Luke 19:13
New International Version
So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Put this money to work,’ he said, ‘until I come back.’

New Living Translation
Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, ‘Invest this for me while I am gone.’

English Standard Version
Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’

Berean Standard Bible
Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said.

Berean Literal Bible
And having called ten of his servants, he gave to them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business until that I come back.'

King James Bible
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come.

New King James Version
So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come.’

New American Standard Bible
And he called ten of his own slaves and gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business with this money until I come back.

NASB 1995
“And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.’

NASB 1977
“And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business with this until I come back.

Legacy Standard Bible
And he called ten of his slaves, and gave them ten minas and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’

Amplified Bible
So he called ten of his servants, and gave them ten minas [one apiece, each equal to about a hundred days’ wages] and said to them, ‘Do business [with this] until I return.’

Christian Standard Bible
He called ten of his servants, gave them ten minas, and told them, ‘Engage in business until I come back.’

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He called 10 of his slaves, gave them 10 minas, and told them, Engage in business until I come back.’

American Standard Version
And he called ten servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come.

Contemporary English Version
But before leaving, he called in ten servants and gave each of them some money. He told them, "Use this to earn more money until I get back."

English Revised Version
And he called ten servants of his, and gave them ten pounds, and said unto them, Trade ye herewith till I come.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[Before he left,] he called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins. He said to his servants, 'Invest this money until I come back.'

Good News Translation
Before he left, he called his ten servants and gave them each a gold coin and told them, 'See what you can earn with this while I am gone.'

International Standard Version
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten coins. He told them, 'Invest this money until I come back.'

Majority Standard Bible
Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ?Conduct business with this until I return,? he said.

NET Bible
And he summoned ten of his slaves, gave them ten minas, and said to them, 'Do business with these until I come back.'

New Heart English Bible
He called ten servants of his, and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, 'Conduct business until I come.'

Webster's Bible Translation
And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said to them, Occupy till I come.

Weymouth New Testament
And he called ten of his servants and gave each of them a pound, instructing them to trade with the money during his absence.

World English Bible
He called ten servants of his and gave them ten mina coins, and told them, ‘Conduct business until I come.’
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and having called ten servants of his own, he gave ten minas to them and said to them, Do business—until I come;

Berean Literal Bible
And having called ten of his servants, he gave to them ten minas and said to them, 'Do business until that I come back.'

Young's Literal Translation
and having called ten servants of his own, he gave to them ten pounds, and said unto them, Do business -- till I come;

Smith's Literal Translation
And having called his ten servants, he gave them ten coins, and said to them, Attend to business, till I come.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them: Trade till I come.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten pounds, and he said to them: ‘Do business until I return.’

New American Bible
He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coins and told them, ‘Engage in trade with these until I return.’

New Revised Standard Version
He summoned ten of his slaves, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, ‘Do business with these until I come back.’
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And he called his ten servants, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, Do business until I come back.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And he called his ten servants and he gave them ten minas and he said to them, “Invest in trading until I come.”
NT Translations
Anderson New Testament
And he called his ten servants, and gave them ten pounds, and said to them, Engage in trade till I come.

Godbey New Testament
And calling his ten servants, he gave to them ten pounds, and said to them, Operate till I come.

Haweis New Testament
And calling his ten servants, he gave them ten manehs,Equal to sixty shekels, above seven of our pounds. and said unto them, Employ yourselves in traffic, till I come back.

Mace New Testament
and he called ten of his servants, to whom he deliver'd ten pounds: improve that, said he, till I return.

Weymouth New Testament
And he called ten of his servants and gave each of them a pound, instructing them to trade with the money during his absence.

Worrell New Testament
And, calling ten servants of his, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them, 'Do business till I come.'

Worsley New Testament
And he called ten of his servants, and delivered to them ten pounds, and said, Trade with them till I come.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Parable of the Ten Minas
12So He said, “A man of noble birth went to a distant country to lay claim to his kingship and then return. 13Beforehand, he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. ‘Conduct business with this until I return,’ he said. 14But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We do not want this man to rule over us.’…

Cross References
Matthew 25:14-30
For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions. / To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent—each according to his own ability. And he went on his journey. / The servant who had received the five talents went at once and put them to work and gained five more. ...

Matthew 24:45-47
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of his household, to give the others their food at the proper time? / Blessed is that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns. / Truly I tell you, he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

Mark 13:34
It is like a man going on a journey who left his house, put each servant in charge of his own task, and instructed the doorkeeper to keep watch.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11
There are different gifts, but the same Spirit. / There are different ministries, but the same Lord. / There are different ways of working, but the same God works all things in all people. ...

Romans 12:6-8
We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If one’s gift is prophecy, let him use it in proportion to his faith; / if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; / if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is giving, let him give generously; if it is leading, let him lead with diligence; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

1 Peter 4:10-11
As good stewards of the manifold grace of God, each of you should use whatever gift he has received to serve one another. / If anyone speaks, he should speak as one conveying the words of God. If anyone serves, he should serve with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.

1 Corinthians 4:2
Now it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

2 Corinthians 5:10
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad.

Ephesians 5:15-16
Pay careful attention, then, to how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, / redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

Colossians 3:23-24
Whatever you do, work at it with your whole being, as for the Lord and not for men, / because you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as your reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Proverbs 27:18
Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who looks after his master will be honored.

Genesis 1:28
God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and every creature that crawls upon the earth.”

Genesis 2:15
Then the LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it.

Proverbs 10:4
Idle hands make one poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.


Treasury of Scripture

And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said to them, Occupy till I come.

his.

Matthew 25:14
For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.

John 12:26
If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Galatians 1:10
For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

delivered.

Matthew 25:15
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey.

Romans 12:6-8
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; …

1 Corinthians 12:7-11,28,29
But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal…

pounds.

Luke 19:12
He said therefore, A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

Luke 19:3
And he sought to see Jesus who he was; and could not for the press, because he was little of stature.

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Absence Bondmen Business Coins Conduct Delivered Instructing Mina Minas Money Occupy Pound Pounds Servants Slaves Ten Trade
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Absence Bondmen Business Coins Conduct Delivered Instructing Mina Minas Money Occupy Pound Pounds Servants Slaves Ten Trade
Luke 19
1. Of Zacchaeus a tax collector.
11. The ten minas.
28. Jesus rides into Jerusalem with triumph;
41. weeps over it;
45. drives the buyers and sellers out of the temple;
47. Teaching daily in it. The rulers seek to destroy him, but fear the people.














He called ten of his servants
In this parable, the master represents Jesus, and the servants symbolize His followers. The number ten often signifies completeness or responsibility in biblical numerology. The Greek word for "servants" is "δοῦλος" (doulos), which means bondservant or slave, indicating a position of submission and duty. This calling reflects the divine invitation to believers to participate in God's kingdom work, emphasizing the personal relationship and accountability each believer has with Christ.

and gave them ten minas
A mina was a unit of currency in the ancient world, equivalent to about three months' wages. The Greek term "μνᾶ" (mna) suggests a significant but not overwhelming amount, symbolizing the gifts, talents, and resources God entrusts to His people. This distribution underscores the principle of stewardship, where believers are called to manage God's gifts wisely and faithfully.

and said, ‘Conduct business with this until I return.’
The phrase "Conduct business" is translated from the Greek "πραγματεύομαι" (pragmateuomai), meaning to engage in trade or to be occupied with. This command implies active engagement and productivity in the master's absence, reflecting the Christian duty to advance God's kingdom on earth. The instruction "until I return" points to the eschatological hope of Christ's second coming, reminding believers of the temporal nature of their earthly mission and the eternal significance of their faithfulness.

(13) And delivered them ten pounds.--In this, again, we have a noticeable difference. Here we begin with equality; in Matthew 25:15 the servants start with unequal amounts, "according to their several ability." So far as we lay stress on the difference, it implies that the trust in this case is that which all disciples of Christ have in common--viz., their knowledge of the truth and their membership in the Kingdom, and not the offices and positions that vary in degree. The pound, or mna, was, in Greek numismatics, not a coin, but a sum equal to the sixtieth part of a talent. The Greek name was probably derived from the Hebrew Maneh. According to another estimate it was equal to 25 shekels, or 100 drachm?? or denarii. The word meets us, as far as the New Testament is concerned, in this parable only.

Occupy till I come.--The better MSS. give, "while I am coming." The Greek verb for "occupy" occurs in this passage only in the New Testament. A compound form of it is rendered, in Luke 19:15, by "gained in trading." The English verb meets us in Ezekiel 27:9; Ezekiel 27:16; Ezekiel 27:21-22, in the sense of "trading," in which it is used here. (See also the Prayer Book version of Psalm 107:23.) . . .

Verse 13. - And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, Occupy till I come. No doubt when our Lord spoke these parables he considerably enlarged the details, made many parts of the framework clearer than the short reports which we possess can possibly do. The meaning of the great noble's action here is that he wished to test his servants - to try their various capabilities and dispositions, intending, when he should return from his long journey, having received his kingdom, to appoint them to high offices in the administration, to such positions, in fact, as their action in regard to the small deposit now entrusted to them should show themselves capable of filling. The Greek verb rendered "occupy" (πραγματεύσασθε) occurs here only in the New Testament: a compound form of it is rendered (ver. 15) by "gained by trading."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Greek
Beforehand,
δὲ (de)
Conjunction
Strong's 1161: A primary particle; but, and, etc.

[he] called
καλέσας (kalesas)
Verb - Aorist Participle Active - Nominative Masculine Singular
Strong's 2564: (a) I call, summon, invite, (b) I call, name. Akin to the base of keleuo; to 'call'.

ten
δέκα (deka)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1176: Ten. A primary number; ten.

of his
ἑαυτοῦ (heautou)
Reflexive Pronoun - Genitive Masculine 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1438: Himself, herself, itself.

servants
δούλους (doulous)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 1401: (a) (as adj.) enslaved, (b) (as noun) a (male) slave. From deo; a slave.

[and] gave
ἔδωκεν (edōken)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 1325: To offer, give; I put, place. A prolonged form of a primary verb; to give.

them
αὐτοῖς (autois)
Personal / Possessive Pronoun - Dative Masculine 3rd Person Plural
Strong's 846: He, she, it, they, them, same. From the particle au; the reflexive pronoun self, used of the third person, and of the other persons.

ten
δέκα (deka)
Adjective - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 1176: Ten. A primary number; ten.

minas.
μνᾶς (mnas)
Noun - Accusative Feminine Plural
Strong's 3414: A mina, a Greek monetary unit equal to 100 drachma. Of Latin origin; a mna, a certain weight.

‘Conduct business [with this]
Πραγματεύσασθε (Pragmateusasthe)
Verb - Aorist Imperative Middle - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 4231: To transact business, trade. From pragma; to busy oneself with, i.e. To trade.

until
ἐν (en)
Preposition
Strong's 1722: In, on, among. A primary preposition denoting position, and instrumentality, i.e. A relation of rest; 'in, ' at, on, by, etc.

I return,’
ἔρχομαι (erchomai)
Verb - Present Indicative Middle or Passive - 1st Person Singular
Strong's 2064: To come, go.

he said.
εἶπεν (eipen)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2036: Answer, bid, bring word, command. A primary verb; to speak or say.


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