Matthew 25:1-26:35

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ^(A)ten virgins who took their lamps^[a] and went to meet ^(B)the bridegroom.^{[b] 2} Five of them were foolish, and five were ^(C)wise. ³ For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵ As the bridegroom ^(D)was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ⁶ But ^(E)at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷ Then all those virgins rose and ^(F)trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and ^(G)those who were ready went in with him to ^(H)the marriage feast, and ^(I)the door was shut. ¹¹ Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ^(J)‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ^12 (K)But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, ^(L)I do not know you.’ ^13 (M)Watch therefore, for you ^(N)know neither the day nor the hour.

The Parable of the Talents

^14 (O)“For ^(P)it will be like a man ^(Q)going on a journey, who called his servants^[c] and entrusted to them his property. ¹⁵ To one he gave five ^(R)talents,^[d] to another two, to another one, ^(S)to each according to his ability. Then he ^(T)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 ^(U)dug in the ground and hid his master's money. ¹⁹ Now ^(V)after a long time the master of those servants came and ^(W)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 ^(X)faithful servant.^{[e] (Y)}You have been faithful over a little; ^(Z)I will set you over much. Enter into ^(AA)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 ^(AB)a hard man, reaping ^(AC)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, ^(AD)you have what is yours.’ ²⁶ But his master answered him, ‘You ^(AE)wicked and ^(AF)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 (AG)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. ³⁰ And ^(AH)cast ^(AI)the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place ^(AJ)there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Final Judgment

^31 (AK)“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, ^(AL)then he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² Before him ^(AM)will be gathered ^(AN)all the nations, and ^(AO)he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates ^(AP)the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then ^(AQ)the King will say to ^(AR)those on his right, ‘Come, you ^(AS)who are blessed by my Father, ^(AT)inherit ^(AU)the kingdom ^(AV)prepared for you ^(AW)from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ For ^(AX)I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you ^(AY)gave me drink, ^(AZ)I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ^36 (BA)I was naked and you clothed me, ^(BB)I was sick and you ^(BC)visited me, ^(BD)I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ ⁴⁰ And ^(BE)the King will answer them, ^(BF)‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these ^(BG)my brothers,^[f] you did it to me.’

⁴¹ “Then he will say to those on his left, ^(BH)‘Depart from me, you ^(BI)cursed, into ^(BJ)the eternal fire prepared for ^(BK)the devil and his angels. ⁴² For ^(BL)I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, ⁴³ I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ ⁴⁵ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, ^(BM)you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ And these will go away ^(BN)into eternal punishment, but the righteous ^(BO)into ^(BP)eternal life.”

The Plot to Kill Jesus

26 When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said to his disciples, ^2 (BQ)“You know that after two days ^(BR)the Passover is coming, and ^(BS)the Son of Man ^(BT)will be delivered up to be crucified.”

^3 (BU)Then the chief priests and the elders of the people gathered in ^(BV)the palace of the high priest, whose name was ^(BW)Caiaphas, ^4 (BX)and plotted together in order to arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him. ⁵ But they said, “Not during the feast, ^(BY)lest there be an uproar among the people.”

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

^6 (BZ)Now when Jesus was at ^(CA)Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,^{[g] 7} a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table. ⁸ And when the disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? ⁹ For this could have been sold for a large sum and ^(CB)given to the poor.” ¹⁰ But ^(CC)Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you trouble the woman? For she has done a beautiful thing to me. ¹¹ For ^(CD)you always have the poor with you, but ^(CE)you will not always have me. ¹² In pouring this ointment on my body, she has done it ^(CF)to prepare me for burial. ¹³ Truly, I say to you, wherever ^(CG)this gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will also be told ^(CH)in memory of her.”

Judas to Betray Jesus

^14 (CI)Then one of the twelve, whose name was ^(CJ)Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests ¹⁵ and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they ^(CK)paid him ^(CL)thirty pieces of silver. ¹⁶ And from that moment he sought an opportunity ^(CM)to betray him.

The Passover with the Disciples

^17 (CN)Now on ^(CO)the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Where will you have us prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ¹⁸ He said, “Go into the city to a certain man and say to him, ^(CP)‘The Teacher says, ^(CQ)My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples.’” ¹⁹ And the disciples did as Jesus had directed them, and they prepared the Passover.

^20 (CR)When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.^{[h] 21} And as they were eating, ^(CS)he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” ²² And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?” ²³ He answered, ^(CT)“He who has dipped his hand in the dish with me will betray me. ²⁴ The Son of Man goes ^(CU)as it is written of him, but ^(CV)woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! ^(CW)It would have been better for that man if he had not been born.” ²⁵ Judas, who would betray him, answered, “Is it I, ^(CX)Rabbi?” He said to him, ^(CY)“You have said so.”

Institution of the Lord's Supper

^26 (CZ)Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and ^(DA)after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; ^(DB)this is my body.” ²⁷ And he took a cup, and when he ^(DC)had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, ²⁸ for ^(DD)this is my ^(DE)blood of the^[i] covenant, which is poured out for ^(DF)many ^(DG)for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you ^(DH)in my Father's kingdom.”

Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial

^30 (DI)And when they had sung a hymn, ^(DJ)they went out to ^(DK)the Mount of Olives. ³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will ^(DL)strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³² But after I am raised up, ^(DM)I will go before you to Galilee.” ^33 (DN)Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” ^34 (DO)Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, ^(DP)before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” ^35 (DQ)Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.