THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS

: New Testament Stories

One day Jesus told His disciples this parable or story.



A certain nobleman was called away to a far country to be appointed

king of it, and to return after a time. And he called his servants

unto him, and charged them with the care of his goods and treasure,

giving to each man according to his ability to use the same. To one

servant he gave five talents, to another two, and to another only one.

And straig tway he left them, and departed upon his journey. Then the

man that had five talents went and traded with them, and did so well

that in time the profits amounted to five talents more, making ten

altogether. And he that had received two talents, also traded with

his, and added two other talents to them by way of profit. But he that

had had but one talent went away and covered it up in a cloth and hid

it away.



After a long time the nobleman came back and called his servants to

him, and asked them for the treasure he had entrusted to their

keeping. And he that had received five talents, brought ten, and said,

"Lord, behold, I have gained five other talents beside them." And his

lord said, "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." And to him that had two talents,

and brought back four, the lord said the same words. Then came he that

had received but one talent and had hid it; and he said, "Lord, I knew

thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and I

was afraid, and went and hid thy talent, and lo, here thou hast that

which is thine." His lord said unto him, "Thou wicked and slothful

servant. Thou knewest that I reaped where I had not sown; thou

oughtest therefore to have put my money in the bank, that I might have

received mine own with interest for its use. Take therefore the

talent from him, and give it unto him that hath ten; and take the

unprofitable servant and cast him into the outer darkness."



Now the talent here mentioned was an eastern sum of money (nearly one

thousand dollars), but it really means the powers and opportunities

for doing good that God has given to all of us. One day we shall all

be called upon to give an account of the talents entrusted to our

keeping, and woe be to those who have abused their stewardship by

hiding their talent away. But those who have done good, according to

the power and opportunity given to them, shall be received into

everlasting joy by Christ the Lord.