Luke 19:11-21

Parable of Money Usage

11 While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a parable, because ¹He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that ²the kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.

12 So He said, "³A nobleman * went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return.

13 "And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business with this until * I come back.'

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, after receiving the kingdom, he ordered that these slaves, to whom he had given the money, be called to him so that he might know what business they had done.

16 "The first appeared, saying, 'Master, your mina has made ten minas more.'

17 "And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because you have been ⁴faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority over ten cities.'

18 "The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has made five minas.'

19 "And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over five cities.'

20 "Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina, which I kept put away in a handkerchief;

21 for I was afraid of you, because you are an exacting man; you take up what you did not lay down and reap what you did not sow.'

Cross References

• 1. Luke 9:51
• 2. Luke 17:20
• 3. Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-27
• 4. Luke 16:10

Footnotes

• [a] A mina is equal to about 100 days' wages
• [b] Lit "while I am coming"
• [c] Or "an embassy"
• [d] Lit "Lord"
• [e] V 13, note 1
• [f] V 13, note 1
• [g] Lit "lord"