Jeremiah Is Threatened

26 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah, the following word came from the Lord.

⁴ You are also to say this to him.

Parable of the Ten Minas

¹¹ As they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because he was near Jerusalem, and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. ¹² So he said, “A man of noble birth traveled to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself and then to return. ¹³ He called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas.^[a] ‘Conduct business until I return,’ he said to them.

¹⁴ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us.’

¹⁵ “When he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned the servants to whom he had given the money. He wanted to find out what they had gained by conducting business.

¹⁶ “The first one came to him and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned ten more minas.’

¹⁷ “He said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you were faithful in a very small matter, you will have authority over ten cities.’

¹⁸ “The second one came and said, ‘Master, your mina has produced five more minas.’

¹⁹ “So he said to him, ‘You will be over five cities.’

²⁰ “And another one came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina that I laid away in a piece of cloth. ²¹ For I was afraid of you, since you are a demanding man. You take what you did not deposit and reap what you did not sow.’

²² “He said to him, ‘You wicked servant, I will judge you with your own words! You knew that I am a demanding man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. ²³ Then why did you not put my money in the bank? Then, when I returned, I could have collected it with interest!’

²⁴ “He said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’

²⁵ “But they said to him, ‘Master, he already has ten minas!’

²⁶ “‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. ²⁷ Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them, bring them here and kill them in front of me.’”

⁵ This is evidence of God’s righteous verdict that resulted in your being counted worthy of God’s kingdom, for which you also suffer. ⁶ Certainly, it is right for God to repay trouble to those who trouble you, ⁷ and to give relief to you, who are troubled along with us. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his powerful angels, ⁸ he will exercise vengeance in flaming fire on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹ Such people will receive a just penalty: eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and from his glorious strength, ¹⁰ on that day when he comes to be glorified among his saints, and to be marveled at among all those who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.