Luke 19:11-27 NAS
While they were listening to these things, Jesus went on to tell a
parable, because He was near Jerusalem, and they supposed that the kingdom
of God was going to appear immediately. So He said, "A
nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then
return. And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and
said to them, 'Do business with this until I come back.'
But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do
not want this man to reign over us.' 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. The first appeared, saying 'Master, your mina has made
ten minas more.' And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave, because
you have been faithful in a very little thing, you are to be in authority
over ten cities.' The second came, saying, 'Your mina, master, has
made five minas.' And he said to him also, 'And you are to be over
five cities.' Another came, saying, 'Master, here is your mina,
which I kept put away in a handkerchief; 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.' He said to him, 'By your own words I will
judge you, you worthless slave. Did you know that I am an exacting
man, taking up what I did not lay down and reaping what I did not
sow? Then why did you not put my money in the bank, and having come,
I would have collected it with interest?' Then he said to the
bystanders, 'Take the mina away from him and give it to the one who has
the ten minas.' And they said to him, 'Master, he has ten minas already.'
I tell you that to everyone who has, more shall be given, but from
the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken
away. But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over
them, bring them here and slay them in my presence."
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