26 Like snow in summer or (A)rain in harvest,
    so (B)honor is (C)not fitting for a fool.
Like (D)a sparrow in its flitting, like a swallow in its flying,
    (E)a curse that is causeless does not alight.
(F)A whip for the horse, a bridle for the donkey,
    and (G)a rod for the back of fools.
(H)Answer not a fool according to his folly,
    lest you be like him yourself.
(I)Answer a fool according to his folly,
    lest he be (J)wise in his own eyes.
Whoever sends a message by the hand of a fool
    cuts off his own feet and (K)drinks violence.
Like a lame man's legs, which hang useless,
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Like one who binds the stone in the sling
    is (L)one who gives honor to a fool.
Like (M)a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard
    is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
10 Like an archer who wounds everyone
    is one who hires a passing fool or drunkard.[a]
11 Like (N)a dog that returns to his vomit
    is (O)a fool who repeats his folly.
12 Do you see a man who is (P)wise in his own eyes?
    (Q)There is more hope for a fool than for him.
13 (R)The sluggard says, “There is a lion in the road!
    There is a lion in the streets!”
14 As a door turns on its hinges,
    so does a sluggard on his bed.
15 (S)The sluggard buries his hand in the dish;
    it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.
16 The sluggard is (T)wiser in his own eyes
    (U)than seven men who can answer sensibly.
17 Whoever meddles in a quarrel not his own
    is like one who takes a passing dog by the ears.
18 Like a madman who throws (V)firebrands, arrows, and death
19 is the man who deceives his neighbor
    and says, “I am only joking!”
20 For lack of wood the fire goes out,
    and where there is no (W)whisperer, (X)quarreling ceases.
21 As charcoal to hot embers and wood to fire,
    so is (Y)a quarrelsome man for kindling strife.
22 (Z)The words of (AA)a whisperer are like delicious morsels;
    they go down into the inner parts of the body.
23 (AB)Like the (AC)glaze[b] covering an earthen vessel
    are fervent lips with an evil heart.
24 Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips
    and harbors deceit in his heart;
25 (AD)when he speaks graciously, believe him not,
    for there are (AE)seven abominations in his heart;
26 though his hatred be covered with deception,
    his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.
27 (AF)Whoever digs a pit will fall into it,
    and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling.
28 A lying tongue hates its victims,
    and a flattering mouth works ruin.
27 Do not boast about tomorrow,
    (AG)for you do not know what a day may bring.
Let (AH)another praise you, and not your own mouth;
    a stranger, and not your own lips.
A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,
    but (AI)a fool's provocation is heavier than both.
Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming,
    but who can stand before (AJ)jealousy?
(AK)Better is open rebuke
    than hidden love.
Faithful are (AL)the wounds of a friend;
    profuse are the kisses of an enemy.
One who is full loathes (AM)honey,
    but to one who is hungry everything bitter is sweet.
Like (AN)a bird that strays from its nest
    is a man who strays from his home.
(AO)Oil and perfume make the heart glad,
    and the sweetness of a friend comes from his earnest counsel.[c]
10 Do not forsake your friend and (AP)your father's friend,
    and do not go to your brother's house in the day of your calamity.
(AQ)Better is a neighbor who is near
    than a brother who is far away.
11 (AR)Be wise, (AS)my son, and (AT)make my heart glad,
    that I may (AU)answer him who reproaches me.
12 (AV)The prudent sees danger and hides himself,
    but (AW)the simple go on and suffer for it.
13 (AX)Take a man's garment when he has put up security for a stranger,
    and hold it in pledge when he puts up security for an adulteress.[d]
14 Whoever blesses his neighbor with a loud voice,
    rising early in the morning,
    will be counted as cursing.
15 (AY)A continual dripping on a rainy day
    and a quarrelsome wife are alike;
16 to restrain her is to restrain the wind
    or to grasp[e] oil in one's right hand.
17 Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.[f]
18 (AZ)Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
    and he who (BA)guards his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
    so the heart of man reflects the man.
20 (BB)Sheol and Abaddon are (BC)never satisfied,
    and (BD)never satisfied are the eyes of man.
21 (BE)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
    and a man is tested by his praise.
22 (BF)Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
    along with crushed grain,
    yet his folly will not depart from him.

23 (BG)Know well the condition of your flocks,
    and (BH)give attention to your herds,
24 for (BI)riches do not last forever;
    and does a crown endure to all generations?
25 (BJ)When the grass is gone and the new growth appears
    and the vegetation of the mountains is gathered,
26 (BK)the lambs will provide your clothing,
    and the goats the price of a field.
27 (BL)There will be enough goats' milk for your food,
    for the food of your household
    and maintenance for your girls.

Footnotes

  1. Proverbs 26:10 Or hires a fool or passersby
  2. Proverbs 26:23 By revocalization; Hebrew silver of dross
  3. Proverbs 27:9 Or and so does the sweetness of a friend that comes from his earnest counsel
  4. Proverbs 27:13 Hebrew a foreign woman; a slight emendation yields (compare Vulgate; see also 20:16) foreigners
  5. Proverbs 27:16 Hebrew to meet with
  6. Proverbs 27:17 Hebrew sharpens the face of another

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] Five of them were foolish, and five were (C)wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom (D)was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But (E)at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and (F)trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 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

  1. Matthew 25:1 Or torches
  2. Matthew 25:1 Some manuscripts add and the bride
  3. Matthew 25:14 Or bondservants; also verse 19
  4. Matthew 25:15 A talent was a monetary unit worth about twenty years' wages for a laborer
  5. Matthew 25:21 Or bondservant; also verses 23, 26, 30
  6. Matthew 25:40 Or brothers and sisters

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