25 ¹⁴ 'It is like a man going abroad, who called his servants and put his capital in their hands; 25 ¹⁵ to one he gave five bags of gold, to another two, to another one, each according to his capacity. Then he left the country. 25 ¹⁶ The man who had the five bags went at once and employed them in business, and made a profit of five bags, 25 ¹⁷ and the man who had the two bags made two. 25 ¹⁸ But the man who had been given one bag of gold went off and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money. 25 ¹⁹ A long time afterwards their master returned, and proceeded to settle accounts with them. 25 ²⁰ The man who had been given the five bags of gold came and produced the five he had made: "Master," he said, "you left five bags with me; look, I have made five more." 25 ²¹ "Well done, my good and trusty servant!" said the master. "You have proved trustworthy in a small way; I will now put you in charge of something big. Come and share your master's delight." 25 ²² The man with the two bags then came and said, "Master, you left two bags with me; look, I have made two more." 25 ²³ "Well done, my good and trusty servant!" said the master. "You have proved trustworthy in a small way; I will now put you in charge of something big. Come and share your master's delight." 25 ²⁴ Then the man who had been given one bag came and said, "Master, I knew you to be a hard man: you reap where you have not sown, you gather where you have not scattered; 25 ²⁵ so I was afraid, and I went and hid your gold in the ground. Here it is - you have what belongs to you." 25 ²⁶ "You lazy rascal!" said the master. "You knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered? 25 ²⁷ Then you ought to have put my money on deposit, and on my return I should have got it back with interest. 25 ²⁸ Take the bag of gold from him, and give it to the one with the ten bags. 25 ²⁹ For the man who has will always be given more, till he has enough and to spare; and the man who has not will forfeit even what he has. 25 ³⁰ Fling the useless servant out into the dark, the place of wailing and grinding of teeth!"