11
As they were listening to His words, He went on to teach them by a parable, because He was near to Jerusalem and they supposed that the Kingdom of God was going to appear immediately.
12
So He said to them, "A man of noble family travelled to a distant country to obtain the rank of king, and to return.
13
And he called ten of his servants and gave each of them a pound, instructing them to trade with the money during his absence.
14
"Now his countrymen hated him, and sent a deputation after him to say, `We are not willing that he should become our king.'
15
And upon his return, after he had obtained the sovereignty, he ordered those servants to whom he had given the money to be summoned before him, that he might learn their success in trading.
16
"So the first came and said, "`Sir, your pound has produced ten pounds more.'
17
"`Well done, good servant,' he replied; `because you have been faithful in a very small matter, be in authority over ten towns.'
18
"The second came, and said, "`Your pound, Sir, has produced five pounds.'
19
"So he said to this one also, "`And you, be the governor of five towns.'
20
"The next came. "`Sir,' he said, `here is your pound, which I have kept wrapt up in a cloth.
21
For I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man: you take up what you did not lay down, and you reap what you did not sow.'