43 hour your Lord doth come.* But know this, that if the good man of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his 44 house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready for in such an hour as ye think not, the 45 Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in 46 due season? Blessed is that servant, whom

:

his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him 48 ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil

servant shall say in his heart, My lord delay49 eth his coming; and shall begin to smite his

fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the 50 drunken; the lord of that servant shall come

in a day when he looketh not for him, and in 51 an hour that he is not aware of. And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

1

CHAP. XXV.

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

In the day of judgment at the end of the world this would not be the case; yet some of these descriptions have reference to, or will well apply to the coming of Christ at the last judgment.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were 3 foolish. They that were foolish took their 4 lamps, and took no oil with them: But the

wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slum6 bered and slept. And at midnight there was

a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh ; 7 go ye out to meet him. Then all those vir8 gins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And

the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your 9 oil; for our lamps are gone out. But 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. 10 And 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. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, 12 Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered

and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you 13 not.* Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.

14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his 15 goods:† And unto one he gave five talents,

* The parables in this chapter are very instructive and impressive, and show the necessity of faithfully improving our opportunities and talents to meet the approbation of our Judge.

The words in italics are supplied by our translators. It would be better, perhaps, to say, he, referring to Christ, spoken of in the preceding verse.

to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and 16 straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also 18 gained the other two. But he that had re

ceived one, went and digged in the earth, and 19 hid his lord's money. After a long time the

Lord of all those servants cometh, and reckon20 eth with them. And 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 besides 21 them five talents more. His 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 22 into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came, and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents besides them. 23 His 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. 24 Then he who 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 25 strawed: And I was afraid, and went and

hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast 26 that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou

knowest that I reap where I sowed not, and 27 gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with interest. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give 29 it unto him that hath ten talents. For 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. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

31

When 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.* 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right-hand, 34 but the goats on the left. Then 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 35 world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink :† I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and

ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came 37 unto me. Then shall the righteous answer

*It would seem that this description refers to the day of judgment.

† Active benevolence is a great and essential attribute of the Christian character.

him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave 38 thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger,

and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and 40 came unto thee? And 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 41 unto me. Then shall he say also unto them on the left-hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and 42 his angels. For I was an hungered, snd ye

gave me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave 43 me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in naked, and ye clothed me not: sick 44 and in prison, and ye visited me not.

Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did 45 not administer unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least 46 of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into endless punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

1

CHAP. XXVI.

AND it came to pass when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disci2 ples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed