1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five [were] foolish. 3 They that [were] foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out 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 But the wise answered, saying, [Not so] ; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready, went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say to you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of man cometh. 14 For [the kingdom of heaven is] as a man traveling into a far country, [who] called his own servants, and delivered to them his goods. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and forthwith took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents, went and traded with the same, and gained other five talents. 17 And likewise he that [had received] two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one, went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And he that had received five talents, came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst to me five talents: behold, I have gained besides them five talents more. 21 His lord said to him, Well done [thou] good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliveredst to me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. 23 His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he who had received the one talent came, and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, [there] thou hast [what is] thine. 26 His lord answered and said to him, [Thou] wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not strewed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and [then] at my coming I should have received my own with interest. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give [it] to him who hath ten talents. 29 For to every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then will he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats: 33 And he will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then will the King say to them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was hungry, and ye gave me food: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came to me. 37 Then will the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed [thee] ? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee] ? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came to thee? 40 And the king will answer and say to them, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done [it] to me. 41 Then will he say also to them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 For I was hungry, and ye gave me no food: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then will they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to thee? 45 Then will he answer them, saying, Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye did [it] not to one of the least of these, ye did [it] not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.
Matthew · Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
Matthew 25 Noah Webster's Bible (1833)
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)