The Parable of the Ten Virgins 1 UDB "God's rule from heaven will be like what happened to ten unmarried girls who got ready to go to a wedding feast. They were to take their lamps and go wait for the bridegroom to come. BSB BSB: “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
2 UDB Now five of these girls were foolish, and five were wise. BSB BSB: Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.
3 UDB The foolish girls took their lamps, but they did not take any extra olive oil for them. BSB BSB: The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil.
4 UDB But the wise girls took oil in their flasks as well as in their lamps. BSB BSB: But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps.
5 UDB The bridegroom was taking a long time to come, and it became late at night. So all the girls became sleepy and fell asleep. BSB BSB: When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 UDB "In the middle of the night someone woke them up by shouting, 'Here he is! The bridegroom is arriving! Go outside and meet him!' BSB BSB: At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 UDB So all the girls got up and adjusted their lamps for burning. BSB BSB: Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps.
8 UDB "The foolish girls said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are about to go out!' BSB BSB: The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 UDB The wise girls replied, 'No, because there might not be enough oil for our lamps and yours. Go to the sellers and buy some for yourselves!' BSB BSB: ‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’
10 UDB But while the foolish girls were on their way to buy oil, the bridegroom arrived. Then the wise girls, who were ready, went with him into the wedding hall where the bride was waiting. Then the door was closed. BSB BSB: But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.
11 UDB "Later, the rest of the girls came to the wedding hall, and they called to the bridegroom, 'Sir, open the door for us!' BSB BSB: Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’
12 UDB But he said to them, 'The truth is that I do not know you, so I will not open the door for you!'" BSB BSB: But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’
13 UDB Then Jesus continued by saying, "So, in order that this does not happen to you, stay prepared because you do not know when it will be. BSB BSB: Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
The Parable of the Talents (Luke 19:11–27)
14 UDB "When the Son of Man returns from heaven as king, it will be like a man who was about to go on a long journey. He called his servants together and gave them each some of his wealth to invest and gain more money for him. BSB BSB: For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.
15 UDB He gave them money according to their ability to use it. For example, he gave one servant five bags of gold weighing about 165 kilograms, he gave another servant two bags weighing about sixty-six kilograms, and he gave another servant one bag weighing about thirty-three kilograms. Then he left on his journey. BSB BSB: To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.
16 UDB The servant who had received five bags of gold went immediately and used that money to gain five more bags. BSB BSB: The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more.
17 UDB Similarly, the servant who had received two bags of gold gained two more bags. BSB BSB: Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more.
18 UDB But the servant who had received one bag of gold went and dug a hole in the ground, and he hid it there to keep it safe. BSB BSB: But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
19 UDB "After a long time the servants' master returned. He called them together to find out what they had done with his money. BSB BSB: After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
20 UDB The servant who had received five bags of gold brought him ten bags. He said, 'Master, you gave me five bags of gold to take care of. Look, I have gained five more!' BSB BSB: The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
21 UDB "His master replied, 'You are a very good servant! You have been very faithful to me. You have managed a small amount of money very well, so I will put you in charge of a lot of things. Come and be happy with me!' BSB BSB: 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. Enter into the joy of your master!’
22 UDB "The servant who had received two bags of gold also came, and he said, 'Master, you gave me two bags of gold to take care of. Look, I have gained two more!' BSB BSB: The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’
23 UDB His master replied, 'You are a very good servant! You have been very faithful to me. You have managed a small amount of money very well, so I will put you in charge of a lot of things. Come and be happy with me!' BSB BSB: 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. Enter into the joy of your master!’
24 UDB "Then the servant who had received one bag of gold came. He said, 'Master, I was afraid of you. I knew that you are a man who expects to make a lot of money even if you invest nothing, like a farmer who tries to harvest a field he did not plant. BSB BSB: Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
25 UDB I was afraid of what you might do if I lost the money you lent me to invest, so I hid it in the ground. Here it is now; please take it back!' BSB BSB: So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’
26 UDB "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I expect to make money even when I have invested nothing. BSB BSB: ‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.
27 UDB So then, you should have at least put my money on deposit in a bank, so that when I returned I would get it back with the interest it earned!' BSB BSB: Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.
28 UDB Then the master said to his other servants, 'Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the servant who has the ten bags! BSB BSB: Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
29 UDB To those who use well what they have received, God will give more, and they will have plenty. But from those who do not use well what they have received, even what they already have will be taken away. BSB BSB: For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
30 UDB Furthermore, throw that worthless servant outside into the darkness, where he will be with those who are wailing and grinding their teeth in pain.' BSB BSB: And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Sheep and the Goats 32 UDB Everyone from all the nations will be gathered in front of him. Then he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates his sheep from his goats. BSB BSB: All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.
33 UDB He will put the righteous people on his right and the unrighteous ones on his left, just like sheep and goats. BSB BSB: He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His left.
34 UDB "Then he will say to those on his right, 'You people who have been blessed by my Father, come! Come receive all the good things he will give you, for he is now giving you the blessings of his rule—things he has been preparing since the time he created the world. BSB BSB: Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
35 UDB These things belong to you because you gave me something to eat when I was hungry. You gave me something to drink when I was thirsty. When I was a stranger in your town, you invited me to stay in your houses. BSB BSB: 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 took Me in,
36 UDB When I needed clothes, you gave me some. When I was sick, you took care of me. When I was in prison, you came to visit me.' BSB BSB: I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’
37 UDB "Then the people whom God has declared to be good will reply, 'Lord, when were you hungry and we saw you and gave you something to eat? When were you thirsty and we gave you something to drink? BSB BSB: 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 UDB When were you a stranger in our town and we invited you to stay in our houses? When did you need clothes and we gave you some? BSB BSB: When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?
39 UDB When were you sick or in prison and we went to visit you? We do not remember doing any of these things for you.' BSB BSB: When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’
40 UDB "The King will reply, 'The truth is that whatever you did for any one of your fellow believers, even the most unimportant one, you certainly did it for me.' BSB BSB: And the King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’
42 UDB It is right for you to go there because you did not give me anything to eat when I was hungry. You did not give me anything to drink when I was thirsty. BSB BSB: For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink,
43 UDB You did not invite me into your homes when I was a stranger in your town. You did not give me any clothes when I needed them. You did not take care of me when I was sick or in prison.' BSB BSB: I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, I was naked and you did not clothe Me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after Me.’
44 UDB "They will answer, 'Lord, when were you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and we did not help you?' BSB BSB: And they too will reply, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’
45 UDB "He will reply, 'The truth is that whenever you did not do anything to help any one of my people, even the most unimportant person, it was I for whom you did not do it.' BSB BSB: Then the King will answer, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for Me.’