any things: enter thou into the joy
of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord,
thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other
talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and
faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make
thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. Then
he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee
that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and
gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and
hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord
answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou
knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not
strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers,
and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take
therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten
talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have
abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that
which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Some of the resemblances between this parable and that of the
Pounds[1169] appear on even a casual reading; significant differences
are discovered by comparison and study. The earlier parable was spoken
to a mixed multitude in the course of our Lord's last journey from
Jericho to Jerusalem; the later one was given in privacy to the most
intimate of His disciples in the closing hours of the last day of His
public preaching. The two should be studied together. In the story of
the Pounds, an equal amount of capital is given to each of the servants,
and men's diverse ability to use and apply, with commensurate results in
reward or penalty, is demonstrated; in that of the Entrusted Talents,
the servants receive different amounts, "every man according to his
several ability"; and equal diligence, though shown in one instance by
great gain and in the other by small but proportionate increase, is
equally rewarded. Unfaithfulness and negligence are condemned and
punished in both.

In the parable now under consideration, the master is presented as
delivering his wealth into the hands of his own servants, literally,
bondservants;[1170] they, as well as the possessions held by them in