Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol IX: The Diatessaron of Tatian.: Section XLIII

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Section XLIII.

[1] 2947 Simon Cephas said unto him, Our Lord, is it to us that thou hast spoken this [2] parable, or also to every man? 2948 Jesus said unto him, Who, thinkest thou, is the servant, the master of the house, 2949 trusted with control, 2950 whom his lord set over his [3] household, to give them their food in its season? 2951 Blessed is that servant, whom his [4] lord shall come and find having done so. 2952 Verily I say unto you, He will set him [5] over all that he hath. 2953 But if that evil servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his [6] coming; 2954 and shall begin to beat his servants and the maidservants of his lord, and [7] shall begin to eat and to drink with the drunken; 2955 the lord of that servant shall come [8] in the day that he thinketh not, and in the hour that he knoweth not, 2956 and shall [Arabic, p. 163] judge him, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites, 2957 and with those that are not faithful: 2958 there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

[9] 2959 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be like unto ten virgins, those that took their [10] lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom and the bride. 2960 Five of them were [11] wise, and five foolish. 2961 And those foolish ones took their lamps, and took not with [12, 13] them oil: 2962 but those wise ones took oil in vessels along with their lamps. 2963 When then [14] the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 2964 But in the middle of the night there occurred a cry, Behold, the bridegroom cometh! Go forth therefore to [15, 16] meet him. 2965 Then all those virgins arose, and made ready their lamps. 2966 The foolish [17] said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 2967 But those wise answered and said, Perhaps 2968 there will not be enough for us and you: but go ye to p. 110 [18] the sellers, and buy for yourselves. 2969 And when they went away to buy, the bridegroom came; and those that were ready went in with him to the marriage feast: and [19] the door was shut. 2970 And at last those other virgins also came and said, Our Lord, [20] our Lord, open unto us. 2971 He answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, [21] I know you not. 2972 Watch then, for ye know not that day nor that hour.

[22] 2973 It is as a man, who went on a journey, and called his servants, and delivered unto [23] them his possessions. 2974 And unto one he gave five talents, 2975 and another two, and another [24] one; every one according to his strength; and went on his journey forthwith. 2976 He [Arabic, p. 164] then that received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained [26] other five. 2977 And so also he of the two gained other two. 2978 But he that received [27] the one went and digged in the earth, and hid the money of his lord. 2979 And after a long time the lord of those servants came, and took from them the account. [28] 2980 And he that received five talents came near and brought other five, and said, My lord, thou gavest me five talents: lo, I have gained other five in addition to them. [29] 2981 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: over a little hast [30] thou been faithful, over much will I set thee: enter into the joy of thy lord. 2982 And he that had the two came near and said, My lord, thou gavest me two talents: lo, [31] other two have I gained in addition to them. 2983 His lord said unto him, Good, 2984 thou faithful servant: over a little hast thou been faithful, over much will I set thee: enter [32] into the joy of thy lord. 2985 And he also that received the one talent came forward and said, My lord, I knew thee that thou art a severe man, who reapest where thou [33] sowest not, and gatherest where thou didst not scatter: 2986 and so I was afraid, and [34] went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast what is thine. 2987 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest me [35] that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter; 2988 it was incumbent on thee to put my money to the bank, 2989 and then I should come and seek it with its [36] gains. 2990 Take now from him the talent, and give it to him that hath ten talents. [37] 2991 Whosoever hath shall be given, and he shall have more: but he that hath not, even [38] [Arabic, p. 165] what he hath shall be taken from him. 2992 And the unprofitable servant, put him forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

[39, 40] 2993 Your loins shall be girded, and your lamps lit; 2994 and ye shall be like the people that are looking for their lord, when he shall return from the feast; so that, when [41] he cometh and knocketh, they may at once open unto him. 2995 Blessed are those servants, whom their lord shall come and find attentive: verily I say unto you, that he will gird his waist, and make them sit down, and pass through 2996 them and serve [42] them. 2997 And if he come in the second watch, or the third, and find thus, blessed are those servants.

[43] 2998 But when the Son of man cometh in his glory, and all his pure angels with him, [44] then shall he sit on the throne of his glory: 2999 and he will gather before him all the nations, and separate them the one from the other, like the shepherd who separateth [45] the sheep from the goats; 3000 and will set 3001 the sheep on his right, and the goats on his [46] left. 3002 Then shall the King say to those that are at his right, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundations 3003 of the world: [47] 3004 I hungered, and ye gave me to eat; and I thirsted, and ye gave me to drink; and I [48] was a stranger, and ye took me in; 3005 and I was naked, and ye clothed me; and I [49] was sick, and ye visited me; and I was in prison, and ye cared for me. 3006 Then shall those righteous say unto him, Our Lord, when saw we thee hungry, and fed thee? [50] or thirsty, and gave thee to drink? 3007 And when saw we thee a stranger, and took [51] thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 3008 And when saw we thee sick, or imprisoned, and [52] cared for thee? 3009 The King shall answer and say 3010 unto them, Verily I say unto you, What [53] [Arabic, p. 166] ye did to one of these my brethren, the little ones, ye did unto me. 3011 Then shall he say unto those that are on his left also, Depart from me, ye cursed, [54] into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his hosts: 3012 I hungered, and ye fed me [55] not; and I thirsted, and ye did not give me to drink; 3013 and I was a stranger, and ye p. 111 took me not in; and I was naked, and ye clothed me not; and I was sick, and imprisoned, [56] and ye visited me not. 3014 Then shall those also answer and say, Our Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or naked, or a stranger, or sick, or imprisoned, [57] and did not minister unto thee? 3015 Then shall he answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, When ye did it not unto one of these little ones, ye did it not [58] unto me also. 3016 And these shall go away into eternal punishment: but the righteous into eternal life.

Footnotes

109:2947

Luke xii. 41 .

109:2948

Luke 12:42, Matt. 24:45 Luke xii. 42 a [Borg. ms. omits Luke xii. 42 a]; Matt. xxiv. 45 .

109:2949

i.e., the steward.

109:2950

Borg. ms. has trusted and faithful. Doubtless we should supply diacritical points to the reading of Vat. ms., and translate trusted and wise. Ibn-at-Tayyib’s Commentary, however, has both and wise and the word translated with control, used in a different sense.

109:2951

Matt. xxiv. 46 .

109:2952

Luke 12:44, Matt. 24:47 .

109:2953

Matt. 24:48, Luke 12:45 b.

109:2954

Matt. xxiv. 49 b.

109:2955

Matt. xxiv. 50 .

109:2956

Matt. xxiv. 51 a.