The Parable of the Ten Minas

¹¹ Now while^[a] they were listening to these things, he went on and^[b] told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately. ¹² Therefore he said, “A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return. ¹³ And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas^[c] and said to them, ‘Do business until I come back.’^{[d] 14} But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us!’ ¹⁵ And it happened that when he returned after^[e] receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading. ¹⁶ So the first arrived, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!’ ¹⁷ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, have authority^[f] over ten cities.’ ¹⁸ And the second came, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’ ¹⁹ So he said to this one also, ‘And you be over five cities.’ ²⁰ And another came, saying, ‘Sir, behold your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth. ²¹ For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man—you withdraw what you did not deposit, and you reap what you did not sow!’ ²² He said to him, ‘By your own words^[g] I will judge you, wicked slave! You knew that I am a severe man, withdrawing what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow. ²³ And why did you not give my money to the bank, and I, when I^[h] returned, would have collected it with interest?’ ²⁴ And to the bystanders he said, ‘Take away from him the mina and give it^[i] to the one who has the ten minas!’ ²⁵ And they said to him, ‘Sir, he 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 But these enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them—bring them^[j] here and slaughter them in my presence!’”