Isaiah 25:1-9

New International Version

Praise to the Lord

25 Lord, you are my God;^(A)
    I will exalt you and praise your name,^(B)
for in perfect faithfulness^(C)
    you have done wonderful things,^(D)
    things planned^(E) long ago.
²You have made the city a heap of rubble,^(F)
    the fortified^(G) town a ruin,^(H)
the foreigners’ stronghold^(I) a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.^(J)
³Therefore strong peoples will honor you;^(K)
    cities of ruthless^(L) nations will revere you.
⁴You have been a refuge^(M) for the poor,^(N)
    a refuge for the needy^(O) in their distress,
a shelter from the storm^(P)
    and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless^(Q)
    is like a storm driving against a wall
⁵    and like the heat of the desert.
You silence^(R) the uproar of foreigners;^(S)
    as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless^(T) is stilled.

⁶On this mountain^(U) the Lord Almighty will prepare
    a feast^(V) of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
    the best of meats and the finest of wines.^(W)
⁷On this mountain he will destroy
    the shroud^(X) that enfolds all peoples,^(Y)
the sheet that covers all nations;
⁸    he will swallow up death^(Z) forever.
The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears^(AA)
    from all faces;
he will remove his people’s disgrace^(AB)
    from all the earth.
The Lord has spoken.^(AC)

⁹In that day^(AD) they will say,

“Surely this is our God;^(AE)
we trusted^(AF) in him, and he saved^(AG) us.
This is the Lord, we trusted in him;
let us rejoice^(AH) and be glad in his salvation.”^(AI)

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Isaiah 28:9-22

New International Version

⁹“Who is it he is trying to teach?^(A)
    To whom is he explaining his message?^(B)
To children weaned^(C) from their milk,^(D)
    to those just taken from the breast?
¹⁰For it is:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that^[a];
    a little here, a little there.^(E)”

¹¹Very well then, with foreign lips and strange tongues^(F)
    God will speak to this people,^(G)
¹²to whom he said,
    “This is the resting place, let the weary rest”;^(H)
and, “This is the place of repose”—
    but they would not listen.
¹³So then, the word of the Lord to them will become:
    Do this, do that,
    a rule for this, a rule for that;
    a little here, a little there^(I)—
so that as they go they will fall backward;
    they will be injured^(J) and snared and captured.^(K)

¹⁴Therefore hear the word of the Lord,^(L) you scoffers^(M)
    who rule this people in Jerusalem.
¹⁵You boast, “We have entered into a covenant with death,^(N)
    with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement.
When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(O)
    it cannot touch us,
for we have made a lie^(P) our refuge
    and falsehood^[b] our hiding place.^(Q)”

¹⁶So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,^(R) a tested stone,^(S)
    a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation;^(T)
the one who relies on it
    will never be stricken with panic.^(U)
¹⁷I will make justice^(V) the measuring line
    and righteousness the plumb line;^(W)
hail^(X) will sweep away your refuge, the lie,
    and water will overflow^(Y) your hiding place.
¹⁸Your covenant with death will be annulled;
    your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand.^(Z)
When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by,^(AA)
    you will be beaten down^(AB) by it.
¹⁹As often as it comes it will carry you away;^(AC)
    morning after morning,^(AD) by day and by night,
    it will sweep through.”

The understanding of this message
    will bring sheer terror.^(AE)
²⁰The bed is too short to stretch out on,
    the blanket too narrow to wrap around you.^(AF)
²¹The Lord will rise up as he did at Mount Perazim,^(AG)
    he will rouse himself as in the Valley of Gibeon^(AH)—
to do his work,^(AI) his strange work,
    and perform his task, his alien task.
²²Now stop your mocking,^(AJ)
    or your chains will become heavier;
the Lord, the Lord Almighty, has told me
    of the destruction decreed^(AK) against the whole land.^(AL)

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Footnotes

Isaiah 28:10 Hebrew / sav lasav sav lasav / kav lakav kav lakav (probably meaningless sounds mimicking the prophet’s words); also in verse 13
Isaiah 28:15 Or false gods

Matthew 25:1-30

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)

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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.

Revelation 3:7-22

New International Version

To the Church in Philadelphia

⁷“To the angel of the church in Philadelphia^(A) write:

These are the words of him who is holy^(B) and true,^(C) who holds the key of David.^(D) What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ⁸I know your deeds.^(E) See, I have placed before you an open door^(F) that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.^(G) ⁹I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan,^(H) who claim to be Jews though they are not,^(I) but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet^(J) and acknowledge that I have loved you.^(K) ¹⁰Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you^(L) from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world^(M) to test^(N) the inhabitants of the earth.^(O)

¹¹I am coming soon.^(P) Hold on to what you have,^(Q) so that no one will take your crown.^(R) ¹²The one who is victorious^(S) I will make a pillar^(T) in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God^(U) and the name of the city of my God,^(V) the new Jerusalem,^(W) which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. ¹³Whoever has ears, let them hear^(X) what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

¹⁴“To the angel of the church in Laodicea^(Y) write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness,^(Z) the ruler of God’s creation.^(AA) ¹⁵I know your deeds,^(AB) that you are neither cold nor hot.^(AC) I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. ¹⁷You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’^(AD) But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.^(AE) ¹⁸I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire,^(AF) so you can become rich; and white clothes^(AG) to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness;^(AH) and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

¹⁹Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.^(AI) So be earnest and repent.^(AJ) ²⁰Here I am! I stand at the door^(AK) and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door,^(AL) I will come in^(AM) and eat with that person, and they with me.

²¹To the one who is victorious,^(AN) I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,^(AO) just as I was victorious^(AP) and sat down with my Father on his throne. ²²Whoever has ears, let them hear^(AQ) what the Spirit says to the churches.”