MAT 25:14-30

The Parable of the Talents

14For just as a man going on a journey called his own slaves and delivered to them his possessions, [25:15] and to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability, and he departed immediately — [25:16] having gone, the one who received the five talents traded with them and gained five more. [25:17] Likewise the one with the two gained two more — he himself two more. [25:18] But the one who received the one went away, dug in the ground, and hid the money of his master. [25:19] Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. [25:20] And having come forward, the one who received the five talents brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, five talents you delivered to me; behold, five more talents I gained upon them.' [25:21] His master said to him: 'Well done, good and faithful slave! Over a few things you were faithful; over many things I will set you. Enter into the joy of your master.' [25:22] Having come forward also, the one with the two talents said, 'Master, two talents you delivered to me; behold, two more talents I gained upon them.' [25:23] His master said to him: 'Well done, good and faithful slave! Over a few things you were faithful; over many things I will set you. Enter into the joy of your master.' [25:24] And having come forward also, the one who received the one talent said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed, [25:25] and I was afraid, and having gone away I hid your talent in the ground. Behold, you have what is yours.' [25:26] But his master answered and said to him: 'Wicked and lazy slave! You knew that I harvest where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed? [25:27] Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what is mine with interest. [25:28] Take therefore the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. [25:29] For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. [25:30] And cast the worthless slave into the outer darkness — in that place there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.'

In the world it was spoken into

In the 1st-century Roman Empire, wealth was often concentrated in the hands of elite landowners who managed their estates through enslaved or freedman stewards. A (talent) was an enormous sum, equivalent to 20 years’ wages for a laborer, making the master’s trust in his (slaves) extraordinary. Slaves in such roles were often skilled managers, entrusted with significant responsibilities, but their status remained precarious. The master’s journey reflects the absentee landlordism common in the Roman economy, where elites traveled extensively, leaving their estates in the hands of subordinates. The expectation of profit aligns with Roman economic practices, where wealth was expected to grow through trade, agriculture, or lending. However, burying money was a cautious but socially acceptable practice to safeguard wealth, though it failed to meet the master’s expectation of active stewardship. The harsh judgment of the third slave reflects the honor-shame dynamics of patronage, where failure to honor the patron’s trust brought severe consequences.

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How other translations render this

MAT 25:14

KJV: For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
BSB: For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.
Koinōnos: For just as a man going on a journey called his own slaves and delivered to them his possessions,

MAT 25:15

KJV: And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.
BSB: To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey.
Koinōnos: and to one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one, to each according to his own ability, and he departed immediately —

MAT 25:16

KJV: Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents.
BSB: The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more.
Koinōnos: having gone, the one who received the five talents traded with them and gained five more.

MAT 25:17

KJV: And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two.
BSB: Likewise, the one with the two talents gained two more.
Koinōnos: Likewise the one with the two gained two more — he himself two more.

MAT 25:18

KJV: But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money.
BSB: But the servant who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his masterʼs money.
Koinōnos: But the one who received the one went away, dug in the ground, and hid the money of his master.

MAT 25:19

KJV: After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them.
BSB: After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.
Koinōnos: Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them.

MAT 25:20

KJV: And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.
BSB: The servant who had received the five talents came and presented five more. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
Koinōnos: And having come forward, the one who received the five talents brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, five talents you delivered to me; behold, five more talents I gained upon them.

MAT 25:21

KJV: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
BSB: 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. Enter into the joy of your master!’
Koinōnos: His master said to him: 'Well done, good and faithful slave! Over a few things you were faithful; over many things I will set you. Enter into the joy of your master.

MAT 25:22

KJV: He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.
BSB: The servant who had received the two talents also came and said, ‘Master, you entrusted me with two talents. See, I have gained two more.’
Koinōnos: Having come forward also, the one with the two talents said, 'Master, two talents you delivered to me; behold, two more talents I gained upon them.

MAT 25:23

KJV: His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
BSB: 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. Enter into the joy of your master!’
Koinōnos: His master said to him: 'Well done, good and faithful slave! Over a few things you were faithful; over many things I will set you. Enter into the joy of your master.

MAT 25:24

KJV: Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed:
BSB: Finally, the servant who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.
Koinōnos: And having come forward also, the one who received the one talent said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed,

MAT 25:25

KJV: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.
BSB: So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what belongs to you.’
Koinōnos: and I was afraid, and having gone away I hid your talent in the ground. Behold, you have what is yours.

MAT 25:26

KJV: His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed:
BSB: ‘You wicked, lazy servant!’ replied his master. ‘You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.
Koinōnos: But his master answered and said to him: 'Wicked and lazy slave! You knew that I harvest where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed?

MAT 25:27

KJV: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.
BSB: Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received it back with interest.
Koinōnos: Then you ought to have put my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received what is mine with interest.

MAT 25:28

KJV: Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents.
BSB: Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents.
Koinōnos: Take therefore the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents.

MAT 25:29

KJV: For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.
BSB: For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.
Koinōnos: For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will have abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken away.

MAT 25:30

KJV: And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
BSB: And throw that worthless servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
Koinōnos: And cast the worthless slave into the outer darkness — in that place there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.

Only verses where the wording diverges meaningfully are shown. Identical phrasings are suppressed.

Translator's notes

MAT 25:14

servants:The word translated 'servants' here refers to a bondservant or slave, someone who was the property of another and entirely subject to their will, rather than a hired employee.

MAT 25:15

talents,:The 'talents' mentioned here were not innate abilities, but a unit of weight for precious metals, representing a very large sum of money—an enormous amount of wealth in the ancient world.

MAT 25:24

hard:The word translated 'hard' describes someone who is harsh, severe, or unyielding in character, often implying a lack of compassion or flexibility.

MAT 25:27

interest.:The term used for 'interest' literally meant 'offspring' or 'birth,' reflecting the idea that money, like living creatures, could 'give birth' to more money through lending.