Psalm 79-80

New International Version

Psalm 79

A psalm of Asaph.

¹O God, the nations have invaded your inheritance;^(A)
    they have defiled^(B) your holy temple,
    they have reduced Jerusalem to rubble.^(C)
²They have left the dead bodies of your servants
    as food for the birds of the sky,^(D)
    the flesh of your own people for the animals of the wild.^(E)
³They have poured out blood like water
    all around Jerusalem,
    and there is no one to bury^(F) the dead.^(G)
⁴We are objects of contempt to our neighbors,
    of scorn^(H) and derision to those around us.^(I)

⁵How long,^(J) Lord? Will you be angry^(K) forever?
    How long will your jealousy burn like fire?^(L)
⁶Pour out your wrath^(M) on the nations
    that do not acknowledge^(N) you,
on the kingdoms
    that do not call on your name;^(O)
⁷for they have devoured^(P) Jacob
    and devastated his homeland.

⁸Do not hold against us the sins of past generations;^(Q)
    may your mercy come quickly to meet us,
    for we are in desperate need.^(R)
⁹Help us,^(S) God our Savior,
    for the glory of your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
    for your name’s sake.^(T)
¹⁰Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”^(U)

Before our eyes, make known among the nations
    that you avenge^(V) the outpoured blood^(W) of your servants.
¹¹May the groans of the prisoners come before you;
    with your strong arm preserve those condemned to die.
¹²Pay back into the laps^(X) of our neighbors seven times^(Y)
    the contempt they have hurled at you, Lord.
¹³Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture,^(Z)
    will praise you forever;^(AA)
from generation to generation
    we will proclaim your praise.

Psalm 80^[a]

For the director of music. To the tune of “The Lilies of the Covenant.” Of Asaph. A psalm.

¹Hear us, Shepherd of Israel,
    you who lead Joseph like a flock.^(AB)
You who sit enthroned between the cherubim,^(AC)
    shine forth ²before Ephraim, Benjamin and Manasseh.^(AD)
Awaken^(AE) your might;
    come and save us.^(AF)

³Restore^(AG) us,^(AH) O God;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.^(AI)

⁴How long,^(AJ) Lord God Almighty,
    will your anger smolder^(AK)
    against the prayers of your people?
⁵You have fed them with the bread of tears;^(AL)
    you have made them drink tears by the bowlful.^(AM)
⁶You have made us an object of derision^[b] to our neighbors,
    and our enemies mock us.^(AN)

⁷Restore us, God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.^(AO)

⁸You transplanted a vine^(AP) from Egypt;
    you drove out^(AQ) the nations and planted^(AR) it.
⁹You cleared the ground for it,
    and it took root and filled the land.
¹⁰The mountains were covered with its shade,
    the mighty cedars with its branches.
¹¹Its branches reached as far as the Sea,^[c]
    its shoots as far as the River.^[d]^(AS)

¹²Why have you broken down its walls^(AT)
    so that all who pass by pick its grapes?
¹³Boars from the forest ravage^(AU) it,
    and insects from the fields feed on it.
¹⁴Return to us, God Almighty!
    Look down from heaven and see!^(AV)
Watch over this vine,
¹⁵    the root your right hand has planted,
    the son^[e] you have raised up for yourself.

¹⁶Your vine is cut down, it is burned with fire;^(AW)
    at your rebuke^(AX) your people perish.
¹⁷Let your hand rest on the man at your right hand,
    the son of man^(AY) you have raised up for yourself.
¹⁸Then we will not turn away from you;
    revive^(AZ) us, and we will call on your name.

¹⁹Restore us, Lord God Almighty;
make your face shine on us,
that we may be saved.

Footnotes

Psalm 80:1 In Hebrew texts 80:1-19 is numbered 80:2-20.
Psalm 80:6 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text contention
Psalm 80:11 Probably the Mediterranean
Psalm 80:11 That is, the Euphrates
Psalm 80:15 Or branch

Matthew 25

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)

The Parable of the Bags of Gold^(J)

¹⁴“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey,^(K) who called his servants and entrusted his wealth to them. ¹⁵To one he gave five bags of gold, to another two bags, and to another one bag,^[a] each according to his ability.^(L) Then he went on his journey. ¹⁶The man who had received five bags of gold went at once and put his money to work and gained five bags more. ¹⁷So also, the one with two bags of gold gained two more. ¹⁸But the man who had received one bag went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹“After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them.^(M) ²⁰The man who had received five bags of gold brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five bags of gold. See, I have gained five more.’

²¹“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.^(N) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²²“The man with two bags of gold also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two bags of gold; see, I have gained two more.’

²³“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things.^(O) Come and share your master’s happiness!’

²⁴“Then the man who had received one bag of gold came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. ²⁵So I was afraid and went out and hid your gold in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

²⁶“His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? ²⁷Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

²⁸“‘So take the bag of gold from him and give it to the one who has ten bags. ²⁹For whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them.^(P) ³⁰And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’^(Q)

The Sheep and the Goats

³¹“When the Son of Man comes^(R) in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne.^(S) ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate^(T) the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.^(U) ³³He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

³⁴“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom^(V) prepared for you since the creation of the world.^(W) ³⁵For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in,^(X) ³⁶I needed clothes and you clothed me,^(Y) I was sick and you looked after me,^(Z) I was in prison and you came to visit me.’^(AA)

³⁷“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

⁴⁰“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’^(AB)

⁴¹“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me,^(AC) you who are cursed, into the eternal fire^(AD) prepared for the devil and his angels.^(AE) ⁴²For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

⁴⁴“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

⁴⁵“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’^(AF)

⁴⁶“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.^(AG)”^(AH)

Footnotes

Matthew 25:15 Greek five talents … two talents … one talent; also throughout this parable; a talent was worth about 20 years of a day laborer’s wage.