¹² And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?

¹³ So he called ten of his servants^(A) and gave them ten minas.^[a] ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

¹⁴ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’

¹⁵ “He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

¹⁶ “The first one came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned ten more.’

¹⁷ “‘Well done, my good servant!’^(B) his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’^(C)

¹⁸ “The second came and said, ‘Sir, your mina has earned five more.’

¹⁹ “His master answered, ‘You take charge of five cities.’

²⁰ “Then another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your mina; I have kept it laid away in a piece of cloth. ²¹ I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take out what you did not put in and reap what you did not sow.’^(D)

²² “His master replied, ‘I will judge you by your own words,^(E) you wicked servant! You knew, did you, that I am a hard man, taking out what I did not put in, and reaping what I did not sow?^{(F) 23} Why then didn’t you put my money on deposit, so that when I came back, I could have collected it with interest?’

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

²⁵ “‘Sir,’ they said, ‘he already has ten!’

²⁶ “He replied, ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what they have will be taken away.^(G)

The Parable of the Bags of Gold^(A)

¹⁴ “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,^(B) who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability.^(C) Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶ The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷ So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.^{(D) 20} The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

²¹ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.^(E) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²² “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

²³ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.^(F) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷ Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸ “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹ For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.^(G)

⁴ and into an inheritance^(A) that can never perish, spoil or fade.^(B) This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,^{(C) 5} who through faith are shielded by God’s power^(D) until the coming of the salvation^(E) that is ready to be revealed^(F) in the last time.

¹⁴ “But who am I, and who are my people, that we should be able to give as generously as this?^(A) Everything comes from you, and we have given you only what comes from your hand.^{(B) 15} We are foreigners and strangers^(C) in your sight, as were all our ancestors. Our days on earth are like a shadow,^(D) without hope. ¹⁶ Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a temple for your Holy Name comes from your hand, and all of it belongs to you.

¹⁶ You took some of your garments to make gaudy high places,^(A) where you carried on your prostitution.^(B) You went to him, and he possessed your beauty.^{[a] 17} You also took the fine jewelry I gave you, the jewelry made of my gold and silver, and you made for yourself male idols and engaged in prostitution with them.^{(C) 18} And you took your embroidered clothes to put on them, and you offered my oil and incense^(D) before them. ¹⁹ Also the food I provided for you—the flour, olive oil and honey I gave you to eat—you offered as fragrant incense before them. That is what happened, declares the Sovereign Lord.^(E)

²⁰ “‘And you took your sons and daughters^(F) whom you bore to me^(G) and sacrificed them as food to the idols. Was your prostitution not enough?^{(H) 21} You slaughtered my children and sacrificed them to the idols.^(I)

²¹ and said:

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

⁴² but few things are needed—or indeed only one.^[a](A) Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”