1 Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins, the friends of the bride, who took their lights, and went out with the purpose of meeting the husband.

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

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

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

5 Now the husband was a long time in coming, and they all went to sleep.

6 But in the middle of the night there is a cry, The husband comes! Go out to him.

7 Then all those virgins got up, and made ready their lights.

8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lights are going out.

9 But the wise made answer, saying, There may not be enough for us and you; it would be better for you to go to the traders and get oil for yourselves.

10 And while they went to get oil, the master came; and those who were ready went in with him to the feast: and the door was shut.

11 After that the other virgins came, saying, Lord, Lord, let us in.

12 But he made answer and said, Truly I say to you, I have no knowledge of you.

13 Keep watch, then, because you are not certain of the day or of the hour.

14 For it is as when a man, about to take a journey, got his servants together, and gave them his property.

15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to everyone as he was able; and he went on his journey.

16 Straight away he who had been given the five talents went and did trade with them, and made five more.

17 In the same way he who had been given the two got two more.

18 But he who was given the one went away and put it in a hole in the earth, and kept his lord's money in a secret place.

19 Now after a long time the lord of those servants comes, and makes up his account with them.

20 And he who had the five talents came with his other five talents, saying, Lord, you gave into my care five talents: see, I have got five more.

21 His lord said to him, Well done, good and true servant: you have been true in a small thing, I will give you control over great things: take your part in the joy of your lord.

22 And he who had the two talents came and said, Lord, you gave into my care two talents: see, I have got two more.

23 His lord said to him, Well done, good and true servant: you have been true in a small thing, I will give you control over great things: take your part in the joy of your lord.

24 And he who had had the one talent came and said, Lord, I had knowledge that you are a hard man, getting in grain where you have not put seed, and making profits for which you have done no work:

25 And I was in fear, and went away, and put your talent in the earth: here is what is yours.

26 But his lord in answer said to him, You are a bad and unready servant; if you had knowledge that I get in grain where I did not put seed, and make profits for which I have done no work,

27 Why, then, did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I would have got back what is mine with interest?

28 Take away, then, his talent and give it to him who has the ten talents.

29 For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have more: but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away.

30 And put out the servant who is of no profit into the outer dark: there will be weeping and cries of sorrow.

31 But when the Son of man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then will he be seated in his glory:

32 And before him all the nations will come together; and they will be parted one from another, as the sheep are parted from the goats by the keeper.

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

34 Then will the King say to those on his right, Come, you who have the blessing of my Father, into the kingdom made ready for you before the world was:

35 For I was in need of food, and you gave it to me: I was in need of drink, and you gave it to me: I was wandering, and you took me in;

36 I had no clothing, and you gave it to me: when I was ill, or in prison, you came to me.

37 Then will the upright make answer to him, saying, Lord, when did we see you in need of food, and give it to you? or in need of drink, and give it to you?

38 And when did we see you wandering, and take you in? or without clothing, and give it to you?

39 And when did we see you ill, or in prison, and come to you?

40 And the King will make answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, Because you did it to the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.

41 Then will he say to those on the left, Go from me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which is ready for the Evil One and his angels:

42 For I was in need of food, and you gave it not to me; I was in need of drink, and you gave it not to me:

43 I was wandering, and you took me not in; without clothing, and you gave me no clothing; ill, and in prison, and you came not to me.

44 Then will they make answer, saying, Lord, when did we see you in need of food or drink, or wandering, or without clothing, or ill, or in prison, and did not take care of you?

45 Then will he make answer to them, saying, Truly I say to you, Because you did it not to the least of these, you did it not to me.

46 And these will go away into eternal punishment; but the upright into eternal life.

1 Allora il regno de’ cieli sarà simile a dieci vergini le quali, prese le loro lampade, uscirono a incontrar lo sposo.

2 Or cinque d’esse erano stolte e cinque avvedute;

3 le stolte, nel prendere le loro lampade, non avean preso seco dell’olio;

4 mentre le avvedute, insieme con le loro lampade, avean preso dell’olio ne’ vasi.

5 Or tardando lo sposo, tutte divennero sonnacchiose e si addormentarono.

6 E sulla mezzanotte si levò un grido: Ecco lo sposo, uscitegli incontro!

7 Allora tutte quelle vergini si destarono e acconciaron le loro lampade.

8 E le stolte dissero alle avvedute: Dateci del vostro olio, perché le nostre lampade si spengono.

9 Ma le avvedute risposero: No, che talora non basti per noi e per voi; andate piuttosto da’ venditori e compratevene!

10 Ma, mentre quelle andavano a comprarne, arrivò lo sposo; e quelle che eran pronte, entraron con lui nella sala delle nozze, e l’uscio fu chiuso.

11 All’ultimo vennero anche le altre vergini, dicendo: Signore, Signore, aprici!

12 Ma egli, rispondendo, disse: Io vi dico in verità: Non vi conosco.

13 Vegliate dunque, perché non sapete né il giorno né l’ora.

14 Poiché avverrà come di un uomo il quale, partendo per un viaggio, chiamò i suoi servitori e affidò loro i suoi beni;

15 e all’uno diede cinque talenti, a un altro due, e a un altro uno; a ciascuno secondo la sua capacità; e partì.

16 Subito, colui che avea ricevuto i cinque talenti andò a farli fruttare, e ne guadagnò altri cinque.

17 Parimente, quello de’ due ne guadagnò altri due.

18 Ma colui che ne avea ricevuto uno, andò e, fatta una buca in terra, vi nascose il danaro del suo adrone.

19 Or dopo molto tempo, ecco il padrone di que’ servitori a fare i conti con loro.

20 E colui che avea ricevuto i cinque talenti, venne e presentò altri cinque talenti, dicendo: Signore, tu m’affidasti cinque talenti; ecco, ne ho guadagnati altri cinque.

21 E il suo padrone gli disse: Va bene, buono e fedel servitore; sei stato fedele in poca cosa, ti costituirò sopra molte cose; entra nella gioia del tuo Signore.

22 Poi, presentatosi anche quello de’ due talenti, disse: Signore, tu m’affidasti due talenti; ecco, ne ho guadagnati altri due.

23 Il suo padrone gli disse: Va bene, buono e fedel servitore; sei stato fedele in poca cosa, ti costituirò sopra molte cose; entra nella gioia del tuo Signore.

24 Poi, accostatosi anche quello che avea ricevuto un talento solo, disse: Signore, io sapevo che tu sei uomo duro, che mieti dove non hai seminato, e raccogli dove non hai sparso;

25 ebbi paura, e andai a nascondere il tuo talento sotterra; eccoti il tuo.

26 E il suo padrone, rispondendo, gli disse: Servo malvagio ed infingardo, tu sapevi ch’io mieto dove non ho seminato e raccolgo dove non ho sparso;

27 dovevi dunque portare il mio danaro dai banchieri; e al mio ritorno, avrei ritirato il mio con interesse.

28 Toglietegli dunque il talento, e datelo a colui che ha i dieci talenti.

29 Poiché a chiunque ha sarà dato, ed egli sovrabbonderà; ma a chi non ha sarà tolto anche quello che ha.

30 E quel servitore disutile, gettatelo nelle tenebre di fuori. Ivi sarà il pianto e lo stridor dei denti.

31 Or quando il Figliuol dell’uomo sarà venuto nella sua gloria, avendo seco tutti gli angeli, allora sederà sul trono della sua gloria.

32 E tutte le genti saranno radunate dinanzi a lui; ed egli separerà gli uni dagli altri, come il pastore separa le pecore dai capri;

33 e metterà le pecore alla sua destra e i capri alla sinistra.

34 Allora il Re dirà a quelli della sua destra: Venite, voi, i benedetti del Padre mio; eredate il regno che v’è stato preparato sin dalla fondazione del mondo.

35 Perché ebbi fame, e mi deste da mangiare; ebbi sete, e mi deste da bere; fui forestiere, e m’accoglieste;

36 fui ignudo, e mi rivestiste; fui infermo, e mi visitaste; fui in prigione, e veniste a trovarmi.

37 Allora i giusti gli risponderanno: Signore, quando mai t’abbiam veduto aver fame e t’abbiam dato da mangiare? o aver sete e t’abbiam dato da bere?

38 Quando mai t’abbiam veduto forestiere e t’abbiamo accolto? o ignudo e t’abbiam rivestito?

39 Quando mai t’abbiam veduto infermo o in prigione e siam venuti a trovarti?

40 E il Re, rispondendo, dirà loro: In verità vi dico che in quanto l’avete fatto ad uno di questi miei minimi fratelli, l’avete fatto a me.

41 Allora dirà anche a coloro della sinistra: Andate via da me, maledetti, nel fuoco eterno, preparato pel diavolo e per i suoi angeli!

42 Perché ebbi fame e non mi deste da mangiare; ebbi sete e non mi deste da bere;

43 fui forestiere e non m’accoglieste; ignudo, e non mi rivestiste; infermo ed in prigione, e non mi visitaste.

44 Allora anche questi gli risponderanno, dicendo: Signore, quando t’abbiam veduto aver fame, o sete, o esser forestiero, o ignudo, o infermo, o in prigione, e non t’abbiamo assistito?

45 Allora risponderà loro, dicendo: In verità vi dico che in quanto non l’avete fatto ad uno di questi minimi, non l’avete fatto neppure a me.

46 E questi se ne andranno a punizione eterna; ma i giusti a vita eterna.