The Parable of the Talents

14 ^h“For it will be like a man ⁱgoing on a journey, who called his servants¹ and entrusted to them his property. 15 To one he gave five ^jtalents,² to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. 16 He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17 So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18 But he who had received the one talent went and dug in the ground and hid his master’s money. 19 Now after a long time the master of those servants came and ^ksettled accounts with them. 20 And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.³ You have been ^lfaithful over a little; I will ^mset you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 22 And he also who had the two talents came forward, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me two talents; here, I have made two talents more.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.’ 24 He also who had received the one talent came forward, saying, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, 25 so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here, you have what is yours.’ 26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and ⁿslothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed? 27 Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received what was my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him and give it to him who has the ten talents. 29 For ^oto everyone who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance. But from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And ^pcast the worthless servant into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The Parable of the Tenants

1 ⁿAnd he began to speak to them in parables. ^o“A man planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a pit for the winepress and built a tower, and leased it to tenants and ^pwent into another country. 2 When the season came, he sent a servant¹ to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they struck him on the head and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they ^qkilled. And so with many others: some they beat, and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a ^rbeloved son. ^sFinally he sent him to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 7 But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the ^their. Come, let us ^ukill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ 8 And they took him and killed him and threw him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and ^vgive the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this Scripture:

12 And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So they left him and went away.

The Parable of the Ten Minas

11 ^gAs they heard these things, he proceeded to tell a parable, because he was near to Jerusalem, and because they supposed that the ^hkingdom of God was to appear ⁱimmediately. 12 He said therefore, “A nobleman ^jwent into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. 13 Calling ten of his servants,¹ he gave them ten minas,² and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ 14 But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ 15 When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. 16 The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ 17 And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant!³ Because you have been ^kfaithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ 18 And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ 19 And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ 20 Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; 21 for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ 22 He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? 23 Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ 24 And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ 25 And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ 26 ‘I tell you that ^lto everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”