Section XLIII

Section XLIII.

[1]Simon Cephas said unto him, Our Lord, is it to us that thou hast spoken this parable, or also to every man? [2]Jesus said unto him, Who, thinkest thou, is the servant, the master of the house,[3] trusted with control,[4] whom his lord set over his household, to give them their food in its season? [5]Blessed is that servant, whom his lord shall come and find having done so. [6]Verily I say unto you, He will set him over all that he hath. [7]But if that evil servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; [8]and shall begin to beat his servants and the maidservants of his lord, and shall begin to eat and to drink with the drunken; [9]the lord of that servant shall come in the day that he thinketh not, and in the hour that he knoweth not, [10]and shall [Arabic, p. 163] judge him, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites, [11]and with those that are not faithful: [12]there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

[13]Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like unto ten virgins, those that took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom and the bride. [14]Five of them were wise, and five foolish. [15]And those foolish ones took their lamps, and took not with [12, 13] them oil: [16]but those wise ones took oil in vessels along with their lamps. [17]When then the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. [18]But in the middle of the night there occurred a cry, Behold, the bridegroom cometh! Go forth therefore to [15, 16] meet him. [19]Then all those virgins arose, and made ready their lamps. [20]The foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. [21]But those wise answered and said, Perhaps[22] there will not be enough for us and you: but go ye to the sellers, and buy for yourselves. [23]And when they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and those that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and the door was shut. [24]And at last those other virgins also came and said, Our Lord, our Lord, open unto us. [25]He answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. [26]Watch then, for ye know not that day nor that hour.

[27]It is as a man, who went on a journey, and called his servants, and delivered unto them his possessions. [28]And unto one he gave five talents,[29] and another two, and another one; every one according to his strength; and went on his journey forthwith. [30]He [Arabic, p. 164] then that received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained other five. [31]And so also he of the two gained other two. [32]But he that received the one went and digged in the earth, and hid the money of his lord. [33]And after a long time the lord of those servants came, and took from them the account. [34]And he that received five talents came near and brought other five, and said, My lord, thou gavest me five talents: lo, I have gained other five in addition to them. [35]His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: over a little hast thou been faithful, over much will I set thee: enter into the joy of thy lord. [36]And he that had the two came near and said, My lord, thou gavest me two talents: lo, other two have I gained in addition to them. [37]His lord said unto him, Good,[38] thou faithful servant: over a little hast thou been faithful, over much will I set thee: enter into the joy of thy lord. [39]And he also that received the one talent came forward and said, My lord, I knew thee that thou art a severe man, who reapest where thou sowest not, and gatherest where thou didst not scatter: [40]and so I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast what is thine. [41]His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest me that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter; [42]it was incumbent on thee to put my money to the bank,[43] and then I should come and seek it with its gains. [44]Take now from him the talent, and give it to him that hath ten talents. [45]Whosoever hath shall be given, and he shall have more: but he that hath not, even [Arabic, p. 165] what he hath shall be taken from him. [46]And the unprofitable servant, put him forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

[39, 40] [47]Your loins shall be girded, and your lamps lit; [48]and ye shall be like the people that are looking for their lord, when he shall return from the feast; so that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may at once open unto him. [49]Blessed are those servants, whom their lord shall come and find attentive: verily I say unto you, that he will gird his waist, and make them sit down, and pass through[50]them and serve them. [51]And if he come in the second watch, or the third, and find thus, blessed are those servants.

[52]But when the Son of man cometh in his glory, and all his pure angels with him, then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: [53]and he will gather before him all the nations, and separate them the one from the other, like the shepherd who separateth the sheep from the goats; [54]and will set[55] the sheep on his right, and the goats on his left. [56]Then shall the King say to those that are at his right, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations[57] of the world: [58]I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; and I thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; and I was a stranger, and ye took me in; [59]and I was naked, and ye clothed me; and I was sick, and ye visited me; and I was in prison, and ye cared for me. [60]Then shall those righteous say unto him, Our Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee to drink? [61]And when saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? [62]And when saw we thee sick, or imprisoned, and cared for thee? [63]The King shall answer and say[64] unto them, Verily I say unto you, What [Arabic, p. 166] ye did to one of these my brethren, the little ones, ye did unto me. [65]Then shall he say unto those that are on his left also, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his hosts: [66]I hungered, and ye fed me not; and I thirsted, and ye did not give me to drink; [67]and I was a stranger, and ye took me not in; and I was naked, and ye clothed me not; and I was sick, and imprisoned, and ye visited me not. [68]Then shall those also answer and say, Our Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or naked, or a stranger, or sick, or imprisoned, and did not minister unto thee? [69]Then shall he answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, When ye did it not unto one of these little ones, ye did it not unto me also. [70]And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.