English Standard Version

King James Bible

1“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.

1Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

2And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them,

3They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps.

4But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept.

5While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’

6And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps.

7Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

8And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’

9But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

10And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’

11Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’

12But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

13Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

13Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

14“For it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted to them his property.

14For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

15To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away.

15And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

16He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more.

16Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.

17So also he who had the two talents made two talents more.

17And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.

18But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money.

18But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

19Now after a long time the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them.

19After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.

20And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’

20And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.

21His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

21His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

22And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’

22He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.

23His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’

23His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

24He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed,

24Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:

25so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’

25And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.

26But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?

26His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:

27Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest.

27Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.

28So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents.

28Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.

29For to everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

29For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

30And cast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

30And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

31“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.

31When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

32And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.

33And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34Then 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.

34Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,

35For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’

36Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?

37Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?

38When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

39Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

40And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

41Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,

42For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

43I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44Then they also will answer, saying, ‘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?’

44Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’

45Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

46And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.