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!”
24. The servant who had been given one thousand coins then came in and said, “Sir, I know that you are hard to get along with. You harvest what you don't plant and gather crops where you haven't scattered seed.
25. I was frightened and went out and hid your money in the ground. Here is every single coin!”