¹² And if you have not been faithful in ^(A)that which is another's, who will give you that which is your own?

¹³ Calling ^(A)ten of his servants,^[a] he gave them ten minas,^[b] and said to them, ‘Engage in business ^(B)until I come.’ ¹⁴ But ^(C)his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ ¹⁵ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. ¹⁶ The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant!^[c] Because you have been ^(D)faithful in a very little, ^(E)you shall have authority over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ ²⁰ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in ^(F)a handkerchief; ²¹ for I was afraid of you, because you are ^(G)a severe man. You take ^(H)what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ ²² He said to him, ^(I)‘I will condemn you with your own words, ^(J)you wicked servant! You knew that I was ^(K)a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ ²⁵ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ²⁶ ‘I tell you that ^(L)to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

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.

⁴ to ^(A)an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and ^(B)unfading, ^(C)kept in heaven for you, ⁵ who by God's power are being guarded ^(D)through faith for a salvation ^(E)ready to be revealed in the last time.

¹⁴ “But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you, and of your own have we given you. ^15 (A)For we are strangers before you and sojourners, as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are ^(B)like a shadow, and there is no abiding.^{[a] 16} O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.

¹⁶ You took some of your garments and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore. The like has never been, nor ever shall be.^{[a] 17} You also took ^(A)your beautiful jewels of my gold and of my silver, which I had given you, and ^(B)made for yourself images of men, and with them played the whore. ¹⁸ And you took your embroidered garments to cover them, ^(C)and set my oil and my incense before them. ^19 (D)Also my bread that I gave you—^(E)I fed you with fine flour and oil and honey—you set before them for ^(F)a pleasing aroma; and so it was, declares the Lord God. ^20 (G)And you took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and ^(H)these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. Were your whorings so small a matter ²¹ that you slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering by fire to them?

²¹ And he said, ^(A)“Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I ^(B)return. The Lord ^(C)gave, and the Lord has taken away; ^(D)blessed be the name of the Lord.”

³ For ^(A)you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ ^(B)who is your^[a] life ^(C)appears, then you also will appear with him ^(D)in glory.

⁴² but one thing is necessary.^[a] Mary has chosen ^(A)the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”