Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
12 “It will come about at that time
That I will (A)search Jerusalem with lamps,
And I will punish the men
Who are [a](B)stagnant in spirit,
Who say in their hearts,
‘The Lord will (C)not do good or evil!’
13 “Moreover, their wealth will become (D)plunder
And their houses desolate;
Yes, (E)they will build houses but not inhabit them,
And plant vineyards but not drink their wine.”
14 Near is the (F)great (G)day of the Lord,
Near and coming very quickly;
Listen, the day of the Lord!
[b]In it the warrior (H)cries out bitterly.
15 A day of wrath is that day,
A day of (I)trouble and distress,
A day of destruction and desolation,
A day of (J)darkness and gloom,
A day of clouds and thick darkness,
16 A day of (K)trumpet and battle cry
Against the (L)fortified cities
And the high corner towers.
17 I will bring (M)distress on men
So that they will walk (N)like the blind,
Because they have sinned against the Lord;
And their (O)blood will be poured out like dust
And their (P)flesh like dung.
18 Neither their (Q)silver nor their gold
Will be able to deliver them
On the day of the Lord’s wrath;
And (R)all the earth will be devoured
In the fire of His jealousy,
For He will (S)make a complete end,
Indeed a terrifying one,
Of all the inhabitants of the earth.
BOOK 4
God’s Eternity and Man’s Transitoriness.
A Prayer of [a]Moses, the man of God.
90 Lord, You have been our [b](A)dwelling place in all generations.
2 Before (B)the mountains were born
[c]Or You (C)gave birth to the earth and the world,
Even (D)from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.
3 You (E)turn man back into dust
And say, “Return, O children of men.”
4 For (F)a thousand years in Your sight
Are like (G)yesterday when it passes by,
[d]Or as a (H)watch in the night.
5 You (I)have [e]swept them away like a flood, they [f](J)fall asleep;
In the morning they are like (K)grass which [g]sprouts anew.
6 In the morning it (L)flourishes and [h]sprouts anew;
Toward evening it (M)fades and (N)withers away.
9 For (A)all our days have declined in Your fury;
We have finished our years like a [a]sigh.
10 As for the days of our [b]life, [c]they contain seventy years,
Or if due to strength, (B)eighty years,
Yet their pride is but (C)labor and sorrow;
For soon it is gone and we (D)fly away.
11 Who [d]understands the (E)power of Your anger
And Your fury, according to the (F)fear [e]that is due You?
The Day of the Lord
5 Now as to the (A)times and the epochs, brethren, you (B)have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that (C)the day of the Lord [a]will come (D)just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “(E)Peace and safety!” then [b](F)destruction [c]will come upon them suddenly like (G)labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in (H)darkness, that the day would overtake you [d](I)like a thief; 5 for you are all (J)sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of (K)darkness; 6 so then let us not (L)sleep as [e](M)others do, but let us be alert and [f](N)sober. 7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get (O)drunk at night. 8 But since (P)we are of the day, let us (Q)be [g]sober, having put on the (R)breastplate of (S)faith and love, and as a (T)helmet, the (U)hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for (V)wrath, but for (W)obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 (X)who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore [h]encourage one another and (Y)build up one another, just as you also are doing.
Parable of the Talents
14 “(A)For it is just like a man (B)about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five [a](C)talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he (D)went on his journey. 16 Immediately the one who had received the five (E)talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his [b]master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *(F)settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five (G)talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and (H)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will (I)put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your [c]master.’
22 “Also the one who had received the two (J)talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and (K)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.’
24 “And the one also who had received the one (L)talent came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’
26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You wicked, lazy slave, you knew that I reap where I did not sow and gather where I scattered no seed. 27 Then you ought to have put my money [d]in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29 “(M)For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 Throw out the worthless slave into (N)the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.