Amos 5:18-24

New International Version

The Day of the Lord

¹⁸Woe to you who long
    for the day of the Lord!^(A)
Why do you long for the day of the Lord?^(B)
    That day will be darkness,^(C) not light.^(D)
¹⁹It will be as though a man fled from a lion
    only to meet a bear,^(E)
as though he entered his house
    and rested his hand on the wall
    only to have a snake bite him.^(F)
²⁰Will not the day of the Lord be darkness,^(G) not light—
    pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?^(H)

²¹“I hate,^(I) I despise your religious festivals;^(J)
    your assemblies^(K) are a stench to me.
²²Even though you bring me burnt offerings^(L) and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them.^(M)
Though you bring choice fellowship offerings,
    I will have no regard for them.^(N)
²³Away with the noise of your songs!
    I will not listen to the music of your harps.^(O)
²⁴But let justice^(P) roll on like a river,
    righteousness^(Q) like a never-failing stream!^(R)

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1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

New International Version

Believers Who Have Died

¹³Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed^(A) about those who sleep in death,^(B) so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.^(C) ¹⁴For we believe that Jesus died and rose again,^(D) and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.^(E) ¹⁵According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord,^(F) will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.^(G) ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven,^(H) with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel^(I) and with the trumpet call of God,^(J) and the dead in Christ will rise first.^(K) ¹⁷After that, we who are still alive and are left^(L) will be caught up together with them in the clouds^(M) to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord^(N) forever. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another^(O) with these words.

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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)

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