Matthew 24:43-25:13

Good News Translation

^43 (A)If the owner of a house knew the time when the thief would come, you can be sure that he would stay awake and not let the thief break into his house. ⁴⁴ So then, you also must always be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you are not expecting him.

The Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant^(B)

⁴⁵ “Who, then, is a faithful and wise servant? It is the one that his master has placed in charge of the other servants to give them their food at the proper time. ⁴⁶ How happy that servant is if his master finds him doing this when he comes home! ⁴⁷ Indeed, I tell you, the master will put that servant in charge of all his property. ⁴⁸ But if he is a bad servant, he will tell himself that his master will not come back for a long time, ⁴⁹ and he will begin to beat his fellow servants and to eat and drink with drunkards. ⁵⁰ Then that servant's master will come back one day when the servant does not expect him and at a time he does not know. ⁵¹ The master will cut him in pieces^[a] and make him share the fate of the hypocrites. There he will cry and gnash his teeth.

The Parable of the Ten Young Women

25 ^(C)“At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there were ten young women who took their oil lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and the other five were wise. ³ The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any extra oil with them, ⁴ while the wise ones took containers full of oil for their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was late in coming, so they began to nod and fall asleep.

⁶ “It was already midnight when the cry rang out, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come and meet him!’ ⁷ The ten young women woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ Then the foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Let us have some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ ‘No, indeed,’ the wise ones answered, ‘there is not enough for you and for us. Go to the store and buy some for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ So the foolish ones went off to buy some oil; and while they were gone, the bridegroom arrived. The five who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was closed.

^11 (D)“Later the others arrived. ‘Sir, sir! Let us in!’ they cried out. ¹² ‘Certainly not! I don't know you,’ the bridegroom answered.”

¹³ And Jesus concluded, “Watch out, then, because you do not know the day or the hour.