This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context.
Information about the meaning of the original Greek of italicized words is provided in blue beneath each reading.
Text highlighted in yellow tells us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Text in green tells us about something God wants us to do.
Text in red describes what God tells us not to do.
Reading 1
Proverbs 31:10-13,19-20, 30-31
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.
Her husband, entrusting his heart to her, has an unfailing prize.
She brings him good, and not evil, all the days of her life.
She obtains wool and flax and works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor, and extends her arms to the needy.
Charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting; the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Give her a reward for her labors, and let her works praise her at the city gates.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (cf. 1a) Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be, and favored.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants around your table.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.
The LORD bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
R. Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Reading 2
Concerning times and seasons, brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night. When people are saying, "Peace and security," then sudden disaster comes upon them, like labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness, for that day to overtake you like a thief. For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as the rest do, but let us stay alert and sober.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Remain in me as I remain in you, says the Lord. Whoever remains in me bears much fruit.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them. To one he gave five talents; to another, two; to a third, one-- to each according to his ability. Then he went away.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them, and made another five. Likewise, the one who received two made another two. But the man who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and buried his master's money.
After a long time the master of those servants came back and settled accounts with them.
The one who had received five talents came forward bringing the additional five. He said, 'Master, you gave me five talents. See, I have made five more.’ His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.’
Then the one who had received two talents also came forward and said, 'Master, you gave me two talents. See, I have made two more.' His master said to him, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant. Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities. Come, share your master's joy.’
Then the one who had received the one talent came forward and said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding person, harvesting where you did not plant and gathering where you did not scatter; so out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground. Here it is back.'
His master said to him in reply, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I did not plant and gather where I did not scatter? Should you not then have put my money in the bank so that I could have got it back with interest on my return?
Now then! Take the talent from him and give it to the one with ten. For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. And throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'"
Entrusted = παραδίδωμι = paradidōmi
to give over; to hand on, deliver;to commit;to give into the hands (of another); to give over into (one's) power or use; to deliver to one something to keep, use, take care of, manage; yield up, intrust; to give over into (one's) power or use
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
give, hand over to another, transmit; hand it down to one's posterity; grant, bestow
ability = δύναμις = dynamis
power, ability;strength; strength power, ability; inherent power, power residing in a thing by virtue of its nature, or which a person or thing exerts and puts forth; moral power and excellence of soul
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
power, might, bodily strength; strength, power, ability to do anything;outward power, influence, authority;faculty, capacity
traded=ἐργάζομαι = ergazomai
to work, work out, perform; produce, perform; to cause to exist, produce; to work for, earn by working, to acquire; labor for; minister about; it is opposite to inactivity or idleness
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
work, labour, esp. of husbandry, but also of all manual labour, of slaves, of quarrymen;produces an effect;work at, make; do, perform;work a material; till the land;earn by working; work at, practice;work at a trade or business, traffic, trade
settled =συναίρω = synairō
to take up together; make a reckoning; to compute (an account)
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
take up together; gather in a harvest;take part in a thing
good = ἀγαθός = agathos
of good constitution or nature; useful, salutary; good, pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy; excellent, distinguished; upright, honourable;excelling in any respect, distinguished; corresponds to the figurative expression 'good ground', and denotes a soul inclined to goodness, and accordingly eager to learn saving truth and ready to bear the fruits; due to divine efficiency; benevolent, kind, generous; what is salutary, suited to the course of human affairs
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
brave, valiant; good, capable; serviceable; blessing, benefit;
faithful = πιστός = pistos
believing, trusting;trusty, faithful, trustworthy; to be trusted, reliable;believing, trusting, relying; persons who show themselves faithful in the transaction of business, the execution of commands, or the discharge of official duties
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
to be trusted or believed; trusty; worthy of credit; genuine; trustworthy, sure; as could be relied on; with good faith
Servant = δοῦλος = doulos
"a slave," originally the lowest term in the scale of servitude, came also to mean "one who gives himself up to the will of another;" a slave, bondman, man of servile condition; devoted to another to the disregard of one's own interests; a servant, attendant; serving, subject to
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
bondman or slave
joy = χαρά= chara
Delight, gladness
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
delight
fear = φοβέω = phobeō
Be afraid; to put to flight by terrifying (to scare away); to be struck with fear, to be seized with alarm; to fear (i.e. hesitate) to do something (for fear of harm); to be alarmed; to fear one, be afraid of one
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
put to flight;terrify, alarm; to frighten; to be seized with fear, be affrighted; fear to do, be afraid of doing
wicked = πονηρός = ponēros
active form of evil; evil that causes labor, pain, sorrow, malignant evil; bad, worthless, in the physical sense; toilsome, painful; full of labours, annoyances, hardships; bringing toils, annoyances, perils; causing pain and trouble
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
toilsome, painful, grievous; useless, good-for-nothing; injurious; worthless, knavish; base, cowardly
lazy = ὀκνηρός = oknēros
shrinking, timid; sluggish, slothful, backward; indolent
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
shrinking, timid; idle, sluggish
Other scriptures addressing these principles are collected at:
Wisdom Principles: Diligence & Working
***
What these readings tell us about God and His Ways:
When one finds a worthy wife, her value is far beyond pearls.
the woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are you who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways!
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
thus is the man blessed who fears the LORD.
Blessed are those who fear the Lord.
the day of the Lord will come like a thief at night
When people are saying, "Peace and security," then sudden disaster comes upon them
I remain in you
Whoever remains in me bears much fruit.
A man going on a journey called in his servants and entrusted his possessions to them
to each according to his ability
Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities.
Come, share your master's joy.’
Well done, my good and faithful servant.
Since you were faithful in small matters, I will give you great responsibilities
Come, share your master's joy.’
For to everyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away
throw this useless servant into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth
What these readings tell us to do:
works with loving hands.
She puts her hands to the distaff, and her fingers ply the spindle.
She reaches out her hands to the poor
extends her arms to the needy.
fears the LORD
Give her a reward for her labors
let her works praise her at the city gates.
fear the Lord.
fear the LORD
walk in his ways!
your handiwork
fear the Lord.
fear the Lord.
fears the LORD.
fear the Lord.
let us stay alert and sober.
Remain in me as I remain in you
remains in me bears much fruit.
Immediately the one who received five talents went and traded with them
good and faithful servant
faithful in small matters
share your master's joy
good and faithful servant
faithful in small matters
share your master's joy
What these readings tell us not to do:
let us not sleep as the rest do
buried his master's money
out of fear I went off and buried your talent in the ground
wicked, lazy servant
useless servant
