When the rich man came back he sent for his ser-vants that they might tell him what they had done while he was gone. So he that had had five tal-ents came and said, Lord, thou didst give me five tal-ents, and see—I have gained five more.
His lord said to him, Well done, good and faith-ful ser-vant, thou hast been faith-ful o-ver a few things, I will make thee ru-ler o-ver ma-ny things; en-ter thou in-to the joy of thy lord.
Then he that had two tal-ents came and said, Lord, thou didst give me two tal-ents and I have gained two more.
THE TAL-ENTS.
His lord said to him, Well done, good and faith-ful ser-vant, thou hast been faith-ful o-ver a few things, I will make thee ru-ler o-ver ma-ny things; en-ter thou in-to the joy of thy lord.
Then he who had but the one tal-ent came and said, Lord, I knew that thou wert a hard man, and didst reap where thou hast not sown, and gleaned where thou hast not strewn; and, for fear I should lose it, I hid thy tal-ent in the earth, and here it is.
His lord said, Thou wick-ed and la-zy ser-vant, if thou didst know me to be such a harsh man thou shouldst have lent my mo-ney to those who would pay for its use, so that when I came back I should have my own and more with it. Take there-fore the one tal-ent from him and give it to him that hath ten tal-ents. For to him that hath much shall more be giv-en; but from him that hath not, shall be ta-ken a-way all that he hath. And cast ye the use-less ser-vant in-to out-er dark-ness, where shall be weep-ing and gnash-ing of teeth.
Christ meant to teach by this that we were to make use of the gifts or tal-ents that God gave us, and add to them as much as we could. Then when we die God will say to us, Well done, and bid us share in the joy that our lord has in store for us.