Parábola de las diez jóvenes
1»El reino de los cielos será entonces como diez jóvenes solteras que tomaron sus lámparas y salieron a recibir al novio. 2Cinco de ellas eran insensatas y cinco, prudentes. 3Las insensatas llevaron sus lámparas, pero no se abastecieron de aceite. 4En cambio, las prudentes llevaron vasijas de aceite junto con sus lámparas. 5Y como el novio tardaba en llegar, a todas les dio sueño y se durmieron. 6A medianoche se oyó un grito: “¡Ahí viene el novio! ¡Salgan a recibirlo!”. 7Entonces todas las jóvenes se despertaron y se pusieron a preparar sus lámparas. 8Las insensatas dijeron a las prudentes: “Dennos un poco de su aceite porque nuestras lámparas se están apagando”. 9“No —respondieron estas—, porque así no va a alcanzar ni para nosotras ni para ustedes. Es mejor que vayan a los que venden aceite y compren para ustedes mismas”. 10Mientras iban a comprar el aceite, llegó el novio. Las jóvenes que estaban preparadas entraron con él al banquete de bodas. Y se cerró la puerta. 11Después llegaron también las otras. “¡Señor, Señor —decían—, ábrenos!”. 12“¡Les aseguro que no las conozco!”, respondió él.
13»Por tanto —agregó Jesús—, manténganse despiertos porque no saben ni el día ni la hora.
Parábola de las monedas de oro
14»El reino de los cielos será también como un hombre que, al emprender un viaje, llamó a sus siervos y les encargó sus bienes. 15A uno le dio cinco mil monedas;25:15 cinco mil monedas. Lit. cinco talentos (y así sucesivamente en el resto de este pasaje). a otro, dos mil y a otro, mil. Dio a cada uno según su capacidad. Luego se fue de viaje. 16El que había recibido las cinco mil fue enseguida y negoció con ellas y ganó otras cinco mil. 17Así mismo, el que recibió dos mil ganó otras dos mil. 18Pero el que había recibido mil fue, cavó un hoyo en la tierra y escondió el dinero de su señor.
19»Después de mucho tiempo, volvió el señor de aquellos siervos y arregló cuentas con ellos. 20El que había recibido las cinco mil monedas llegó con las otras cinco mil. “Señor —dijo—, usted me encargó cinco mil monedas. Mire, he ganado otras cinco mil”. 21Su señor respondió: “¡Hiciste bien, siervo bueno y fiel! En lo poco has sido fiel; te pondré a cargo de mucho más. ¡Ven a compartir la felicidad de tu señor!”. 22Llegó también el que recibió dos mil monedas. “Señor —informó—, usted me encargó dos mil monedas. Mire, he ganado otras dos mil”. 23Su señor respondió: “¡Hiciste bien, siervo bueno y fiel! En lo poco has sido fiel; te pondré a cargo de mucho más. ¡Ven a compartir la felicidad de tu señor!”.
24»Después llegó el que había recibido mil monedas. “Señor —explicó—, yo sabía que usted es un hombre duro, que cosecha donde no ha sembrado y recoge donde no ha esparcido. 25Así que tuve miedo y fui y escondí su dinero en la tierra. Mire, aquí tiene lo que es suyo”. 26Pero su señor respondió: “¡Siervo malo y perezoso! ¿Así que sabías que cosecho donde no he sembrado y recojo donde no he esparcido? 27Pues debías haber depositado mi dinero en el banco, para que a mi regreso lo hubiera recibido con intereses”.
28»Después ordenó: “Quítenle las mil monedas y dénselas al que tiene las diez mil. 29Porque a todo el que tiene se le dará más y tendrá en abundancia. Al que no tiene hasta lo que tiene se le quitará. 30Y a ese siervo inútil échenlo afuera, a la oscuridad, donde habrá llanto y crujir de dientes”.
Las ovejas y las cabras
31»Cuando el Hijo del hombre venga en su gloria, con todos sus ángeles, se sentará en su trono glorioso. 32Todas las naciones se reunirán delante de él, y él separará a unos de otros, como separa el pastor las ovejas de las cabras. 33Pondrá las ovejas a su derecha, y las cabras a su izquierda.
34»Entonces dirá el Rey a los que estén a su derecha: “Vengan ustedes, a quienes mi Padre ha bendecido; reciban su herencia, el reino preparado para ustedes desde la creación del mundo. 35Porque tuve hambre y ustedes me dieron de comer; tuve sed y me dieron de beber; fui forastero y me dieron alojamiento; 36necesité ropa y me vistieron; estuve enfermo y me atendieron; estuve en la cárcel y me visitaron”. 37Y le contestarán los justos: “Señor, ¿cuándo te vimos hambriento y te alimentamos o sediento y te dimos de beber? 38¿Cuándo te vimos como forastero y te dimos alojamiento o necesitado de ropa y te vestimos? 39¿Cuándo te vimos enfermo o en la cárcel y te visitamos?”. 40El Rey les responderá: “Les aseguro que todo lo que hicieron por uno de mis hermanos, aun por el más pequeño, lo hicieron por mí”.
41»Luego dirá a los que estén a su izquierda: “Apártense de mí, malditos, al fuego eterno preparado para el diablo y sus ángeles. 42Porque tuve hambre y ustedes no me dieron nada de comer; tuve sed y no me dieron nada de beber; 43fui forastero y no me dieron alojamiento; necesité ropa y no me vistieron; estuve enfermo y en la cárcel, y no me atendieron”. 44Ellos también contestarán: “Señor, ¿cuándo te vimos hambriento o sediento, o como forastero, o necesitado de ropa, enfermo o en la cárcel y no te ayudamos?”. 45Él responderá: “Les aseguro que todo lo que no hicieron por el más pequeño de mis hermanos, tampoco lo hicieron por mí”.
46»Aquellos irán al castigo eterno y los justos a la vida eterna».
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.”
