"At that time the Kingdom of heaven will be like this. Once there was a man who was about to leave home on a trip; he called his servants and put them in charge of his property.

The servant who had received five thousand coins went at once and invested his money and earned another five thousand.

But the servant who had received one thousand coins went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master's money.

The servant who had received five thousand coins came in and handed over the other five thousand. 'You gave me five thousand coins, sir,' he said. 'Look! Here are another five thousand that I have earned.'

Then the servant who had been given two thousand coins came in and said, 'You gave me two thousand coins, sir. Look! Here are another two thousand that I have earned.'

Then the servant who had received one thousand coins came in and said, 'Sir, I know you are a hard man; you reap harvests where you did not plant, and you gather crops where you did not scatter seed.

'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?

Now, take the money away from him and give it to the one who has ten thousand coins.

As for this useless servant---throw him outside in the darkness; there he will cry and gnash his teeth.'

So he said, "There was once a man of high rank who was going to a country far away to be made king, after which he planned to come back home.

Now, his own people hated him, and so they sent messengers after him to say, 'We don't want this man to be our king.'

The first one came and said, 'Sir, I have earned ten gold coins with the one you gave me.'

The second servant came and said, 'Sir, I have earned five gold coins with the one you gave me.'

Another servant came and said, 'Sir, here is your gold coin; I kept it hidden in a handkerchief.

He said to him, 'You bad servant! I will use your own words to condemn you! You know that I am a hard man, taking what is not mine and reaping what I have not planted.

Then he said to those who were standing there, 'Take the gold coin away from him and give it to the servant who has ten coins.'

'I tell you,' he replied, 'that to those who have something, even more will be given; but those who have nothing, even the little that they have will be taken away from them.

So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have;

if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.

Do not restrain the Holy Spirit;

For this reason I remind you to keep alive the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you.

Open your homes to each other without complaining.

Those who preach must preach God's messages; those who serve must serve with the strength that God gives them, so that in all things praise may be given to God through Jesus Christ, to whom belong glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Timothy, my child, I entrust to you this command, which is in accordance with the words of prophecy spoken in the past about you. Use those words as weapons in order to fight well,

Be in no hurry to lay hands on people to dedicate them to the Lord's service. Take no part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

The group presented them to the apostles, who prayed and placed their hands on them.

Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

They fasted and prayed, placed their hands on them, and sent them off.

Paul placed his hands on them, and the Holy Spirit came upon them; they spoke in strange tongues and also proclaimed God's message.

For this reason I remind you to keep alive the gift that God gave you when I laid my hands on you.