Book of Common Prayer

¹⁵ Therefore I (after I heard of the faith that you have in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints) ¹⁶ cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers. ¹⁷ I ask the God of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Father of glory to give to you the spirit of wisdom, and to open to you the knowledge of himself, ¹⁸ and to enlighten the eyes of your minds, so that you may know what that hope is to which he has called you, and what the riches of his glorious inheritance is upon the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of his power in us who believe pursuant to the working of that his mighty power, ²⁰ which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead and set him on his right hand in heavenly things, ²¹ above all rule, power, and might, and dominion, and above all names that are named, not in this world only, but also in the world to come. ²² And he has put all things under his feet, and has made him above all things, the head of the congregation, ²³ which is his body, and the fullness of him who fills all in all things.

¹¹ As the people listened to these things, he added a similitude, because he was nearing Jerusalem, and also because they thought that the kingdom of God would shortly appear. ¹² He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then to return. ¹³ And he called his ten servants and gave them ten minas, saying to them, Trade with these till I come. ¹⁴ But his citizens hated him and sent messengers after him, saying, We will not have this man to reign over us.

¹⁵ And it came to pass, when the nobleman returned and had received his kingdom, he commanded those servants to whom he had given his money to be called to him, to find out how each had done. ¹⁶ Then came the first, saying, Lord, your mina has increased ten minas. ¹⁷ And he said to him, Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little thing, you shall have authority over ten cities. ¹⁸ And the other came, saying, Lord, your mina has increased five minas. ¹⁹ And to him he said, You also shall be over five cities.

²⁰ And the third came and said, Lord, here is your mina, which I have kept in a napkin. ²¹ For I feared you, because you are a hard man. You take where you did not invest, and reap what you did not sow.

²² And his lord said to him, By your own mouth I judge you, you evil servant. You knew that I am a hard man, taking where I did not invest and reaping what I did not sow? ²³ Why then didn’t you put my money into the bank, so that at my coming I could have claimed what is my own with profit?

²⁴ And he said to those who stood by, Take from him that mina, and give it the one who has ten minas. ²⁵ And they said to him, Lord, he has ten minas!

²⁶ I say to you that to all those who have, it will be given, and from him who has not, even that which he has will be taken from him. ²⁷ Moreover, those my enemies who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me.