10. “So the foolish girls went to buy oil. While they were gone, the bridegroom came. The girls who were ready went in with the bridegroom to the wedding feast. Then the door was closed and locked.
11. “Later, the other girls came. They said, ‘Sir, sir! Open the door to let us in.’
12. “But the bridegroom answered, ‘Certainly not! I don’t even know you.’
13. “So always be ready. You don’t know the day or the time when the Son of Man will come.
14. “At that time God’s kingdom will also be like a man leaving home to travel to another place for a visit. Before he left, he talked with his servants. He told his servants to take care of his things while he was gone.
15. He decided how much each servant would be able to care for. The man gave one servant five bags of money. He gave another servant two bags. And he gave a third servant one bag. Then he left.
16. The servant who got five bags went quickly to invest the money. Those five bags of money earned five more.
17. It was the same with the servant who had two bags. That servant invested the money and earned two more.
18. But the servant who got one bag of money went away and dug a hole in the ground. Then he hid his master’s money in the hole.
19. “After a long time the master came home. He asked the servants what they did with his money.
20. The servant who got five bags brought that amount and five more bags of money to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, you trusted me to care for five bags of money. So I used them to earn five more.’
21. “The master answered, ‘You did right. You are a good servant who can be trusted. You did well with that small amount of money. So I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my happiness with me.’
22. “Then the servant who got two bags of money came to the master. The servant said, ‘Master, you gave me two bags of money to care for. So I used your two bags to earn two more.’
23. “The master answered, ‘You did right. You are a good servant who can be trusted. You did well with a small amount of money. So I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my happiness with me.’