³⁶ and you yourselves be like men who wait for their master, when he will return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they may open to him immediately.

²⁰ Behold, ^(A)I stand at the door and knock. ^(B)If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ^(C)I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

Maintain Your Life with God

²⁰ But you, beloved, ^(A)building yourselves up on your most holy faith, ^(B)praying in the Holy Spirit, ²¹ keep yourselves in the love of God, ^(C)looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

Be Patient and Persevering

⁷ Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. ⁸ You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord ^[a]is at hand.

Simeon Sees God’s Salvation

²⁵ And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, ^(A)waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. ²⁶ And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not ^(B)see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. ²⁷ So he came ^(C)by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, ²⁸ he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said:

^34 (A)It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave ^(B)authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. ^35 (C)Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning— ³⁶ lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. ³⁷ And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!”

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.’

^13 (I)“Watch therefore, for you ^(J)know neither the day nor the hour ^[b]in which the Son of Man is coming.

^42 (A)Watch therefore, for you do not know what ^[a]hour your Lord is coming. ^43 (B)But know this, that if the master of the house had known what ^[b]hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. ^44 (C)Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.