^25 (A)When once the Master of the house has risen up and ^(B)shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ^(C)‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ^(D)‘I do not know you, where you are from,’

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet ^(A)the bridegroom. ^2 (B)Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. ³ Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, ⁴ but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. ⁵ But while the bridegroom was delayed, ^(C)they all slumbered and slept.

⁶ “And at midnight ^(D)a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom ^[a]is coming; go out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins arose and ^(E)trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ ⁹ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and ^(F)the door was shut.

¹¹ “Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ^(G)‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ ¹² But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, ^(H)I do not know you.’

Be Faithful^(A)

⁷ Therefore, as ^(B)the Holy Spirit says:

¹² Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; ¹³ but ^[a]exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. ¹⁴ For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, ¹⁵ while it is said:

^44 (A)and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and ^(B)they will not leave in you one stone upon another, ^(C)because you did not know the time of your visitation.”