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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.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Luke 19:13 A mina was worth one hundred drachmas, or about one hundred days’ wages.