september 30th, 2023

This Sunday is the eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost in most churches, and the gospel reading for many is from Matthew 21:23-27 (with the option of also including verses 28-32). But in the writings which you have here, we are at a different pace, and what we are covering this time is usually considered chapter 25 in the Gospel according to Matthew. This will finish up the last section of the fifth and last sermon of Jesus within this gospel account.

What follows is an attempt at a somewhat-literal translation of that chapter (and you may wish to compare it to other translations and/or look at the notes in a study bible; these are some important ‘last words’—in more than one way):


[Jesus said:] “Then it will be compared, the kingdom of the heavens, to ten virgins, who, having taken the lamps of themselves, they went out into a meeting of the bridegroom. Now five of them were foolish and five, wise. For the foolish, having taken the lamps of them, not they took with themselves oil. Now the wise took oil in the vessels with the lamps of themselves. Now delaying, the bridegroom, they slumbered, all, and they slept. Now of middle of night, a shout happened: ‘Behold, the bridegroom; come out into a meeting of him.’ Then they rose, all the virgins, those, and they trimmed the lamps of themselves. Now the foolish, to the wise they said, ‘Give to us from the oil of you, because the lamps of us being extinguished.’ Now they answered, the wise, saying, ‘Probably not, certainly not it suffices for us and for you; go rather to the ones selling and buy for yourselves.’ Now going away, they, to buy, he came, the bridegroom, and the ready ones went into, with him, into the wedding festivities, and it was shut, the door. Now later, they come, also, the remaining virgins, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ Now he, having answered, he said, ‘Amen, I am saying to you, not I know you.’ Therefore, watch, because not you know the day nor the hour.”

“For just like a man, going abroad, he called the own slaves, and he handed over to them the belongings of him, and to one, on the one hand, he gave five talents, to one, on the other hand, two, on the other hand, one, to each according to his own power, and he went abroad. Immediately, having gone, the one, the five talents having received, he traded with them, and he gained others, five. Likewise, the one, the two, he gained others, two. Now the one, the one having received, having gone off, he dug earth, and he hid the silver of the lord of him. Now after much time, he comes, the lord of the slaves, those, and he settles a word with them. And having approached, the one, the five talents having received, he brought forward other five talents, saying, ‘Lord, five talents to me you handed over; behold, other five talents I gained.’ He said to him, the lord of him, ‘Well, slave; good and faithful; over a few things you were faithful, over many, you, I will appoint. Enter into the joy of the lord of you.’ Now having approached also, the one, the two talents, he said, ‘Lord, two talents to me you handed over; behold other two talents I gained.’ He said to him, the lord of him, ‘Well, slave; good and faithful; over a few things you were faithful, over many, you, I will appoint. Enter into the joy of the lord of you.’ Now having approached, also, the one, the one talent having received, he said, ‘Lord, I knew you, that a hard, you are, man, harvesting where not you sowed, and gathering where not you scattered. And having feared, having gone away, I hid the talent of you in the earth; behold, you have, the yours.’ Now having answered, the lord of him, he said to him, ‘Evil slave and lazy, you knew that I harvest where not I sowed, and I gather where not I scattered? Therefore, it was necessary, you, to throw the silvers of me to the bankers, and having come, I myself would have received, the mine thing, with interest. Therefore, take from him the talent, and give to the one having the ten talents.’ For to the one having, everyone, it will be given, and he will have abundance. Now of the one not having, even what he has, it will be taken from him. And the useless slave, throw out into the darkness, the outer; there it will be, the wailing and the gnashing of the teeth.”

“Now when he comes, the Son of the Man, in the glory of him, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon a throne of glory of him; and they will be gathered together before him, all the nations, and he will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will set the, on the one hand, sheep from right of him, on the other hand, the goats from left. Then he will say, the king, to the ones from right of him, ‘Come, the ones having been blessed of the Father of me, inherit the having been prepared for you, a kingdom from foundation of world. For I hungered, and you gave me to eat; I thirsted, and you gave drink to me; a stranger I was, and you gathered together me; naked, and you clothed me; I was sick, and you visited me; in prison I was, and you came to me. Then they will answer him, the righteous, saying, ‘Lord, when, you, we saw being hungry and fed, or being thirsty and gave drink? Now when, you, we saw, a stranger and gathered together, or naked and clothed? Now when, you, we saw being ill or in prison and we came to you?’ And having answered, the king, he will say to them, ‘Amen, I am saying to you, upon as much you did to one of these, the brothers of me, the least, to me you did.’ Then he will say also to the ones from left, ‘Go from me, the having been cursed ones, into the fire, the eternal, the one having been prepared for the devil and the angels of him. For I hungered, and not you gave me to eat; I thirsted, and not you gave drink to me; a stranger I was, and not you gathered together me; naked and not you clothed me, ill and in prison and not you visited me. Then they themselves will answer also, saying, ‘Lord, when you, we saw hungering or thirsting or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison and not we did minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Amen, I am saying to you, upon as much not you did to one of these, the least, neither to me you did.’ And they will go away, these, into punishment, eternal; now the righteous, into life eternal.”