¹² Therefore He said: “A nobleman traveled to a far country to receive for himself authority to be king^[a] and then return. ¹³ He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas,^[b] and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’

¹⁴ “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We don’t want this man to rule over us!’

¹⁵ “At his return, having received the authority to be king,^[c] he summoned those slaves he had given the money to, so he could find out how much they had made in business. ¹⁶ The first came forward and said, ‘Master, your mina has earned 10 more minas.’

¹⁷ “‘Well done, good^[d] slave!’ he told him. ‘Because you have been faithful^(A) in a very small matter, have authority over 10 towns.’

¹⁸ “The second came and said, ‘Master, your mina has made five minas.’

¹⁹ “So he said to him, ‘You will be over five towns.’

²⁰ “And another came and said, ‘Master, here is your mina. I have kept it hidden away in a cloth ²¹ because I was afraid of you, for you’re a tough man: you collect what you didn’t deposit and reap what you didn’t sow.’^(B)

²² “He told him, ‘I will judge you by what you have said,^[e] you evil slave! If you knew I was a tough man, collecting what I didn’t deposit and reaping what I didn’t sow, ²³ why didn’t you put my money in the bank? And when I returned, I would have collected it with interest!’ ²⁴ So he said to those standing there, ‘Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has 10 minas.’

²⁵ “But they said to him, ‘Master, he has 10 minas.’

²⁶ “‘I tell you, that to everyone who has, more will be given; and from the one who does not have, even what he does have will be taken away.^{(C) 27} But bring here these enemies of mine,^(D) who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter^[f] them in my presence.’”

The Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it is just like a man going on a journey.^(A) He called his own slaves and turned over his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents;^[a] to another, two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability. Then he went on a journey.^(B) Immediately ¹⁶ the man who had received five talents went, put them to work, and earned five more. ¹⁷ In the same way the man with two earned two more. ¹⁸ But the man who had received one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The man who had received five talents approached, presented five more talents, and said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. Look, I’ve earned five more talents.’

²¹ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’^(C)

²² “Then the man with two talents also approached. He said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. Look, I’ve earned two more talents.’

²³ “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy!’

²⁴ “Then the man who had received one talent also approached and said, ‘Master, I know you. You’re a difficult man, reaping where you haven’t sown and gathering where you haven’t scattered seed.^{(D) 25} So I was afraid and went off and hid your talent in the ground. Look, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “But his master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy slave!^(E) If you knew that I reap where I haven’t sown and gather where I haven’t scattered, ²⁷ then^[b] you should have deposited my money with the bankers. And when I returned I would have received my money^[c] back with interest.

²⁸ “‘So take the talent from him and give it to the one who has 10 talents. ²⁹ For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have more than enough. But from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.^{(F) 30} And throw this good-for-nothing slave into the outer darkness.^(G) In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

³⁴ It is like^(A) a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his slaves,^(B) gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert.