1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like to ten virgins, who taking their lamps went out to meet the bridegroom and the bride. 2 And five of them were foolish, and five wise. 3 But the five foolish, having taken their lamps, did not take oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with the lamps. 5 And the bridegroom tarrying, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made: Behold the bridegroom cometh, go ye forth to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise: Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. 9 The wise answered, saying: Lest perhaps there be not enough for us and for you, go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 Now whilst they went to buy, the bridegroom came: and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. 11 But at last come also the other virgins, saying: Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answering said: Amen I say to you, I know you not. 13 Watch ye therefore, because you know not the day nor the hour. 14 For even as a man going into a far country, called his servants, and delivered to them his goods; 15 And to one he gave five talents, and to another two, and to another one, to every one according to his proper ability: and immediately he took his journey. 16 And he that had received the five talents, went his way, and traded with the same, and gained other five. 17 And in like manner he that had received the two, gained other two. 18 But he that had received the one, going his way digged into the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 19 But after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reckoned with them. 20 And he that had received the five talents coming, brought other five talents, saying: Lord, thou didst deliver to me five talents, behold I have gained other five over and above. 21 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant, because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 And he also that had received the two talents came and said: Lord, thou deliveredst two talents to me: behold I have gained other two. 23 His lord said to him: Well done, good and faithful servant: because thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will place thee over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 But he that had received the one talent, came and said: Lord, I know that thou art a hard man; thou reapest where thou hast not sown, and gatherest where thou hast not strewed. 25 And being afraid I went and hid thy talent in the earth: behold here thou hast that which is thine. 26 And his lord answering, said to him: Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sow not, and gather where I have not strewed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have committed my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received my own with usury. 28 Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that hath ten talents. 29 For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall abound: but from him that hath not, that also which he seemeth to have shall be taken away. 30 And the unprofitable servant cast ye out into the exterior darkness. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 31 And when the Son of man shall come in his majesty, and all the angels with him, then shall he sit upon the seat of his majesty. 32 And all nations shall be gathered together before him, and he shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on his left. 34 Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in: 36 Naked, and you covered me: sick, and you visited me: I was in prison, and you came to me. 37 Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and fed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 And when did we see thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and covered thee? 39 Or when did we see thee sick or in prison, and came to thee? 40 And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me. 41 Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry, and you gave me not to eat: I was thirsty, and you gave me not to drink. 43 I was a stranger, and you took me not in: naked, and you covered me not: sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. 44 Then they also shall answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? 45 Then he shall answer them, saying: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it not to one of these least, neither did you do it to me. 46 And these shall go into everlasting punishment: but the just, into life everlasting.
Matthew · Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Matthew 25 Douay-Rheims (Challoner), American Edition 1899
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Cross references (43)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 12:35–36; Matthew 24:42–51; Revelation 19:7; Philippians 2:15–16; John 3:29
- 2 Jeremiah 24:2; 1 Corinthians 10:1–5; Matthew 13:47–48; Matthew 13:19–23; 1 John 2:19
- 3 2 Timothy 3:5; Revelation 3:15–16; Isaiah 48:1–2; Isaiah 58:2; Revelation 3:1
- 4 Romans 8:9; 1 John 2:20; 1 John 2:27; John 3:34; Psalm 45:7
- 5 Habakkuk 2:3; 1 Thessalonians 5:6–8; 2 Peter 3:4–9; Matthew 24:48; Luke 20:9
- 6 2 Peter 3:10; John 5:28–29; Matthew 24:31; Matthew 25:1; Matthew 24:44
- 7 Luke 12:35; 2 Peter 3:14; Revelation 3:19–20; Revelation 2:4–5; Revelation 3:2
- 8 Proverbs 13:9; Luke 12:35; Hebrews 4:1; Matthew 13:20–21; Revelation 3:9
- 9 Psalm 49:7–9; Revelation 3:17–18; Isaiah 55:6–7; Isaiah 55:1–3; Ezekiel 14:20
- 10 Luke 13:25; Matthew 24:44; 1 Peter 1:13; Luke 12:36–37; Genesis 7:16
- 11 Matthew 7:21–23; Hebrews 12:16–17
- 12 1 Corinthians 8:3; 2 Timothy 2:19; John 10:27; Luke 13:26–30; Psalm 5:5
- 13 Matthew 24:42–44; Revelation 16:15; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Luke 21:36; 1 Corinthians 16:13
- 14 Mark 13:34; 1 Peter 4:9–11; Romans 12:6–8; Luke 19:12–27; Matthew 25:14–30
- 15 Matthew 18:24; Luke 19:13–14; Luke 12:48
- 16 Philemon 6–7; 3 John 5–8; 1 Timothy 6:17–18; 2 Timothy 2:6; Acts 13:36
- 17 Proverbs 3:9–10; Ephesians 5:16; Ecclesiastes 11:1–6; Colossians 4:17; 1 Peter 4:10
- 18 2 Peter 1:8; Proverbs 26:13–16; Malachi 1:10; Hebrews 6:12; Haggai 1:2–4
- 19 1 Corinthians 3:12–15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Romans 14:7–12; Matthew 18:23–24; Luke 16:1–2
- 20 Acts 20:24; 1 Corinthians 15:10; 2 Timothy 4:1–8; Luke 19:16–17; Colossians 1:29
- 21 Matthew 25:23; Luke 16:10; John 12:26; 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 3:21
- 22 2 Corinthians 8:12; Romans 12:6–8; 2 Corinthians 8:7–8; Luke 19:18–19; 2 Corinthians 8:1–3
- 23 Matthew 25:21; Mark 14:8–9; Mark 12:41–44
- 24 Luke 19:20–22; Luke 15:29; Malachi 3:14–15; Ezekiel 18:25–29; Jeremiah 2:31
- 25 2 Timothy 1:6–7; Romans 8:15; Proverbs 26:13; Revelation 21:8; Isaiah 57:11
- 26 Matthew 18:32; Job 15:5–6
- 27 Luke 19:22–23; Jude 15; Deuteronomy 23:19–20; Romans 3:19
- 28 Luke 19:24; Luke 10:42
- 29 Luke 8:18; Matthew 13:12; Mark 4:25; Luke 19:25–26; John 15:2
- 30 Matthew 8:12; Matthew 13:50; Revelation 3:15–16; Matthew 22:13; Hebrews 6:7–8
- 31 Revelation 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–8; Matthew 19:28; Jude 14; Mark 8:38
- 32 Malachi 3:18; Matthew 13:49; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Psalm 98:9; Ezekiel 34:17–22
- 33 Psalm 100:3; Psalm 45:9; John 10:26–28; John 21:15–17; Psalm 110:1
- 34 1 Peter 1:19–20; James 2:5; Revelation 21:7; Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:3–5
- 35 1 John 3:16–19; James 2:15–16; Deuteronomy 15:7–11; Ezekiel 18:7; Ezekiel 18:16
- 36 James 1:27; James 5:14–15; Hebrews 13:3; 2 Timothy 1:16–18; James 2:14–16
- 37 Matthew 6:3; 1 Peter 5:5–6; 1 Chronicles 29:14; Isaiah 64:6; 1 Corinthians 15:10
- 40 Proverbs 19:17; Proverbs 14:31; Matthew 10:42; Mark 9:41; 1 Peter 1:22
- 41 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6–7; Matthew 13:42; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 7:23
- 42 James 2:15–24; 1 Corinthians 16:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:8; John 5:23; Matthew 12:30
- 44 Luke 10:29; Matthew 7:22; Matthew 25:24–27; Malachi 3:13; Malachi 1:6
- 45 Proverbs 21:13; Proverbs 17:5; Matthew 25:40; Proverbs 14:31; Acts 9:5
- 46 Daniel 12:2; John 5:29; John 3:36; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 20:15
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Ye who were present yesterday remember my promise; which with the Lord's assistance is to be made good to-day, not to you only, but to the many others also who have come together. It is no easy question, who the ten virgins are, of whom five are wise, and five foolish.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
"Then shall the kingdom of Heaven," He saith, "be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. But five of them were wise, and the other five foolish, which took not," He saith, "oil." "Then, while the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
And besides; "the eternal fire which the Father has prepared for the devil and his angels," -- they ought to show of which of those Æons that are above it is the image; for it, too, is reckoned part of the creation.
For the truth in the gospel promises to the saints and the faithful that they will be equal to the angels of God; and it is also promised them that they will "go away into life eternal." But if we are certain that we shall never lapse from eternal felicity, while they are not certain, then we shall not be …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
For it will be no longer, "Dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return," and thou "tillest the ground," and those former words, that will be said to us; but what is far more grievous than these, the "outer darkness," the bonds that may not be burst, the venomous worm, the "gnashing of teeth;" and this with great reason.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)