Matthew 25:26

Contemporary English Version

The master of the servant told him, "You are lazy and good-for-nothing! You know that I harvest what I don't plant and gather crops where I haven't scattered seed.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
“His master replied to him, ‘You evil, lazy servant!

King James Version (1611)
His lord answered, and said vnto him, Thou wicked and slouthfull seruant, thou knewest that I reape where I sowed not, and gather where I haue not strawed:

King James Version
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:

English Standard Version
But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I scattered no seed?

New American Standard Bible
"But his master answered and said to him, 'You worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed?

New Century Version
The master answered, ‘You are a wicked and lazy servant! You say you knew that I harvest things I did not plant and that I gather crops where I did not sow any seed.

Amplified Bible
"But his master answered him, 'You wicked, lazy servant, you knew that I reap [the harvest] where I did not sow and gather where I did not scatter seed.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.

Legacy Standard Bible
"But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed.

Berean Standard Bible
'You wicked, lazy servant!' replied his master. 'You knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed.

Complete Jewish Bible
‘You wicked, lazy servant!' said his master, ‘So you knew, did you, that I harvest where I haven't planted? and that I gather where I didn't sow seed?

Darby Translation
And his lord answering said to him, Wicked and slothful bondman, thou knewest that I reap where I had not sowed, and gather from where I had not scattered;

Easy-to-Read Version
"The master answered, ‘You are a bad and lazy servant! You say you knew that I harvest what I did not plant and that I gather crops where I did not put any seed.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And his master answered, & said vnto him, Thou euill seruant, and slouthfull, thou knewest that I reape where I sowed not, and gather where I strawed not.

George Lamsa Translation
His lord answered and said to him, O wicked and lazy servant, you knew me that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather where I did not scatter.

Good News Translation
‘You bad and lazy servant!' his master said. ‘You knew, did you, that I reap harvests where I did not plant, and gather crops where I did not scatter seed?

Lexham English Bible
But his master answered and said to him, ‘Evil and lazy slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather from where I did not scatter seed.

Literal Translation
And answering, his lord said to him, Evil and slothful slave! You knew that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather where I did not scatter.

American Standard Version
But 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 did not scatter;

Bible in Basic English
But his lord in answer said to him, You are a bad and unready servant; if you had knowledge that I get in grain where I did not put seed, and make profits for which I have done no work,

Hebrew Names Version
"But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I didn't scatter.

International Standard Version
"His master answered him, 'You evil and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvested where I haven't planted and gathered where I haven't scattered any seed?

Etheridge Translation
His lord answered, Thou evil and slothful servant, thou didst know me that I reap where I have not sowed, and collect from whence I have not dispersed.

Murdock Translation
His lord answered, and said to him: Wicked and slothful servant ! Thou knewest me, that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not scattered!

Bishop's Bible (1568)
His Lorde aunswered, and sayde vnto hym: Thou euyll and slouthfull seruaut, thou knewest that I reape where I sowed not, and gather where I haue not strowed,

English Revised Version
But 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 did not scatter;

World English Bible
But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I didn't sow, and gather where I didn't scatter.

Wesley's New Testament (1755)
His lord answering said to him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather whence I had not scattered?

Weymouth's New Testament
"`You wicked and slothful servant,' replied his master, `did you know that I reap where I have not sown, and garner what I have not winnowed?

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
His lord answeride, and seide to hym, Yuel seruaunt and slowe, wistist thou that Y repe where Y sewe not, and gadir to gidere where Y spredde not abrood?

Update Bible Version
But his lord answered and said to him, You wicked and slothful slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter;

Webster's Bible Translation
His lord answered and said to him, [Thou] wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not strewed:

New English Translation
But his master answered, ‘Evil and lazy slave! So you knew that I harvest where I didn't sow and gather where I didn't scatter?

New King James Version
"But his lord answered and said to him, "You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed.

New Living Translation
"But the master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn't plant and gathered crops I didn't cultivate,

New Life Bible
His owner said to him, ‘You bad and lazy servant. You knew that I gather grain where I have not planted. You knew that I take up where I have not spread out.

New Revised Standard
But his master replied, ‘You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter?

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And his lord, answering, said unto him - O wicked servant, and cowardly, knewest thou that I reap, where I have not sown, and gather, whence I have not winnowed?

Douay-Rheims Bible
And his lord answering, said to him: Wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sow not and gather where I have not strewed.

Revised Standard Version
But his master answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed, and gather where I have not winnowed?

Tyndale New Testament (1525)
His master answered and sayde vnto him: thou evyll servaut and slewthfull thou knewest yt I repe where I sowed not and gaddre where I strawed not:

Young's Literal Translation
`And his lord answering said to him, Evil servant, and slothful, thou hadst known that I reap where I did not sow, and I gather whence I did not scatter!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But his lorde answered, and sayde vnto him: Thou euell and slouthfull seruaunt, knewest thou that I reape where I sowed not, and gather where I strawed not?

Mace New Testament (1729)
his lord answered and said unto him, thou vile slothful wretch, you knew that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not scatter'd:

THE MESSAGE
"The master was furious. ‘That's a terrible way to live! It's criminal to live cautiously like that! If you knew I was after the best, why did you do less than the least? The least you could have done would have been to invest the sum with the bankers, where at least I would have gotten a little interest.

Simplified Cowboy Version
"The rancher was furious and said, 'You know I'm a hard man and I don't tolerate excuses or shoddy work!

Contextual Overview

¹⁴ The kingdom is also like what happened when a man went away and put his three servants in charge of all he owned. ¹⁵ The man knew what each servant could do. So he handed five thousand coins to the first servant, two thousand to the second, and one thousand to the third. Then he left the country. ¹⁶ As soon as the man had gone, the servant with the five thousand coins used them to earn five thousand more. ¹⁷ The servant who had two thousand coins did the same with his money and earned two thousand more. ¹⁸ But the servant with one thousand coins dug a hole and hid his master's money in the ground. ¹⁹ Some time later the master of those servants returned. He called them in and asked what they had done with his money. ²⁰ The servant who had been given five thousand coins brought them in with the five thousand that he had earned. He said, "Sir, you gave me five thousand coins, and I have earned five thousand more." ²¹ "Wonderful!" his master replied. "You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!" ²² Next, the servant who had been given two thousand coins came in and said, "Sir, you gave me two thousand coins, and I have earned two thousand more." ²³ "Wonderful!" his master replied. "You are a good and faithful servant. I left you in charge of only a little, but now I will put you in charge of much more. Come and share in my happiness!"

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Thou: Matthew 18:32, Job 15:5, Job 15:6

Reciprocal: Genesis 3:17 - Because Proverbs 6:6 - thou Proverbs 10:26 - so Proverbs 18:9 - that is slothful Proverbs 21:25 - General Matthew 24:48 - if Luke 19:22 - Thou knewest Romans 12:11 - slothful Titus 3:11 - being Hebrews 6:12 - ye 2 Peter 1:8 - barren

Cross-References

Genesis 25:28
Esau would take the meat of wild animals to his father Isaac, and so Isaac loved him more, but Jacob was his mother's favorite son.

Genesis 25:30
and said, "I'm starving to death! Give me some of that red stew right now!" That's how Esau got the name "Edom."

Genesis 27:36
Esau replied, "My brother deserves the name Jacob, because he has already cheated me twice. The first time he cheated me out of my rights as the first-born son, and now he has cheated me out of my blessing." Then Esau asked his father, "Don't you still have any blessing left for me?"

Hosea 12:3
Even before Jacob was born, he cheated his brother, and when he grew up, he fought against God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

His Lord answered and said unto him,.... Resenting, as he well might, not only his indolence and sloth, his neglect of his duty, and his worldly disposition, but the abusive character he had given of him, in order to cover his own wickedness:

thou wicked and slothful servant; a very just character of him: he was a "wicked" servant; all men in a state of nature are wicked; they lie in wickedness, and are under the power of the wicked one; and there are many wicked men among professors of religion, and many wicked ministers, who, though not openly profane, yet either trusting to their works, or doing the work of the Lord deceitfully, or wholly neglecting it, justly merit this character. This man's wickedness lay in his slothfulness, in not doing the good he might, and had gifts and abilities for; and in entertaining wrong thoughts of, and in bringing false charges against his Lord: and he might be truly said to be "slothful"; since he took no pains to improve in spiritual knowledge; and instead of digging for that, as for silver and hid treasure, dug in the earth, and hid his talent there: he neglected the gift that was in him; did not stir it up, or study to show himself a workman that needeth not to be ashamed; did not give himself up to reading, meditation, and prayer; but trusted to, and depended on what other men had done; stole away his neighbour's words, reaped that for which he had not laboured, and entered into the labours of others; and being afraid of difficulties, indulged himself in ease and pleasure, served his own belly, and not the Lord Jesus; he gratified his worldly lusts, and had no regard to his master's interest.

Thou knowest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: not granting that he was such an one, and that his servant knew him to be such, and had given a true character of him; but supposing he was such a person he had wickedly represented him to be; he turns the argument upon him, that therefore he must needs know, that he expected to have had his money improved, and to have received it with an increase; and that upon such a consideration he ought to have been the more diligent and industrious, in using and improving his talent, and not to have indulged sloth, and idleness; and thus he convicts, judges, and condemns him, as a wicked, slothful servant, by his own words.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Slothful - Indolent, lazy, who had done nothing. God will judge people not merely for doing wrong, but for not “doing” right. See Matthew 25:45. That servant was “wicked,” because he had such an opinion of his master; he had shown that he was slothful by not making good use of the talent, Matthew 25:27.

Thou knewest ... - This should be understood, and might have been translated, as a question. If you knew that I was Such a man you ought to have acted accordingly, so as to have escaped punishment. Didst thou know that I reap, etc.? Then thou shouldst have given my money to the exchangers, etc. This is not intended to “admit” that he was such a man, but to convict the slothful servant of guilt and folly in not having been prepared to meet him.