10. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save those who are lost.”
11. Now while they were listening to these things, he went on and told a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and they thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.
12. Therefore he said, “A certain nobleman traveled to a distant country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.
13. And summoning ten of his own slaves, he gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business until I come back.’
14. But his citizens hated him, and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to be king over us!’
15. And it happened that when he returned after receiving the kingdom, he ordered these slaves to whom he had given the money to be summoned to him, so that he could know what they had gained by trading.
16. So the first arrived, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made ten minas more!’
17. And he said to him, ‘Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, have authority over ten cities.’
18. And the second came, saying, ‘Sir, your mina has made five minas.’
19. So he said to this one also, ‘And you be over five cities.’
20. And another came, saying, ‘Sir, behold your mina, which I had put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth.