The Parable of the Gold Coins: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 19:11-27

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it.

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Luke 19:11-27 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 19:11-27 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

What is something someone trusted you to take care of before? What did you do with it?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will hear a story Jesus told about a king and his servants. We will learn about working hard, using what God gives us, and trusting him.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

condemn: (verb) To say that someone is guilty and must be punished.
do business: (phrase) To buy and sell things to make money.
earn: (verb) To get money for work you did.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
interest: (noun) Extra money that a bank gives you for keeping your money there.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
rule over: (phrase) To be the leader or king of a group of people.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
taken away: (phrase) To have something removed or moved to another place.
trust: (verb) To believe that someone is good and honest.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

bag: (noun) A container made of cloth or skin used to carry things.
bank: (noun) A place where people keep their money.
condemn: (verb) To say that someone is guilty and must be punished.
country: (noun) An area of land that has its own king or leaders.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
die: (verb) To stop living.
do business: (phrase) To buy and sell things to make money.
earn: (verb) To get money for work you did.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
gather: (verb) To bring people or things together.
hard: (adjective) Harsh, strict, or demanding in personality.
interest: (noun) Extra money that a bank gives you for keeping your money there.
king: (noun) A man who rules a country.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
rule over: (phrase) To be the leader or king of a group of people.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
sir: (noun) A polite way to speak to a man.
taken away: (phrase) To have something removed or moved to another place.
trust: (verb) To believe that someone is good and honest.
wrap: (verb) To cover something by putting cloth or paper around it.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

afraid: (adjective) Feeling fear or being scared.
almost: (adverb) Only a little bit less than all.
already: (adverb) Before now or before a certain time.
another: (adjective) A different one.
away: (adverb) At a distance from a place.
bag: (noun) A container made of cloth or skin used to carry things.
bank: (noun) A place where people keep their money.
bring: (verb) To take someone or something to a place.
call: (verb) To ask someone to come to you or to meet with you.
city: (noun) A large town with many people and buildings.
cloth: (noun) Material used to make clothes or covers.
come back: (phrase) To return to a place after being away.
condemn: (verb) To say that someone is guilty and must be punished.
country: (noun) An area of land that has its own king or leaders.
crowd: (noun) A very large group of people.
do business: (phrase) To buy and sell things to make money.
each: (adjective) Every person or thing in a group.
earn: (verb) To get money for work you did.
enemy: (noun) A person who hates you or wants to hurt you.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
far away: (phrase) At a great distance from a person or a place.
follow: (verb) To go after someone.
gather: (verb) To bring people or things together.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
God’s kingdom: (phrase) The place or way where God rules as king.
great: (adjective) Very large or very good.
group: (noun) A number of people or things that are together.
grow: (verb) To become bigger or older.
hard: (adjective) Harsh, strict, or demanding in personality.
hate: (verb) To dislike someone or something very much.
hid: (verb) To have put something where it cannot be seen.
important: (adjective) Something that matters a lot.
interest: (noun) Extra money that a bank gives you for keeping your money there.
Jerusalem: (noun) The most important city in Israel where the Temple was.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
kill: (verb) To end the life of a person or an animal.
king: (noun) A man who rules a country.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
let: (verb) To allow something to happen.
listen: (verb) To pay attention to a sound with your ears.
made: (verb) To have created or built something.
much: (adjective) A large amount of something.
own: (adjective) Belonging to a specific person.
piece: (noun) A part of something larger.
plan: (noun) A set of steps to do something.
prepare: (verb) To get something ready.
return: (verb) To come back to a place.
rule over: (phrase) To be the leader or king of a group of people.
sent: (verb) To have caused someone to go to a place.
servant: (noun) A person who works for another person.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
sir: (noun) A polite way to speak to a man.
taken away: (phrase) To have something removed or moved to another place.
together: (adverb) With each other.
trust: (verb) To believe that someone is good and honest.
use: (verb) To do something with a tool or an object.
watch: (verb) To look at something carefully for a time.
went on to tell: (phrase) To continue talking or to start a new story.
would: (verb) A word used to talk about something that might happen or something someone wanted to do.
wrap: (verb) To cover something by putting cloth or paper around it.

Summary of the Passage

This passage is a story Jesus told to the people. Many people thought God’s kingdom would come very soon. Jesus wanted to teach them an important lesson about waiting, working, and being faithful.

In the story, an important man goes to a country far away to be made a king. Before he leaves, he gives his ten servants a bag of money each. He tells them to do business with the money until he returns. He wants to see how much money they can earn. Some people in his land hated him and did not want him to be king.

The man came back as king. He asked his servants what they did with the money. One servant earned ten more bags of money. The king was very happy and let him rule over ten cities. Another servant earned five bags of money. The king let him rule over five cities.

One servant was different. He was afraid of the king, so he wrapped the money in a cloth and hid it. He did not earn any money at all. The king was upset. He said the servant should have put the money in the bank to earn interest. Interest is extra money a bank gives you for keeping your money there. The king used the man’s own words to condemn him. To condemn means to say someone is guilty.

The king took the money away from the lazy servant. He gave it to the servant who earned ten bags. He said that people who use what they have will get more. Those who do nothing will have everything taken away.

This story teaches us that God gives us gifts like time and talents. He is pleased when we work hard and trust him. One day, God will ask us how we used what he gave us.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Use What God Gives You
11 As the crowd listened to what he was saying, Jesus went on to tell a story.
He was now near Jerusalem and knew that the people thought it was almost time for God’s kingdom to come.
12 So he said,
“A very important man was preparing to go to a country far away to be made a king.
Then he planned to return home and rule his people.
13 So he called ten of his servants together.
He gave a bag of money to each servant.
He said,
‘Do business with this money until I come back.’
14 But the people in the kingdom hated the man.
They sent a group to follow him to the other country.
There they said,
‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’
15 “But the man was made king.
When he came home, he said,
‘Call those servants who have my money.
I want to know how much more money they earned with it.’
16 The first servant came and said,
‘Sir, I earned ten bags of money with the one bag you gave me.’
17 The king said to him,
‘That’s great!
You are a good servant.
I see that I can trust you with small things.
So now I will let you rule over ten of my cities.’
18 “The second servant said,
‘Sir, with your one bag of money I earned five bags.’
19 The king said to this servant,
‘You can rule over five cities.’
20 “Then another servant came in and said to the king,
‘Sir, here is your bag of money.
I wrapped it in a piece of cloth and hid it.
21 I was afraid of you because you are a hard man.
You even take money that you didn’t earn and gather food that you didn’t grow.’
22 “Then the king said to him,
‘What a bad servant you are!
I will use your own words to condemn you.
You said that I am a hard man.
You said that I even take money that I didn’t earn and gather food that I didn’t grow.
23 If that is true, you should have put my money in the bank.
Then, when I came back, my money would have earned some interest.’
24 Then the king said to the men who were watching,
‘Take the bag of money away from this servant and give it to the servant who earned ten bags of money.’
25 “The men said to the king,
‘But sir, that servant already has ten bags of money.’
26 “The king said,
‘People who use what they have will get more.
But those who do not use what they have will have everything taken away from them.
27 Now where are my enemies?
Where are the people who did not want me to be king?
Bring my enemies here and kill them.
I will watch them die.’”
Luke 19:11-27 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 19:11-27 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 19:11-27 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 19:11-27 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 19:11-27 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 19:11-27 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 19:11-27 (ESV)

Luke 19:11-27 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Where was Jesus going when he told this story?
What did the rich man give to his servants before he left?
How many gold coins did each servant get?
What did the rich man want the servants to do with the coins?
How many coins did the first servant earn?
How did the king feel about the first servant’s work?
What happened to the servant who hid his coin?
What did the king do with the coin from the lazy servant?
What lesson did Jesus want people to learn from this story?

Application Questions

What are some gifts or talents God has given you?
How can you use your time and gifts to help others this week?
Why is it important to be faithful, even when no one is watching?
What do you think it means to be ready for God’s kingdom?
How do you feel knowing God cares about what you do with your life?

Theological Insights

God gives each person time, gifts, and chances to do good.
God is pleased when people are faithful with what he gives them.
God’s kingdom is not just about a place but about trusting and following him.
One day, God will ask everyone how they used what he gave them.
Those who trust and obey God will be blessed in his kingdom.

Closing Prayer

Dear Father, Thank you for giving us good gifts and time to use them. Help us to be faithful and kind in everything we do. Teach us to trust you and follow your ways. Amen.