So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’
Parallel translations
- WEB He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’
- KJV And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.
- BSB Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said.
- NASB And he called ten of his own slaves and gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business with this money until I come back.’
- NLT Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The nobleman gives ten servants money and commands them to do business until he returns. Christ entrusts his people with responsibilities to steward faithfully while he is away.
Overview
Each servant receives a mina, a sum of money, with the charge to put it to productive use. The point is faithful stewardship of what the Lord has given during the time between his departure and his return. Believers are called not to passivity but to active, fruitful service in anticipation of giving account.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 9
- Matt 25:14–15“For it is like a man, going into another country, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.
- John 12:26If anyone serves me, let him follow me. Where I am, there will my servant also be. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.
- 1 Cor 12:7–11But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the profit of all.
- 1 Pet 4:9–11Be hospitable to one another without grumbling.
- Rom 12:6–8Having gifts differing according to the grace that was given to us, if prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of our faith;
- 1 Cor 12:28–29God has set some in the assembly: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracle workers, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, and various kinds of languages.
- 2 Pet 1:1Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have obtained a like precious faith with us in the righteousness of our God and Savior, Jesus Christ:
- Gal 1:10For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? For if I were still pleasing men, I wouldn’t be a servant of Christ.
- Jas 1:1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are in the Dispersion: Greetings.
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 19:13 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.