BibleInTonguesWEB
Matthew 25
Three back-to-back pictures of the delayed return close out Jesus' final discourse: ten bridesmaids waiting on a late bridegroom, three servants handed talents to invest, and the nations sorted like sheep and goats. Each turns on what was done while the master was away. Watch how the deciding factor shifts. With the virgins it is foresight (oil kept in reserve); with the servants it is risk taken on what was entrusted; with the nations it is unnoticed mercy to the hungry, the stranger, the imprisoned.
- 1
“Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
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Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
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Those who were foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,
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but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
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Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
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But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Behold! The bridegroom is coming! Come out to meet him!’
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Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
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The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’
- 9
But the wise answered, saying, ‘What if there isn’t enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
- 10
While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.
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Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us.’
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But he answered, ‘Most certainly I tell you, I don’t know you.’
- 13
Watch therefore, for you don’t know the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.
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“For it is like a man going into another country, who called his own servants and entrusted his goods to them.
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To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.
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Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.
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In the same way, he also who got the two gained another two.
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But he who received the one talent went away and dug in the earth and hid his lord’s money.
- 19
“Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and settled accounts with them.
- 20
He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents in addition to them.’
- 21
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
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“He also who got the two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents in addition to them.’
- 23
“His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things. I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
- 24
“He also who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow, and gathering where you didn’t scatter.
- 25
I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.’
- 26
“But his lord answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow, and gather where I didn’t scatter.
- 27
You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.
- 28
Take away therefore the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.
- 29
For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who doesn’t have, even that which he has will be taken away.
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Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
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“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.
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Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
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He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
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Then the King will tell those on his right hand, ‘Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;
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for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in.
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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, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink?
- 38
When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you?
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When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’
- 40
“The King will answer them, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
- 41
Then he will say also to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;
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for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;
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I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.’
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“Then they will also answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?’
- 45
“Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.’
- 46
These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
- 1
“Então o Reino dos Céus será semelhante a dez virgens que pegaram suas lâmpadas e saíram ao encontro do noivo.
- 2
Cinco delas eram insensatas, e cinco eram prudentes.
- 3
As insensatas, ao pegarem suas lâmpadas, não levaram óleo consigo,
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mas as prudentes levaram óleo em suas vasilhas, junto com as lâmpadas.
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Como o noivo demorava, todas elas cochilaram e dormiram.
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Mas à meia-noite ouviu-se um grito: ‘Eis que o noivo está chegando! Saiam ao seu encontro!’
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Então todas aquelas virgens se levantaram e prepararam suas lâmpadas.
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As insensatas disseram às prudentes: ‘Deem-nos um pouco do seu óleo, pois as nossas lâmpadas estão se apagando.’
- 9
Mas as prudentes responderam, dizendo: ‘E se não houver o suficiente para nós e para vocês? Vão antes aos que vendem, e comprem para vocês mesmas.’
- 10
Enquanto elas foram comprar, o noivo chegou, e as que estavam preparadas entraram com ele para o banquete de casamento, e a porta foi fechada.
- 11
Mais tarde, as outras virgens também chegaram, dizendo: ‘Senhor, Senhor, abra a porta para nós.’
- 12
Mas ele respondeu: ‘Em verdade lhes digo que não as conheço.’
- 13
Vigiem, portanto, pois vocês não sabem o dia nem a hora em que o Filho do Homem virá.
- 14
“Pois será como um homem que, viajando para outro país, chamou os seus servos e lhes confiou os seus bens.
- 15
A um ele deu cinco talentos, a outro dois, e a outro um, a cada um de acordo com a sua própria capacidade. Então ele seguiu viagem.
- 16
Imediatamente, o que havia recebido cinco talentos saiu, negociou com eles e ganhou mais cinco talentos.
- 17
Da mesma forma, o que havia recebido dois ganhou mais dois.
- 18
Mas o que havia recebido um talento saiu, cavou um buraco na terra e escondeu o dinheiro do seu senhor.
- 19
“Depois de muito tempo, o senhor daqueles servos voltou e acertou as contas com eles.
- 20
O que havia recebido os cinco talentos aproximou-se e trouxe mais cinco talentos, dizendo: ‘Senhor, o senhor me entregou cinco talentos. Eis que ganhei mais cinco talentos além deles.’
- 21
“O seu senhor lhe disse: ‘Muito bem, servo bom e fiel. Você foi fiel no pouco, eu o colocarei sobre o muito. Entre na alegria do seu senhor.’
- 22
“O que havia recebido os dois talentos também se aproximou e disse: ‘Senhor, o senhor me entregou dois talentos. Eis que ganhei mais dois talentos além deles.’
- 23
“O seu senhor lhe disse: ‘Muito bem, servo bom e fiel. Você foi fiel no pouco, eu o colocarei sobre o muito. Entre na alegria do seu senhor.’
- 24
“Então, o que havia recebido um talento aproximou-se e disse: ‘Senhor, eu sabia que o senhor é um homem severo, que colhe onde não semeou e ajunta onde não espalhou.
- 25
Tive medo, saí e escondi o seu talento na terra. Eis aqui o que é seu.’
- 26
“Mas o seu senhor lhe respondeu: ‘Servo mau e preguiçoso! Você sabia que eu colho onde não semeei e ajunto onde não espalhei?
- 27
Você devia, portanto, ter depositado o meu dinheiro com os banqueiros, e, na minha volta, eu teria recebido o que é meu com juros.
- 28
Tirem, portanto, o talento dele e deem-no ao que tem os dez talentos.
- 29
Pois a todo o que tem, mais será dado, e ele terá em abundância; mas ao que não tem, até o que tem lhe será tirado.
- 30
Lancem o servo inútil nas trevas exteriores, onde haverá choro e ranger de dentes.’
- 31
“Mas quando o Filho do Homem vier em sua glória, e todos os santos anjos com ele, então ele se assentará no trono da sua glória.
- 32
Diante dele serão reunidas todas as nações, e ele separará uns dos outros, assim como o pastor separa as ovelhas dos bodes.
- 33
Ele colocará as ovelhas à sua direita, mas os bodes à esquerda.
- 34
Então o Rei dirá aos que estiverem à sua direita: ‘Venham, benditos de meu Pai, herdem o Reino preparado para vocês desde a fundação do mundo;
- 35
pois eu tive fome, e vocês me deram de comer. Tive sede, e vocês me deram de beber. Fui estrangeiro, e vocês me acolheram.
- 36
Estive nu, e vocês me vestiram. Estive doente, e vocês me visitaram. Estive na prisão, e vocês vieram me ver.’
- 37
“Então os justos lhe responderão, dizendo: ‘Senhor, quando foi que te vimos com fome e te demos de comer, ou com sede e te demos de beber?
- 38
Quando te vimos como estrangeiro e te acolhemos, ou nu e te vestimos?
- 39
Quando te vimos doente ou na prisão e fomos te ver?’
- 40
“O Rei lhes responderá: ‘Em verdade lhes digo que, visto que o fizeram a um destes meus pequeninos irmãos, vocês o fizeram a mim.’
- 41
Então ele dirá também aos que estiverem à sua esquerda: ‘Afastem-se de mim, malditos, para o fogo eterno que foi preparado para o diabo e os seus anjos;
- 42
pois eu tive fome, e vocês não me deram de comer; tive sede, e vocês não me deram de beber;
- 43
fui estrangeiro, e vocês não me acolheram; estive nu, e vocês não me vestiram; doente e na prisão, e vocês não me visitaram.’
- 44
“Então eles também responderão, dizendo: ‘Senhor, quando foi que te vimos com fome, ou com sede, ou como estrangeiro, ou nu, ou doente, ou na prisão, e não te ajudamos?’
- 45
“Então ele lhes responderá, dizendo: ‘Em verdade lhes digo que, visto que não o fizeram a um destes pequeninos, vocês não o fizeram a mim.’
- 46
E estes irão para o castigo eterno, mas os justos para a vida eterna.”
Why the buried talent is condemned
The third servant does no harm and returns exactly what he was given, yet he is called 'wicked and slothful.' His own words give him away: he claims he hid the money because he 'was afraid' of a hard master who reaps where he didn't sow.
The master answers on the servant's own terms: if you truly believed that, you should at least have banked it for interest (v.27). Fear that produces nothing is the failure here, setting up the final scene where genuine care is shown to be the real evidence.
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