The Parable of the Talents.^* 14^c “It will be as when a man who was going on a journey^* called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. 15To one he gave five talents;^* to another, two; to a third, one—to each according to his ability. Then he went away. Immediately 16the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. 17Likewise, the one who received two made another two. 18^* But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master’s money. 19After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them. 20The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five.^* He said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ 21^d His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 22[Then] the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, ‘Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.’ 23His master said to him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master’s joy.’ 24Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; 25so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.’ 26His master said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy servant!^* So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? 27Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return? 28Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. 29^{* e} For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30^* And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

29With all your soul fear God

and revere his priests.

30With all your strength love your Maker

and do not neglect his ministers.

31Honor God and respect the priest;

give him his portion as you have been commanded:^k

First fruits and contributions,

his portion of victims and holy offerings.^*

32To the poor also extend your hand,

that your blessing may be complete.

33Give your gift to all the living,

and do not withhold your kindness from the dead.^*

34Do not avoid those who weep,

but mourn with those who mourn.^l

35Do not hesitate to visit the sick,

because for such things you will be loved.^m

36In whatever you do, remember your last days,

and you will never sin.^*

25“But now I know that none of you to whom I preached the kingdom during my travels will ever see my face again. 26And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you, 27for I did not shrink from proclaiming to you the entire plan of God. 28^g Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock of which the holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,^* in which you tend the church of God that he acquired with his own blood. 29I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you, and they will not spare the flock.^h 30And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth to draw the disciples away after them.ⁱ 31So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day, I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.^j 32And now I commend you to God and to that gracious word of his that can build you up and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated. 33I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34You know well that these very hands have served my needs and my companions.^k 35In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort we must help the weak, and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”^l

The Faithful or the Unfaithful Servant.^* 45^u “Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household to distribute to them their food at the proper time?^* 46Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so. 47Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property. 48^* But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is long delayed,’ 49and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with drunkards, 50the servant’s master will come on an unexpected day and at an unknown hour 51^v and will punish him severely^* and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.