M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan

The ten virgins, the talents delivered to the servants, and of the general judgment.

25 Then the kingdom of heaven will be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ² Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³ The foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them. ⁴ But the wise took oil with them in their vessels, with their lamps also.

⁵ While the bridegroom tarried, all slumbered and slept. ⁶ And right at midnight there was a cry made: Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him! ⁷ Then all those virgins arose and prepared 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, Not so, lest there not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the gate was shut up. ¹¹ Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us! ¹² But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I know you not.

¹³ Watch, therefore. For you know neither the day nor yet the hour when the Son of man will come.

¹⁴ Likewise it will be as a certain man, ready to take his journey to a strange country, called his servants and delivered his goods to them. ¹⁵ And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one – to every man according to his ability – and straightaway departed. ¹⁶ Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and won another five talents. ¹⁷ Likewise, he who received two gained another two. ¹⁸ But he who received the one went and dug a hole in the earth, and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ After a long season, the lord of those servants came and reckoned with them. ²⁰ Then came he that had received five talents, and brought another five talents, saying, Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have gained with them five talents more. ²¹ Then his master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in a little; I will appoint you over much. Enter into your master’s joy!

²² Also he who received two talents came and said, Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have won two other talents with them. ²³ And his master said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in a little; I will appoint you over much. Go in, into your master’s joy.

²⁴ Then he who had received the one talent came and said, Master, I considered that you were a hard man, who reaps where you did not sow and gathers where you did not scatter, ²⁵ and was therefore afraid, and went and hid your talent in the earth. Here, have your talent.

²⁶ His master answered and said to him, You evil servant, and slothful: you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷ You ought therefore to have put my money with the moneychangers, and then at my coming I would have received what is my own with profit. ²⁸ Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to the one who has ten talents. ²⁹ For every person who has will be given more, and he will have abundance; and from him who has not, shall be taken away even what he has. ³⁰ And cast that unprofitable servant into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

³¹ When the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his glory. ³² And before him shall be gathered all nations. And he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he will set the sheep on his right hand and the goats on the left. ³⁴ Then shall the king say to those on his right hand, Come ye blessed children of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the beginning of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me food. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was homeless and you lodged me. ³⁶ I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.

³⁷ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, Master, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ When did we see you homeless and lodge you, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ Or when did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you? ⁴⁰ And the king will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it for one of the least of these my brethren, you did it for me.

⁴¹ Then shall the king say to those who will be on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, which is prepared for the devil and his angels. ⁴² For I was hungry and you gave me no food. I was thirsty and you gave me no drink. ⁴³ I was homeless and you did not lodge me. I was naked and you did not clothe me. I was sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.

⁴⁴ Then they also will answer him, saying, Master, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or homeless, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to you? ⁴⁵ Then shall he answer them and say, Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it not for one of the least of these, you did it not for me. ⁴⁶ And these shall go into everlasting pain, but the righteous into life eternal.

The Jews accuse Paul before Festus. Paul appeals to the Emperor and is sent to Rome.

25 When Festus had arrived in the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem. ² Then the high priests and the chief men of the Jews made submissions to him about Paul. And they entreated him, ³ and requested his indulgence concerning Paul, that he would send for him to come to Jerusalem. And they planned to lay wait for him along the way, to kill him.

⁴ But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, but that he himself would shortly go there. ⁵ Therefore (said he), let those among you who are able to do it come down with us, and bring your case against him there, if there be any fault in the man.

⁶ When he had been in Jerusalem more than ten days, Festus departed to Caesarea. And the next day, he sat down in the judgment seat and commanded Paul to be brought. ⁷ When he appeared, the Jews that had come from Jerusalem came about him and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul – which they could not prove, ⁸ as long as he answered for himself that he had not offended against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, in anything at all.

⁹ Festus, wanting to please the Jews, answered Paul and said, Will you go to Jerusalem and be judged there before me concerning these things? ¹⁰ Then Paul said, I stand at Caesar’s judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews I have done no harm, as you very well know. ¹¹ If I have hurt them, or committed anything worthy of death, I do not refuse to die. If none of these things are so, of which they accuse me, no one ought to deliver me to them. I appeal to Caesar!

¹² Then Festus spoke with deliberation and answered, You have appealed to Caesar: to Caesar you shall go.

¹³ After some days had passed, King Agrippa and Bernice came to Caesarea to pay their respects to Festus. ¹⁴ And when they had been there a good season, Festus described Paul’s case to the king, saying, There is a certain man left in prison by Felix, ¹⁵ against whom the high priests and elders of the Jews informed me when I went to Jerusalem, and asked to have judgment against him. ¹⁶ To whom I answered, It is not the practice of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he has his accusers before him, and has the opportunity to answer for himself concerning the charge made against him. ¹⁷ When they came here, without delay I sat the next day to give judgment and commanded the man to be brought forth.

¹⁸ When the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation against him of such things as I supposed, ¹⁹ but had certain questions against him concerning their own superstition, and about one Jesus who was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. ²⁰ And because I was uncertain of such questions, I asked him if he would go to Jerusalem and be judged there concerning these matters. ²¹ Then, when Paul appealed to be held for hearing by Caesar, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar. 

²² Agrippa said to Festus, I would also like to hear the man myself.

Tomorrow (said he) you shall hear him.

²³ And the next day, when Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp, and had entered into the council house with the high captains and chief men of the city, at Festus’ commandment Paul was brought forth. ²⁴ And Festus said, King Agrippa, and everyone here present with us, you see this man, about whom all the Jews have been calling upon me, both at Jerusalem and also here, complaining that he ought not to live any longer. ²⁵ Yet I found nothing worthy of death committed by him. Nevertheless, seeing that he has appealed to Caesar, I have determined to send him. ²⁶ But I have nothing certain to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after examination I might have something to write. ²⁷ For it seems to me unreasonable to send a prisoner and not to specify the complaints that are laid against him.