16
The servant who got five bags went quickly to invest the money and earned five more bags.
17
In the same way, the servant who had two bags invested them and earned two more.
18
But the servant who got one bag went out and dug a hole in the ground and hid the master's money.
19
"After a long time the master came home and asked the servants what they did with his money.
20
The servant who was given five bags of gold brought five more bags to the master and said, 'Master, you trusted me to care for five bags of gold, so I used your five bags to earn five more.'
21
The master answered, 'You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.'
22
"Then the servant who had been given two bags of gold came to the master and said, 'Master, you gave me two bags of gold to care for, so I used your two bags to earn two more.'
23
The master answered, 'You did well. You are a good and loyal servant. Because you were loyal with small things, I will let you care for much greater things. Come and share my joy with me.'
24
"Then the servant who had been given one bag of gold came to the master and said, 'Master, I knew that you were a hard man. You harvest things you did not plant. You gather crops where you did not sow any seed.
25
So I was afraid and went and hid your money in the ground. Here is your bag of gold.'
26
The master answered, 'You are a wicked and lazy servant! You say you knew that I harvest things I did not plant and that I gather crops where I did not sow any seed.