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Parables · 45 of 45

The Sheep and the Goats

In Jerusalem, the final week

Matthew 25:31–46

Matthew 25:31–46

31"When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32All nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them from one another, as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats. 33He will place the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34Then the King will say to those on his right, "Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me in. 36I was naked, and you gave me clothes. I was sick, and you looked after me. I was in prison, and you came to visit me." 37The righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you in, or naked and give you clothes? 39When did we see you sick or in prison and come to visit you?" 40The King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you did for me.' 41Then he will say to those on his left, "Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels." 42I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink. 43I was a stranger, and you didn't welcome me. I was naked, and you didn't clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you never came to see me." 44They will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and not serve you?' 45He will reply, "I tell you the truth — whatever you failed to do for one of the least of these, you failed to do for me." 46Then they will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous will enter eternal life."

Read Matthew 25

About this passage

What the parable says

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, all the nations will be gathered before him. He will separate the people one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He tells those on his right that when they fed the hungry, welcomed strangers, clothed the naked, and visited the sick and those in prison, they did it for him. Whatever they did for the least of his brothers, they did for him. Those who did not do these things did not do them for him. The righteous go away to eternal life, and the others to eternal punishment.

Where this fits

One of 45 passages in Jesus' Parables, in the group “In Jerusalem, the final week.”

Good to know

Some lists count this as a parable. Others see it as a description of the final judgment that uses a picture from shepherding.

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