Rhyming Redsong: Matthew 25 (The Parables of the Ten Virgins; The Bags of Gold; The Sheep and Goats)
“At that time, heaven’s kingdom will be like
ten virgins who went out, and, their lamps, took
to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were wise,
and five were foolish. Those ones who were fools,
they took their lamps, but they took no spare fuel.
The wise ones did, however, take along,
with their lamps, oil in jars. It took so long,
the bridegroom’s coming, drowsy, they became,
all, and they fell asleep. The cry, it rang,
at midnight, out, ‘The bridegroom, near, he draws!
Come out to meet him!’ Then, the virgins, all,
woke up and and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones
said to the wise, ‘Give us, of your oil, some;
our lamps are going out.’ But they replied,
‘No, there, enough, may not, from our supply,
be both for us and you. To those who sell
oil, you should go, instead, and for yourselves,
buy some.’ But while they were upon their way
to buy the oil, arrived, the bridegroom, came.
Those ready virgins, with him into, went,
the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
The others also later came. ‘Lord, Lord,’
they said, ‘for us, please open up the door!’
But he replied, ‘I tell you, truly, I
don’t know you.’ Therefore, keep a watchful eye,
because you do not know the day or hour.
“Again the kingdom’s likened to a man
who, going on a journey, called, to them,
his servants, and entrusted all his wealth.
To one of them, five bags of gold, he dealt,
and, to another, gave two bags as well,
and to the last, one bag, accordingly,
each one of them, to his ability.
Then he proceeded on his journeying.
The man who had five bags of gold bestowed,
at once went and that money, he deployed,
and gained five bags more. Also so, the one
with gold, two bags, he gained two more again.
But he, the man, who had, one bag, received,
went off, a hole, dug, in the ground, and hid
his master’s money. After a long time,
returned, the master of those servants, came,
and settled all of his accounts with them.
The man who had, of gold, five bags, received,
the other five, his master, for, retrieved.
He said, ‘You, Master, have entrusted me
with gold, five bags of. I’ve gained five more, see.’
“‘My good and faithful servant, that’s well done!
With a few things, how faithful you have been;
I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share in your master’s happiness.’”
“The man with gold, two bags of, also came.
He said, ‘You, Master, have entrusted me
with gold, two bags of. I’ve gained two more, see.’
“‘My good and faithful servant, that’s well done!
With a few things, how faithful you have been;
I will put you in charge of many things.
Come and share in your master’s happiness.’”
“Then, who’d received a single bag of gold,
the man came. He said, ‘Master, this I know,
that you’re a hard man, where, you’re harvesting,
the fields that you’ve not sown, and gathering?
Where you have never scattered any seed.
So since I was afraid, I went and hid
it underground, your gold, deep in a hole.
See, here is what belongs to you, your gold.’
“‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew,’
replied his master, ‘where I have not sown,
that I will harvest, gather where I’ve not,
seed, scattered? Well then, where you should’ve put
my money? On deposit at the bank,
so that when I returned, received it back,
I would have, with some int’rest. So now take
the bag of gold from him and give it to
the one who has ten bags. For this is true:
whoever has will yet be given more,
and an abundance, what is in their stores.
Whoever does not have, yet, even that
what they have will, away from them, be snatched.
And now, that worthless servant, outside, cast,
into the darkness, where there certainly
will, weeping, be, and gnashing of the teeth.’
“‘The Son of Man comes in his glory, when,
and all his angels gathered with him, then
he will sit on his throne, most glorious.
Before him, nations, all, their populace,
will gathered, be, and he will separate
the people, one another, from, that way
a shepherd, sheep, divides out from the goats.
He’ll put the sheep, all of them, on his right,
and, all the goats, he’ll put them on his left.
“The King will say, then, to those on his right,
‘Come, you, most blessed, who are, by, Father, my,
prepared for you, take your inheritance:
the kingdom that’s been there forever, since
the world’s creation. For I, hunger, felt,
and something, what you gave to me to eat,
when I was thirsty, what you gave to me,
something to drink, and I was strangerly,
and in, the place where you invited me,
I needed clothes and, them, you gave to me,
and I was sick, you cared, looked after me,
I was in prison, and, to visit me,
you came.’ Then will the righteous answer him,
‘Lord, hungry, did we ever see you, when,
and feed you, or you, thirsty, and give you
something to drink? And when did we e’er view
you as a stranger and, to our home,
invite you in, or see you without clothes,
and when, clothes on your back, did we bestow?
When did we ever see that you were sick,
or, prison, in, and go, with you, there, sit?’
“Reply, the King will, ‘I, you, verily,
tell, whate’er you did for the least of these
my brothers, sisters, you did that for me.’
“Then he will say to those upon his left,
‘From me, you who are cursed, now go, depart,
into the fire, eternal that’s prepared,
the devil, for, and angels, his, fore’er.
For I was hungry, and you gave to me,
nothing to eat, too, thirst is what I’d feel,
and nothing to drink, what you gave to me,
I was a stranger and you, in, did not,
invite me, and of clothes, I was bereft,
but you refused to give me any clothes,
Sick, I was, and too, I in prison was,
and you did not look after me, my state.’
“‘Lord, when did we see,’ too, will answer, they,
‘you hungry, thirsty, or, as strangerly,
or needing clothes or sick, or, prison, in,
and didn’t help you?’ He’ll reply to them,
‘Whate’er you did, I tell you certainly,
not do for one of them, the least of these,
you did not do for me.’ Then they’ll proceed,
away to punishment, eternally,
but to the righteous, life, eternally.”
T.H. Chalm 