Amos 5:18-24

English Standard Version

Let Justice Roll Down

¹⁸Woe to you who desire ^(A)the day of the Lord!
    Why would you have the day of the Lord?
^(B)It is darkness, and not light,
¹⁹    ^(C)as if a man fled from a lion,
    and a bear met him,
or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall,
    and a serpent bit him.
²⁰^(D)Is not the day of the Lord darkness, and not light,
    and gloom with no brightness in it?

²¹^(E)“I hate, I despise your feasts,
    and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
²²^(F)Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings,
    I will not accept them;
and the peace offerings of your fattened animals,
    I will not look upon them.
²³Take away from me the noise of your songs;
    to ^(G)the melody of your harps I will not listen.
²⁴But let justice roll down like waters,
    and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

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Psalm 70

English Standard Version

O Lord, Do Not Delay

To the choirmaster. Of David, ^(A)for the memorial offering.

70 ^(B)Make haste, O God, to deliver me!
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
²Let them be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life!
Let them be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who delight in my hurt!
³Let them turn back because of their shame
    who say, “Aha, Aha!”

⁴May all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you!
May those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”
⁵But I am poor and needy;
    ^(C)hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay!

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

English Standard Version

The Coming of the Lord

¹³But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, ^(A)that you may not grieve as others do ^(B)who have no hope. ¹⁴For ^(C)since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him ^(D)those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁵For this we declare to you ^(E)by a word from the Lord,^[a] that ^(F)we who are alive, who are left until ^(G)the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶For ^(H)the Lord himself will descend ^(I)from heaven ^(J)with a cry of command, with the voice of ^(K)an archangel, and ^(L)with the sound of the trumpet of God. And ^(M)the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷Then we who are alive, who are left, will be ^(N)caught up together with them ^(O)in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so ^(P)we will always be with the Lord. ¹⁸Therefore encourage one another with these words.

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Footnotes

1 Thessalonians 4:15 Or by the word of the Lord

Matthew 25:1-13

English Standard Version

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ^(A)ten virgins who took their lamps^[a] and went to meet ^(B)the bridegroom.^[b] ²Five of them were foolish, and five were ^(C)wise. ³For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵As the bridegroom ^(D)was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. ⁶But ^(E)at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ ⁷Then all those virgins rose and ^(F)trimmed their lamps. ⁸And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and ^(G)those who were ready went in with him to ^(H)the marriage feast, and ^(I)the door was shut. ¹¹Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ^(J)‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ ¹²^(K)But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, ^(L)I do not know you.’ ¹³^(M)Watch therefore, for you ^(N)know neither the day nor the hour.