son of Man, will return one day. Then people will see that I am great and powerful. All God's angels will come with me. I will sit on my great seat as king. 32 People from all the countries in the world will come together in front of me. I will put them into two groups. I will do it in the same way that a shepherd puts his sheep and goats into two groups. 33 He puts the sheep on his right side and the goats on his left side.[e]
34 The king will say to those people who are on his right side, “Come here. My Father has been good to you. He has prepared a place for you in his kingdom. That kingdom has been ready for you since the time that God made the world. 35 I was hungry and you gave me some food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me some water to drink. I was visiting your town and you asked me to stay in your home. 36 I did not have enough clothes and you gave me some clothes to wear. I was ill and you took care of me. I was in prison and you came to visit me there.”
37 Then the people on the right side will say to the king, “Master, when did we see that you were hungry and give you some food? When did we see that you were thirsty and we gave you some water to drink? 38 When did we ask you to stay in our home because you were alone? When did we give you some clothes to wear? 39 When did we take care of you because you were ill? When did we come to visit you in prison?”
40 The king will answer them, “I tell you this: You did all these things to help other people. They were not important people, but they were my friends. When you helped them, then you also helped me.”
41 Then the king will say to those people who are at his left side, “Go away from me. God has decided to punish you. He has prepared a fire that will burn for ever. He has prepared it for Satan and his servants. You will also go into that fire. 42 I was hungry but you did not give me any food to eat. I was thirsty but you did not give me anything to drink. 43 I visited your town but you did not ask me to stay in your home. I did not have enough clothes but you did not give me anything to wear. I was ill but you did not take care of me. I was in prison but you did not come to visit me.”
44 Then these other people will say, “Master, when did we see you and you were hungry, or you were thirsty? When did we see you alone or without clothes? When did we see you and you were ill, or in prison? When did you need our help and we did not help you?”
45 Then the king will reply, “I tell you this: You did not help people who are my friends. They were not important people. But when you did not help them, you also did not help me.”
46 Then those people on the king's left side will go away to the place where God will punish them for ever. But the good people on the king's right side will live for ever with God.’
Footnotes
- 25:13 In this story Jesus is the man who will marry the woman. We must be ready for him when he comes.
- 25:15 It was a lot of money that the master gave to his servants. The money was not a gift. The master wanted the servants to use the money. He wanted them to buy and sell things. He wanted them to use the money to get more money.
- 25:19 In the story, Jesus tells the people that he is going away. And he tells them that he will return. Some people do not want Jesus to rule over them. They do not use what he has given them. One day, they will meet him. Jesus told them that he would punish them then.
- 25:30 In the story, Jesus was telling people that God gives us gifts. So we must be careful how we use them. One day, he will ask us how we used those gifts.
- 25:33 The shepherd is the person who takes care of the sheep and goats. In the day, sheep and goats eat grass in the fields together. At night, the shepherd puts the goats inside so that they are warm. But he leaves the sheep in the fields. Jesus is using the sheep and goats picture story to explain about the kingdom of God. The sheep are like those people who obey God. And the goats are like those people who do not obey him.
Matthew 25
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 25
The Parable of the Ten Virgins.[a] 1 “Then[b] the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they neglected to take any oil with them, 4 whereas those who were wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Since the bridegroom was delayed in coming, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight, a shout was raised: ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 The wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for both us and you. You had better go to the merchants and buy some.’
10 “While they went off to purchase it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was locked. 11 Afterward, the other virgins returned, and they cried out, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ 12 But he replied,‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
14 The Parable of the Talents.[c]“Again, the kingdom of heaven will be like a man going on a journey who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents,[d] to another two talents, to a third one talent—to each according to his ability. Then he set forth on his journey.
16 “The servant who had received the five talents promptly went to invest them and gained five more. 17 In the same manner, the servant who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But the servant who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
19 “After a long period of time, the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing an additional five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you gave me five talents. Behold, I have gained five more.’ 21 His master said to him,‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small matters, I will give you much greater responsibilities. Come and share your master’s joy.’
22 “Next, the one who had received the two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Behold, I have gained two more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. Since you have been faithful in small matters, I will give you much greater responsibilities. Come and share your master’s joy.’
24 “Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed. 25 Therefore, out of fear I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Behold, I give it back to you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant. So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered! 27 Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have gotten back my money with interest.
28 “ ‘Therefore, take the talent from him and give it to the one with the ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he does have will be taken away. 30 As for this worthless servant, cast him outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
31 The Solemn Judgment at the End of Time.[e]“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, 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 welcomed me; 36 I was naked and you clothed me; I was ill and you took care of me; I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will say to him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 When did we see you ill or in prison and come to visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brethren of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you did not give me anything to eat; I was thirsty and you did not give me anything to drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me; I was naked and you did not give me any clothing; I was ill and in prison and you did not visit me.’
44 “Then they will ask him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison and not minister to you?’ 45 He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you failed to do for one of the least of these brethren of mine, you failed to do for me.’ 46 And they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous will enter eternal life.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 25:1 The parable of the ten virgins illustrates a fundamental thought: we must wait with watchful perseverance for the coming of Christ glorified, likened to the arrival of a bridegroom. In the dazzling nuptial ceremony of Palestine, the bride awaited the bridegroom while merrymaking with friends. Around midnight the bridegroom would come accompanied by lamps. After an initial explosion of joy, the cortège would return to the house of the bridegroom, where the banquet would be celebrated.
- Matthew 25:1 Then: at the time of the Second Coming.
- Matthew 25:14 The parable of the talents completes the preceding one. The Christian religion is not a simple passive expectation. It demands a complete commitment. One must make fruitful the gifts given by God while awaiting the Lord’s glorious return.
- Matthew 25:15 Talents: a talent was equivalent to 6000 denarii, that is, to the salary for 6000 days of work.
- Matthew 25:31 This passage constitutes the conclusion of the eschatological discourse with the description of the Last Judgment. In the second part of the great discourse (Mt 24:37), the individual judgment was repeatedly indicated. Now there comes before us the supreme Judge, Jesus Christ in glory, who at the end of time will judge all peoples, without distinction between Jew and Gentile, and will separate the good from the wicked in accord with everyone’s works.
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