“Ten virgins took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom”
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom… while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. (Matthew 25:1–13 BSB)
What it sounds like today
An odd tale of stingy bridesmaids: why not just share the oil?
The cultural key
The wedding's climax was the bridegroom's nighttime procession to fetch the bride to his father's house, its timing unpredictable, since gift negotiations at the bride's home could run long (delay was honorable, showing her family's worth). The girls' torches, oil-fed and needing constant replenishing, were the procession's lighting and its honor guard. A torch out of oil died in minutes; sharing would simply darken the whole procession. And once the feast began, the door genuinely shut.
Recovered meaning
Readiness for a delayed arrival is the one thing no one can lend you at the last minute. The foolish five aren't wicked, just unprepared for the wait being long; the parable's target is disciples banking on a short delay.