Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

¹⁸ Ho, ye who are desiring the day of Jehovah, Why [is] this to you -- the day of Jehovah? It is darkness, and not light,

¹⁹ As [when] one fleeth from the face of the lion, And the bear hath met him, And he hath come in to the house, And hath leant his hand on the wall, And the serpent hath bitten him.

²⁰ Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, Even thick darkness that hath no brightness?

²¹ I have hated -- I have loathed your festivals, And I am not refreshed by your restraints.

²² For though ye cause burnt-offerings and your presents to ascend to Me, I am not pleased, And the peace-offering of your fatlings I behold not.

²³ Turn aside from Me the noise of thy songs, Yea, the praise of thy psaltery I hear not.

²⁴ And roll on as waters doth judgment, And righteousness as a perennial stream.

70 To the Overseer, by David. -- `To cause to remember.' O God, to deliver me, O Jehovah, for my help, haste.

² Let them be ashamed and confounded Who are seeking my soul, Let them be turned backward and blush Who are desiring my evil.

³ Let them turn back because of their shame, Who are saying, `Aha, aha.'

⁴ Let all those seeking Thee joy and be glad in Thee, And let those loving Thy salvation Say continually, `God is magnified.'

⁵ And I [am] poor and needy, O God, haste to me, My help and my deliverer [art] Thou, O Jehovah, tarry Thou not!

¹³ And I do not wish you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that ye may not sorrow, as also the rest who have not hope,

¹⁴ for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, so also God those asleep through Jesus he will bring with him,

¹⁵ for this to you we say in the word of the Lord, that we who are living -- who do remain over to the presence of the Lord -- may not precede those asleep,

¹⁶ because the Lord himself, in a shout, in the voice of a chief-messenger, and in the trump of God, shall come down from heaven, and the dead in Christ shall rise first,

¹⁷ then we who are living, who are remaining over, together with them shall be caught away in clouds to meet the Lord in air, and so always with the Lord we shall be;

¹⁸ so, then, comfort ye one another in these words.

25 `Then shall the reign of the heavens be likened to ten virgins, who, having taken their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom;

² and five of them were prudent, and five foolish;

³ they who were foolish having taken their lamps, did not take with themselves oil;

⁴ and the prudent took oil in their vessels, with their lamps.

⁵ `And the bridegroom tarrying, they all nodded and were sleeping,

⁶ and in the middle of the night a cry was made, Lo, the bridegroom doth come; go ye forth to meet him.

⁷ `Then rose all those virgins, and trimmed their lamps,

⁸ and the foolish said to the prudent, Give us of your oil, because our lamps are going out;

⁹ and the prudent answered, saying -- Lest there may not be sufficient for us and you, go ye rather unto those selling, and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰ `And while they are going away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those ready went in with him to the marriage-feasts, and the door was shut;

¹¹ and afterwards come also do the rest of the virgins, saying, Sir, sir, open to us;

¹² and he answering said, Verily I say to you, I have not known you.

¹³ `Watch therefore, for ye have not known the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man doth come.