¹² So he said, “There was once a man of high rank who was going to a country far away to be made king, after which he planned to come back home. ¹³ Before he left, he called his ten servants and gave them each a gold coin and told them, ‘See what you can earn with this while I am gone.’ ¹⁴ Now, his own people hated him, and so they sent messengers after him to say, ‘We don't want this man to be our king.’

¹⁵ “The man was made king and came back. At once he ordered his servants to appear before him, in order to find out how much they had earned. ¹⁶ The first one came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.’ ¹⁷ ‘Well done,’ he said; ‘you are a good servant! Since you were faithful in small matters, I will put you in charge of ten cities.’ ¹⁸ The second servant came and said, ‘Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you gave me.’ ¹⁹ To this one he said, ‘You will be in charge of five cities.’ ²⁰ Another servant came and said, ‘Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden in a handkerchief. ²¹ I was afraid of you, because you are a hard man. You take what is not yours and reap what you did not plant.’ ²² He said to him, ‘You bad servant! I will use your own words to condemn you! You know that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not planted. ²³ Well, then, why didn't you put my money in the bank? Then I would have received it back with interest when I returned.’ ²⁴ Then he said to those who were standing there, ‘Take the gold coin away from him and give it to the servant who has ten coins.’ ²⁵ But they said to him, ‘Sir, he already has ten coins!’ ^26 (A)‘I tell you,’ he replied, ‘that to those who have something, even more will be given; but those who have nothing, even the little that they have will be taken away from them.