Psalm 50

New International Version

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

¹The Mighty One, God, the Lord,^(A)
    speaks and summons the earth
    from the rising of the sun to where it sets.^(B)
²From Zion,^(C) perfect in beauty,^(D)
    God shines forth.^(E)
³Our God comes^(F)
    and will not be silent;^(G)
a fire devours^(H) before him,^(I)
    and around him a tempest^(J) rages.
⁴He summons the heavens above,
    and the earth,^(K) that he may judge his people:^(L)
⁵“Gather to me this consecrated people,^(M)
    who made a covenant^(N) with me by sacrifice.”
⁶And the heavens proclaim^(O) his righteousness,
    for he is a God of justice.^[a]^[b]^(P)

⁷“Listen, my people, and I will speak;
    I will testify^(Q) against you, Israel:
    I am God, your God.^(R)
⁸I bring no charges^(S) against you concerning your sacrifices
    or concerning your burnt offerings,^(T) which are ever before me.
⁹I have no need of a bull^(U) from your stall
    or of goats^(V) from your pens,^(W)
¹⁰for every animal of the forest^(X) is mine,
    and the cattle on a thousand hills.^(Y)
¹¹I know every bird^(Z) in the mountains,
    and the insects in the fields^(AA) are mine.
¹²If I were hungry I would not tell you,
    for the world^(AB) is mine, and all that is in it.^(AC)
¹³Do I eat the flesh of bulls
    or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴“Sacrifice thank offerings^(AD) to God,
fulfill your vows^(AE) to the Most High,^(AF)
¹⁵and call^(AG) on me in the day of trouble;^(AH)
I will deliver^(AI) you, and you will honor^(AJ) me.”

¹⁶But to the wicked person, God says:

“What right have you to recite my laws
    or take my covenant^(AK) on your lips?^(AL)
¹⁷You hate^(AM) my instruction
    and cast my words behind^(AN) you.
¹⁸When you see a thief, you join^(AO) with him;
    you throw in your lot with adulterers.^(AP)
¹⁹You use your mouth for evil
    and harness your tongue to deceit.^(AQ)
²⁰You sit and testify against your brother^(AR)
    and slander your own mother’s son.
²¹When you did these things and I kept silent,^(AS)
    you thought I was exactly^[c] like you.
But I now arraign^(AT) you
    and set my accusations^(AU) before you.

²²“Consider this, you who forget God,^(AV)
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:^(AW)
²³Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me,
and to the blameless^[d] I will show my salvation.^(AX)”

Footnotes

Psalm 50:6 With a different word division of the Hebrew; Masoretic Text for God himself is judge
Psalm 50:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
Psalm 50:21 Or thought the ‘I am’ was
Psalm 50:23 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; the meaning of the Masoretic Text for this phrase is uncertain.

Zechariah 4

New International Version

The Gold Lampstand and the Two Olive Trees

4 Then the angel who talked with me returned and woke^(A) me up, like someone awakened from sleep.^(B) ²He asked me, “What do you see?”^(C)

I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand^(D) with a bowl at the top and seven lamps^(E) on it, with seven channels to the lamps. ³Also there are two olive trees^(F) by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left.”

⁴I asked the angel who talked with me, “What are these, my lord?”

⁵He answered, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I replied.^(G)

⁶So he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel:^(H) ‘Not^(I) by might nor by power,^(J) but by my Spirit,’^(K) says the Lord Almighty.

⁷“What are you, mighty mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.^(L) Then he will bring out the capstone^(M) to shouts^(N) of ‘God bless it! God bless it!’”

⁸Then the word of the Lord came to me: ⁹“The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation^(O) of this temple; his hands will also complete it.^(P) Then you will know that the Lord Almighty has sent me^(Q) to you.

¹⁰“Who dares despise the day^(R) of small things,^(S) since the seven eyes^(T) of the Lord that range throughout the earth will rejoice when they see the chosen capstone^[a] in the hand of Zerubbabel?”^(U)

¹¹Then I asked the angel, “What are these two olive trees^(V) on the right and the left of the lampstand?”

¹²Again I asked him, “What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?”

¹³He replied, “Do you not know what these are?”

“No, my lord,” I said.

¹⁴So he said, “These are the two who are anointed^(W) to^[b] serve the Lord of all the earth.”

Read full chapter

Footnotes

Zechariah 4:10 Or the plumb line
Zechariah 4:14 Or two who bring oil and

Revelation 4:9-5:5

New International Version

⁹Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne^(A) and who lives for ever and ever,^(B) ¹⁰the twenty-four elders^(C) fall down before him^(D) who sits on the throne^(E) and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:

¹¹“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,^(F)
for you created all things,
    and by your will they were created
    and have their being.”^(G)

The Scroll and the Lamb

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne^(H) a scroll with writing on both sides^(I) and sealed^(J) with seven seals. ²And I saw a mighty angel^(K) proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” ³But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. ⁵Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion^(L) of the tribe of Judah,^(M) the Root of David,^(N) has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Matthew 25:1-13

New International Version

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like^(A) ten virgins who took their lamps^(B) and went out to meet the bridegroom.^(C) ²Five of them were foolish and five were wise.^(D) ³The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.^(E)

⁶“At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷“Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’^(F)

⁹“‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰“But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.^(G) And the door was shut.

¹¹“Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹²“But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’^(H)

¹³“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.^(I)

Read full chapter