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25 Then the Malchut HaShomayim will be compared to ten alamot (young unmarried virgins), who, having taken their menorahs, went out to meet the Choson (Bridegroom).

Now five of them were foolish and five were wise.

When the foolish took their menorahs, they neglected to take shemen (oil).

But the wise took shemen in containers with their menorahs.

Now the Choson, being delayed, here is what happened: all the alamot became drowsy and were sleeping.

And at chatsot halailah (midnight) there was a shout, Hinei! The Choson (Bridegroom)! Go out to meet him!

Then all the ten alamot awakened and they trimmed their menorahs.

But the foolish said to the wise, Give us from your shemen (oil), for our menorahs are going out.

But the wise answered, saying, Perhaps there might not be enough for us and for you. Instead, you go to the ones selling and buy for yourselves.

10 And as they were going away to buy, the Bias of the Choson (Bridegroom) occurred! The ones prepared entered with him into the Chasunoh (Wedding) feast and the door was shut.

11 And later, here comes also the other alamot, saying, Adoneinu, Adoneinu, open the door for us.

12 But he, in reply, said, Omein, I say to you, I do not know you.

13 Be shomer, be on the alert, therefore, for you do not have daas of the Yom or the Shaah (hour, time).

14 For it is as a man going on a journey, who called to his own avadim (slaves) and handed over to them his possessions.

15 And to this one, he gave five talents, and to this one, two, and to this one, one, each according to his own ability. Then the man went on his journey. Immediately

16 After the man had gone, the one having received the five talents, went to work with them, and gained five others.

17 Likewise, the one having received the two talents, this one gained two others.

18 But the one, having received one, went out and dug a hole in the ground and buried the gelt (money) of his Adon in a hiding place.

19 And after much time, here comes the Adon of those servants. And he conducts a settling of accounts with them.

20 Then the one who had received five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, Adoni, five talents you gave me. Hinei! Five more talents I gained.

21 And his Adon said to him, Shkoyach (well done), eved tov vneeman (good and faithful servant)! A few things you were faithful over, over many things I will ordain you. Enter into the simchah of your Adon.

22 And having come forward, the one having received two talents, said, You bestowed upon me two talents. Hinei! Two more talents I gained.

23 His Adon said to him, Shkoyach (well done), eved tov vneeman! A few things you were faithful over, over many things I will ordain you. Enter into the simcha of your Adon.

24 And also the one who had received one talent stepped forward. He said, Adoni, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering from that which you did not scatter seed.

25 And having been afraid and having gone away, I hid your talent by burying it in the ground. Here, see, you have that which belongs to you.

26 And, in reply, his Adon said to him, You farbissener (mean) eved rah vatzel (wicked and lazy slave), so you had daas that I reap where I did not sow and I gather from which I did not scatter seed?

27 Then why was it not necessary for you to deposit my gelt with the bankers, and having returned, I would have received back that which was mine with interest?

28 Take, therefore, from him the talent and give it to the one having the ten talents.

29 For to every one having, it will be given and he will have abundance; but from the one not having, even what he has will be taken from him.

30 And as for the useless slave, throw him into the outer choshech, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

31 And when the Ben Adam (Daniel 7:13) comes, in his kavod and all his malachim with him, then he will sit upon his Kissei Kavod (Glorious Throne).

32 And there will be assembled all the Goyim, and he will separate them from each other as the Roeh (the Shepherd) separates the Kevasim (Sheep) from the Izzim (Goats).

33 And he will put the Kevasim on the right of him, but the Izzim on his left.

34 Then he will say to the ones on his right, Come! Baruchei Avi (Blessed of my Father), receive the bechorah (inheritance), the Malchut prepared for you from before Hivvased HaOlam (the establishing of the world).

35 For I hungered and you gave me something to eat. I thirsted and you gave drink to me. I was a sojourner, and you extended hachnosas orchim (hospitality) to me.

36 I was naked and you gave me malbish arumim (clothing the naked). I was ill; with bikkur cholim (visiting the sick) you ministered to me. I was in the beit hasohar (prison); you came to me.

37 Then the tzaddikim will answer him, [Moshiach] Adoneinu, when did we see you hungering and we fed you, or thirsting and we gave you drink?

38 And when did we see you a sojourner and we extended hachnosas orchim (hospitality) to you, or naked and we clothed you?

39 And when did we see you ill or in the beit hasohar and we came to you?

40 And in reply, HaMelech [HaMoshiach] will say to them, Omein, I say to you, in as much as you did it to one of the least of these achim of mine, you did it to me.

41 Then Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach will say also to the ones on his left, Depart from me, the ones having been cursed, into the Eish Olam having been prepared for HaSatan and his malachim.

42 For I hungered and you did not give me something to eat; I thirsted and you did not give drink to me.

43 I was a sojourner and you did not extend hachnosas orchim to me; I was naked and you did not clothe me; ill and in the beit hasohar and you did not visit me.

44 Then, also they will answer, saying, [Moshiach] Adoneinu, when did we see you hungering or thirsting or a sojourner or naked or sick or in the beit hasohar and we did not minister to you?

45 Then he will answer them, saying, Omein, I say to you, in as much as you did not do it for one of these least ones, neither did you do it for me.

46 And these will go away into Onesh Olam (Eternal Punishment), but the tzaddikim into Chayyei Olam (Eternal Life). YESHAYAYAH 66:24; DANIEL 12:2]

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like(A) ten virgins who took their lamps(B) and went out to meet the bridegroom.(C) Five of them were foolish and five were wise.(D) The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.(E)

“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’(F)

“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.(G) And the door was shut.

11 “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’(H)

13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.(I)

The Parable of the Bags of Gold(J)

14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,(K) who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15 To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,[a] each according to his ability.(L) Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.(M) 20 The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.(N) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.(O) 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, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

28 “‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. 29 For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.(P) 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’(Q)

The Sheep and the Goats

31 “When the Son of Man comes(R) in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.(S) 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate(T) the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.(U) 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom(V) prepared for you since the creation of the world.(W) 35 For I 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,(X) 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me,(Y) I was sick and you looked after me,(Z) I was in prison and you came to visit me.’(AA)

37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’(AB)

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,(AC) you who are cursed, into the eternal fire(AD) prepared for the devil and his angels.(AE) 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’(AF)

46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.(AG)(AH)

Footnotes

  1. Matthew 25:15 Greek five talents … two talents … one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.