Isaiah 63

New International Version

God’s Day of Vengeance and Redemption

63 Who is this coming from Edom,^(A)
from Bozrah,^(B) with his garments stained crimson?^(C)
Who is this, robed in splendor,
striding forward in the greatness of his strength?^(D)

“It is I, proclaiming victory,
mighty to save.”^(E)

²Why are your garments red,
like those of one treading the winepress?^(F)

³“I have trodden the winepress^(G) alone;
    from the nations no one was with me.
I trampled^(H) them in my anger
    and trod them down in my wrath;^(I)
their blood spattered my garments,^(J)
    and I stained all my clothing.
⁴It was for me the day of vengeance;^(K)
    the year for me to redeem had come.
⁵I looked, but there was no one^(L) to help,
    I was appalled that no one gave support;
so my own arm^(M) achieved salvation for me,
    and my own wrath sustained me.^(N)
⁶I trampled^(O) the nations in my anger;
    in my wrath I made them drunk^(P)
    and poured their blood^(Q) on the ground.”

Praise and Prayer

⁷I will tell of the kindnesses^(R) of the Lord,
    the deeds for which he is to be praised,
    according to all the Lord has done for us—
yes, the many good things^(S)
    he has done for Israel,
    according to his compassion^(T) and many kindnesses.
⁸He said, “Surely they are my people,^(U)
    children who will be true to me”;
    and so he became their Savior.^(V)
⁹In all their distress he too was distressed,
    and the angel^(W) of his presence^(X) saved them.^[a]
In his love and mercy he redeemed^(Y) them;
    he lifted them up and carried^(Z) them
    all the days of old.^(AA)
¹⁰Yet they rebelled^(AB)
    and grieved his Holy Spirit.^(AC)
So he turned and became their enemy^(AD)
    and he himself fought^(AE) against them.

¹¹Then his people recalled^[b] the days of old,
    the days of Moses and his people—
where is he who brought them through the sea,^(AF)
    with the shepherd of his flock?^(AG)
Where is he who set
    his Holy Spirit^(AH) among them,
¹²who sent his glorious arm^(AI) of power
    to be at Moses’ right hand,
who divided the waters^(AJ) before them,
    to gain for himself everlasting renown,^(AK)
¹³who led^(AL) them through the depths?^(AM)
Like a horse in open country,
    they did not stumble;^(AN)
¹⁴like cattle that go down to the plain,
    they were given rest^(AO) by the Spirit of the Lord.
This is how you guided your people
    to make for yourself a glorious name.

¹⁵Look down from heaven^(AP) and see,
    from your lofty throne,^(AQ) holy and glorious.
Where are your zeal^(AR) and your might?
    Your tenderness and compassion^(AS) are withheld^(AT) from us.
¹⁶But you are our Father,^(AU)
    though Abraham does not know us
    or Israel acknowledge^(AV) us;
you, Lord, are our Father,
    our Redeemer^(AW) from of old is your name.
¹⁷Why, Lord, do you make us wander^(AX) from your ways
    and harden our hearts^(AY) so we do not revere^(AZ) you?
Return^(BA) for the sake of your servants,
    the tribes that are your inheritance.^(BB)
¹⁸For a little while^(BC) your people possessed your holy place,
    but now our enemies have trampled^(BD) down your sanctuary.^(BE)
¹⁹We are yours from of old;
    but you have not ruled over them,
    they have not been called^[c] by your name.^(BF)

Footnotes

Isaiah 63:9 Or Savior ⁹in their distress. / It was no envoy or angel / but his own presence that saved them
Isaiah 63:11 Or But may he recall
Isaiah 63:19 Or We are like those you have never ruled, / like those never called

Lamentations 3:40-51

New International Version

⁴⁰Let us examine our ways and test them,^(A)
    and let us return to the Lord.^(B)
⁴¹Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven,^(C) and say:
⁴²“We have sinned and rebelled^(D)
    and you have not forgiven.^(E)

⁴³“You have covered yourself with anger and pursued^(F) us;
    you have slain without pity.^(G)
⁴⁴You have covered yourself with a cloud^(H)
    so that no prayer^(I) can get through.^(J)
⁴⁵You have made us scum^(K) and refuse
    among the nations.

⁴⁶“All our enemies have opened their mouths
    wide^(L) against us.^(M)
⁴⁷We have suffered terror and pitfalls,^(N)
    ruin and destruction.^(O)”
⁴⁸Streams of tears^(P) flow from my eyes^(Q)
    because my people are destroyed.^(R)

⁴⁹My eyes will flow unceasingly,
    without relief,^(S)
⁵⁰until the Lord looks down
    from heaven and sees.^(T)
⁵¹What I see brings grief to my soul
    because of all the women of my city.

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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.

John 15:1-17

New International Version

The Vine and the Branches

15 “I am^(A) the true vine,^(B) and my Father is the gardener. ²He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,^(C) while every branch that does bear fruit^(D) he prunes^[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. ³You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.^(E) ⁴Remain in me, as I also remain in you.^(F) No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵“I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;^(G) apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.^(H) ⁷If you remain in me^(I) and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.^(J) ⁸This is to my Father’s glory,^(K) that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.^(L)

⁹“As the Father has loved me,^(M) so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. ¹⁰If you keep my commands,^(N) you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. ¹¹I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.^(O) ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.^(P) ¹³Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.^(Q) ¹⁴You are my friends^(R) if you do what I command.^(S) ¹⁵I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.^(T) ¹⁶You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you^(U) so that you might go and bear fruit^(V)—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.^(W) ¹⁷This is my command: Love each other.^(X)