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The Parable of the Ten Virgins
1 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten
virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the
bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise.
3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil
with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with
their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the
bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their
lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of
your oil; our lamps are going out.’
9 “ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for
both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy
some for yourselves.’
10 “But while they were on their way to buy the oil,
the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in
with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 “Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said.
‘Open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know
you.’
13 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the
day or the hour.
The Parable of the Bags of Gold
14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,
who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. 15
To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and
to another one bag, each according to his ability. Then he
went on his journey. 16 The man who had received five bags
of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained
five bags more. 17 So also, the one with two bags of gold
gained two more. 18 But the man who had received one bag
went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s
money.
19 “After a long time the master of those servants
returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had
received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’
he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I
have gained five more.’
21 “His 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. Come and share your
master’s happiness!’
22 “The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’
he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I
have gained two more.’
23 “His 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. Come and share your
master’s happiness!’
24 “Then the man who had received one bag of gold
came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man,
harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you
have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and
hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to
you.’
26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So
you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather
where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should
have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when
I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 “ ‘Take the bag of gold from him and give it to the
one who has ten bags. 29 For those who have will be given
more, and they will have an abundance. As for those who do
not have, even what they have will be taken from them. 30
And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness,
where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
The Sheep and the Goats
31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all
the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32
All 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. 33 He will put the sheep on his
right and the goats on his left.
34 “Then the King will say to those on his right,
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your
inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation
of the world. 35 For 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 invited me in, 36 I needed clothes
and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I
was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when
did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you
something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and
invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When
did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever
you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters
of mine, you did for me.’
41 “Then 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. 42 For I was hungry and you
gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me
nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite
me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was
sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’
44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you
hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick
or in prison, and did not help you?’
45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did
not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for
me.’
46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but
the righteous to eternal life.” |
Cults 
Why Did God Permit Sin?
