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.'
22
"`By your own words,' he replied, `I will judge you, you bad servant. You knew me to be a severe man, taking up what I did not lay down, and reaping what I did not sow:
23
why then did you not put my money into a bank, that when I came I might have received it back with interest?
24
"And he said to those who stood by, "`Take the pound from him and give it to him who has the ten pounds.'
25
("They said to him, "`Sir, he already has ten pounds.')
26
"`I tell you that to every one who has anything, more shall be given; and from him who has not anything, even what he has shall be taken away.
27
But as for those enemies of mine who were unwilling that I should become their king, bring them here, and cut them to pieces in my presence.'"