Matthew 25
International Children’s Bible
A Story About Ten Girls
25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten girls who went to wait for the bridegroom. They took their lamps with them. 2 Five of the girls were foolish and five were wise. 3 The five foolish girls took their lamps, but they did not take more oil for the lamps to burn. 4 The wise girls took their lamps and more oil in jars. 5 The bridegroom was very late. All the girls became sleepy and went to sleep.
6 “At midnight someone cried out, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come and meet him!’ 7 Then all the girls woke up and got their lamps ready. 8 But the foolish girls said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’ 9 The wise girls answered, ‘No! The oil we have might not be enough for all of us. Go to the people who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 “So the five foolish girls went to buy oil. While they were gone, the bridegroom came. The girls who were ready went in with the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Then the door was closed and locked.
11 “Later the others came back. They called, ‘Sir, sir, open the door to let us in.’ 12 But the bridegroom answered, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’
13 “So always be ready. You don’t know the day or the time the Son of Man will come.
A Story About Three Servants
14 “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was going to another place for a visit. Before he left, he talked with his servants. The man told them to take care of his things while he was gone. 15 He decided how much each servant would be able to care for. He gave one servant five bags of money. He gave another servant two bags of money. And he gave a third servant one bag of money. Then the man left. 16 The servant who got five bags went quickly to invest the money. The five bags of money earned five more. 17 It was the same with the servant who had two bags of money. He invested the money and earned two more. 18 But the servant who got one bag of money went out and dug a hole in the ground. Then he hid his master’s money in the hole.
19 “After a long time the master came home. He asked the servants what they did with his money. 20 The servant who got five bags of money brought five more bags to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, you trusted me to care for five bags of money. So I used your five bags to earn five more.’ 21 The master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good servant who can be trusted. You did well with small things. So I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my happiness with me.’
22 “Then the servant who got two bags of money came to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of money to care for. So I used your two bags to earn two more.’ 23 The master answered, ‘You did well. You are a good servant who can be trusted. You did well with small things. So I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my happiness with me.’
24 “Then the servant who got one bag of money came to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, I knew that you were a hard man. You harvest things you did not plant. You gather crops where you did not sow any seed. 25 So I was afraid. I went and hid your money in the ground. Here is the bag of money you gave me.’ 26 The master answered, ‘You are a bad and lazy servant! You say you knew that I harvest things I did not plant, and that I gather crops where I did not sow any seed? 27 So you should have put my money in the bank. Then, when I came home, I would get my money back with interest.’
28 “So the master told his other servants, ‘Take the bag of money from that servant and give it to the servant who has ten bags of money. 29 Everyone who uses what he has will get more. He will have much more than he needs. But the one who does not use what he has will have everything taken away from him.’ 30 Then the master said, ‘Throw that useless servant outside, into the darkness! There people will cry and grind their teeth with pain.’
The King Will Judge All People
31 “The Son of Man will come again in his great glory. All his angels will come with him. He will be King and sit on his great throne. 32 All the people of the world will be gathered before him. Then he will separate them into two groups as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 The Son of Man will put the sheep, the good people, on his right and the goats, the bad people, on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to the good people on his right, ‘Come. My Father has given you his blessing. Come and receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made. 35 I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house. 36 I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’
37 “Then the good people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you food? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you alone and away from home and invite you into our house? When did we see you without clothes and give you something to wear? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and care for you?’
40 “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth. Anything you did for any of my people here, you also did for me.’
41 “Then the King will say to those on his left, ‘Go away from me. God has said that you will be punished. Go into the fire that burns forever. That fire was prepared for the devil and his helpers. 42 I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. 43 I was alone and away from home, and you did not invite me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me nothing to wear. I was sick and in prison, and you did not care for me.’
44 “Then those people will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty? When did we see you alone and away from home? Or when did we see you without clothes or sick or in prison? When did we see these things and not help you?’
45 “Then the King will answer, ‘I tell you the truth. Anything you refused to do for any of my people here, you refused to do for me.’
46 “These people will go off to be punished forever. But the good people will go to live forever.”
Matthew 25
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.”
Footnotes
- Matthew 25:1 Or torches
- Matthew 25:1 Some manuscripts add and the bride
- Matthew 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19
- Matthew 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a laborer
- Matthew 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30
- Matthew 25:40 Or brothers and sisters
The Holy Bible, International Children’s Bible® Copyright© 1986, 1988, 1999, 2015 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
