Joel 2:12-19

English Standard Version

Return to the Lord

¹²“Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
    ^(A)“return to me with all your heart,
^(B)with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
¹³    and ^(C)rend your hearts and not ^(D)your garments.”
Return to the Lord your God,
    ^(E)for he is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
    ^(F)and he relents over disaster.
¹⁴^(G)Who knows whether he will not turn and relent,
    and ^(H)leave a blessing behind him,
^(I)a grain offering and a drink offering
    for the Lord your God?

¹⁵^(J)Blow the trumpet in Zion;
    ^(K)consecrate a fast;
call a solemn assembly;
¹⁶    gather the people.
^(L)Consecrate the congregation;
    assemble the elders;
^(M)gather the children,
    even nursing infants.
^(N)Let the bridegroom leave his room,
    and the bride her chamber.

¹⁷^(O)Between the ^(P)vestibule and the ^(Q)altar
    ^(R)let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep
and say, “Spare your people, O Lord,
    and make not your heritage a reproach,
    a byword among the nations.^[a]
^(S)Why should they say among the peoples,
    ‘Where is their God?’”

The Lord Had Pity

¹⁸^(T)Then the Lord became jealous for his land
    ^(U)and had pity on his people.
¹⁹The Lord answered and said to his people,
“Behold, ^(V)I am sending to you
    grain, wine, and oil,
    ^(W)and you will be satisfied;
and I will no more make you
    a reproach among the nations.

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Footnotes

Joel 2:17 Or reproach, that the nations should rule over them

Revelation 3:1-3

English Standard Version

To the Church in Sardis

3 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: ‘The words of him ^(A)who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars.

“‘I know your works. You have the reputation ^(B)of being alive, ^(C)but you are dead. ²Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works ^(D)complete in the sight of my God. ³^(E)Remember, then, what you received and heard. Keep it, and repent. If you will not wake up, ^(F)I will come ^(G)like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come against you.

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Luke 12:13-21

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Rich Fool

¹³^(A)Someone in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” ¹⁴But he said to him, ^(B)“Man, ^(C)who made me a judge or arbitrator over you?” ¹⁵And he said to them, ^(D)“Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” ¹⁶And he told them a parable, saying, ^(E)“The land of a rich man produced plentifully, ¹⁷and he thought to himself, ^(F)‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ ¹⁸And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my ^(G)barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ¹⁹And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up ^(H)for many years; relax, ^(I)eat, drink, be merry.”’ ²⁰But God said to him, ^(J)‘Fool! ^(K)This night ^(L)your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, ^(M)whose will they be?’ ²¹So is the one ^(N)who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”