Side by side
Matthew 25
Our retelling next to the Bible text it comes from. Each row lines up one scene with the verses it retells.
Between scenesVerses 1 to 13
This part isn't retold as its own scene.
1“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. 4But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps. 5When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. 6At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ 9‘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.’ 10But 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. 11Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’ 12But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
Scene 1: The Master Goes AwayVerses 14 to 15
A man was about to leave on a long journey. He called his servants together. He entrusted them with his possessions. Entrusted means he handed them over and trusted the servants to take care of them.
Jesus told this story to show what the kingdom of heaven is like. The kingdom of heaven means God's rule, the way God runs things.
The master gave out his money in talents. A talent was a huge amount of money. One talent was about 20 years of pay for a worker.
To one servant he gave five talents. To another he gave two. To another he gave one. He gave them "each according to his own ability" (25:15). The master knew each of his servants.
Then he left on his journey.
14For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. 15To 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.
Scene 2: Two Work, One DigsVerses 16 to 18
The servant with five talents went right away. He put the money to work and gained five more.
The servant with two talents did the same. He gained two more.
The servant with one talent did something different. He went off and dug a hole in the ground. He hid his master's money in it.
Matthew doesn't say why yet. The servant explained it himself when the master came home.
16The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. 17Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.
Scene 3: The Master Comes HomeVerses 19 to 23
After a long time, the master came home. He wanted to settle accounts with his servants. That means he checked what each one had done with his money.
The first servant came forward. "Master, you gave me five talents," he said. "See, I have gained five more."
His master answered, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (25:21). Faithful means someone who can be trusted.
The master said the servant had been faithful with a few things. Now he would put him in charge of many things. Then he said, "Enter into the joy of your master" (25:21).
Five talents was a fortune. The master called it "a few things." This master had much more to give.
The second servant came forward. He had gained two more talents. He said almost the same words as the first servant.
The master gave him the very same answer. Same praise. Same joy. The master did not praise the second servant less for gaining less.
19After a long time the master of those servants returned to settle accounts with them. 20The 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.’ 21His 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!’ 22The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’ 23His 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!’
Scene 4: The Third ServantVerses 24 to 25
Last came the servant with one talent.
"Master," he said, "I knew that you are a hard man" (25:24). He said his master reaped where he had not sown. This is a comparison from farming. It means taking a harvest from fields you did not plant.
Then the servant said, "So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you" (25:25).
He handed back the one talent. Nothing lost. Nothing gained.
The servant told the reason himself. He saw his master as harsh. That picture made him afraid. And his fear made him hide the money.
24Finally, 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. 25So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’
Scene 5: The Master AnswersVerses 26 to 30
The master answered sharply. "You wicked, lazy servant" (25:26).
The master repeated the servant's own words back to him. "You knew that I reap where I have not sown," he said. If the servant believed that, he should have put the money with the bankers. That way the money would have come back with interest. Interest is extra money the bankers pay back.
Then the master gave orders. He told them to take the talent from the third servant. They were to give it to the servant who had ten.
The master said, "For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance" (25:29). But the one who has nothing will lose even what he has.
Then came the hardest words. "And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (25:30).
This is picture language. The outer darkness means being outside, far from the light and joy of the master's house. Gnashing means grinding. People grind their teeth in deep pain or grief.
The parable ends there. Two servants heard, "Enter into the joy of your master." One was sent out into the dark. The story leaves a question for everyone who hears it. What is the master really like? The rest of this page looks at that question.
26‘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. 27Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest. 28Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. 29For 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. 30And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Between scenesVerses 31 to 46
This part isn't retold as its own scene.
31When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, He will sit on His glorious throne. 32All 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. 33He will place the sheep on His right and the goats on His 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. 35For 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, 36I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ 37Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? 38When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39When did we see You sick or in prison and visit You?’ 40And 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.’ 41Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42For I was hungry and you gave Me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me nothing to drink, 43I 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 visit Me.’ 44And 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?’ 45Then 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.’ 46And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
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