The Story of Ten Bridesmaids
1“Here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like at that time. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2Five of them were foolish. Five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t take any olive oil with them. 4The wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5The groom did not come for a long time. So the bridesmaids all grew tired and fell asleep.
6“At midnight someone cried out, ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him!’
7“Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready. 8The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’
9“ ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There may not be enough for all of us. Instead, go to those who sell oil. Buy some for yourselves.’
10“So they went to buy the oil. But while they were on their way, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding dinner. Then the door was shut.
11“Later, the other bridesmaids also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12“But he replied, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. I don’t know you.’
13“So keep watch. You do not know the day or the hour that the groom will come.
The Story of Three Slaves
14“Again, here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like. A man was going on a journey. He sent for his slaves and put them in charge of his money. 15He gave five bags of gold to one. He gave two bags to another. And he gave one bag to the third. The man gave each slave the amount of money he knew the slave could take care of. Then he went on his journey. 16The slave who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work. He earned five bags more. 17The one with the two bags of gold earned two more. 18But the man who had received one bag went and dug a hole in the ground. He hid his master’s money in it.
19“After a long time the master of those slaves returned. He wanted to collect all the money they had earned. 20The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you trusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have earned five more.’
21“His master replied, ‘You have done well, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
22“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you trusted me with two bags of gold. See, I have earned two more.’
23“His master replied, ‘You have done well, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful with a few things. I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
24“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man. You harvest where you have not planted. You gather crops where you have not scattered seed. 25So I was afraid. I went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
26“His master replied, ‘You evil, lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I have not planted? You knew that I gather crops where I have not scattered seed? 27Well then, you should have put my money in the bank. When I returned, I would have received it back with interest.’
28“Then his master commanded the other slaves, ‘Take the bag of gold from him. Give it to the one who has ten bags. 29Everyone who has will be given more. They will have more than enough. And what about anyone who doesn’t have? Even what they have will be taken away from them. 30Throw that worthless slave outside. There in the darkness, people will weep and grind their teeth.’
The Sheep and the Goats
31“The Son of Man will come in all his glory. All the angels will come with him. Then he will sit in glory on his throne. 32All the nations will be gathered in front of him. He will separate the people into two groups. He will be like a shepherd who separates the sheep from the goats. 33He will put the sheep to his right and the goats to his left.
34“Then the King will speak to those on his right. He will say, ‘My Father has blessed you. Come and take what is yours. It is the kingdom prepared for you since the world was created. 35I was hungry. And you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty. And you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger. And you invited me in. 36I needed clothes. And you gave them to me. I was sick. And you took care of me. I was in prison. And you came to visit me.’
37“Then the people who have done what is right will answer him. ‘Lord,’ they will ask, ‘when did we see you hungry and feed you? When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in? When did we see you needing clothes and give them to you? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40“The King will reply, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘You are cursed! Go away from me into the fire that burns forever. It has been prepared for the devil and his angels. 42I was hungry. But you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty. But you gave me nothing to drink. 43I was a stranger. But you did not invite me in. I needed clothes. But you did not give me any. I was sick and in prison. But you did not take care of me.’
44“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and not help you? When did we see you as a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison and not help you?’
45“He will reply, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. Anything you didn’t do for one of the least important of these, you didn’t do for me.’
46“Then they will go away to be punished forever. But those who have done what is right will receive eternal life.”
Прича о десет девојака
1Тада ће Царство небеско бити као десет девојака, које узеше своје светиљке и изађоше у сусрет младожењи. 2Пет од њих било је неразумно, а пет мудро. 3Неразумне, наиме, узевши своје светиљке нису понеле са собом уље; 4мудре су, пак, у својим светиљкама понеле уље. 5Како је младожења окаснио, оне су све задремале и заспале.
6О поноћи наста вика: ’Ево младожење! Изађите му у сусрет!’
7Тада оне девојке устадоше и уредише своје светиљке. 8Неразумне рекоше мудрима: ’Дајте нам од свога уља, јер нам се светиљке гасе.’ 9Мудре девојке им одговорише: ’Да не би мањкало и нама и вама, боље идите трговцима и купите себи.’
10Кад су неразумне отишле да купе уље, стиже младожења и ове које су биле спремне уђу са младожењом на свадбу, а врата се затворе.
11Касније дођу и неразумне девојке, говорећи: ’Господару, господару, отвори нам!’
12Младожења им одговори: ’Заиста вам кажем, не познајем вас.’
13Бдите стога, јер не знате ни дана ни часа када ће Син Човечији доћи.
Прича о талантима
14То је као кад је човек, полазећи на пут, позвао своје слуге и предао им своје имање. 15Тако је једном дао пет таланата, другом два, а трећем један; свакоме према његовој способности, па отпутовао. 16Онај што је примио пет таланата одмах оде, послова с њима, те заради других пет. 17Исто тако је и онај са два таланата зарадио друга два. 18А онај који је добио један таланат, оде, ископа јаму у земљи, те сакрије новац свога господара.
19После дужег времена, врати се господар оних слугу и почне да своди рачуне са њима. 20Тада приступи онај слуга који је добио пет таланата и донесе других пет, говорећи: ’Господару, дао си ми пет таланата, и ја сам, ево, зарадио и других пет.’
21Господар му рече: ’Одлично, добри и верни слуго! Пошто си био веран у малим стварима, поверићу ти много више. Уђи и провесели се са својим господарем!’
22Приступи други слуга, па рече: ’Господару, дао си ми два таланта, а ја сам, ево, зарадио друга два.’
23Господар му рече: ’Врло добро, ваљани и верни слуго! Пошто си био веран у малим стварима, поверићу ти много више. Уђи и провесели се са својим господарем!’
24Приступи и онај који је добио један таланат и рече: ’Господару, знао сам да си строг човек, жањеш где ниси посејао и скупљаш где ниси вејао. 25Уплашио сам се, па сам отишао и сакрио твој таланат у земљу. Ево ти твоје.’
26Господар му рече: ’Зли и лењи слуго! Ти си знао да жањем где нисам посејао и да скупљам где нисам вејао? 27Зато је требало да уложиш мој новац код оних који послују са новцем, и ја бих по повратку узео свој новац са каматом.
28Зато узмите од њега тај таланат и дајте ономе који има десет таланата. 29Јер, свакоме ко има, још ће се и додати, и изобиловаће, а од онога који нема, одузеће се и оно што има. 30А некорисног слугу избаците у таму најкрајњу. Тамо ће бити плач и шкргут зуба.’
Судњи дан
31А када Син Човечији дође у својој слави и сви анђели с њим, онда ће он сести на свој славни престо. 32И сабраће се пред њим сви народи, а он ће их одвојити једне од других, као што пастир одваја овце од јараца. 33Овце ће поставити себи с десне стране, а јарце с леве.
34Тада ће Цар рећи онима са десне стране: ’Ходите ви, благословени од мога Оца, примите Царство које је било приправљено за вас од постанка света. 35Јер, био сам гладан и ви сте ме нахранили; био сам жедан и ви сте ме напојили; био сам странац и ви сте ме угостили; 36био сам го и ви сте ме обукли; био сам болестан и ви сте ме посетили; био сам у тамници и ви сте ме обишли.’
37Тада ће га упитати они праведници: ’Господе, када смо те видели гладног и нахранили те, или жедног и напојили те? 38Када смо те видели као странца и угостили те, или голог и обукли те? 39Када смо те видели болесног, или у тамници и посетили те?’
40А Цар ће им одговорити: ’Заиста вам кажем, уколико сте учинили једном од ове моје најнезнатније браће, мени сте учинили.’
41Потом ће рећи онима с леве стране: ’Одлазите од мене, проклети, у огањ вечити приправљен за ђавола и за његове анђеле! 42Јер, био сам гладан, а ви ме нисте нахранили; био сам жедан, а ви ме нисте напојили; 43био сам странац, а ви ме нисте угостили; био сам го, а ви ме нисте оденули; био сам болестан и у тамници, а ви ме нисте посетили.’
44Тада ће га они упитати: ’Господе, када смо те видели гладног, или жедног, или као странца, или голог, или болесног, или у тамници, а да се нисмо побринули за тебе?’
45А он ће им одговорити: ’Заиста вам кажем, уколико то нисте учинили једном од ових најнезнатнијих, нисте учинили ни мени.’
46Стога ће они отићи у вечну казну, а праведници у живот вечни.“
