Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

The Day of Yahweh

¹⁸ Alas, those who desire the day of Yahweh, why is this for you the day of Yahweh? It will be darkness and not light! ¹⁹ It will be as if a man fled from a lion and a bear met him; or he went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall and a snake bit him. ²⁰ Is not the day of Yahweh darkness and not light, and pitch dark with no brightness in it? ²¹ “I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your assemblies. ²² Yes, even if you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them, and I will not look at the fellowship offerings of your fattened animals. ²³ Remove from me the noise of your songs, and I do not want to hear the melody of your harps! ²⁴ But let justice roll on like the water, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

A Prayer for Deliverance from Enemies

For the music director. Of David. To bring to remembrance.^[a]

The Comfort of the Lord’s Return

¹³ Now we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep, so that you will not grieve as also the rest, who have no hope. ¹⁴ For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, thus also God will bring those who have fallen asleep through Jesus together with him. ¹⁵ For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive, who remain until the Lord’s coming, will not possibly precede those who have fallen asleep. ¹⁶ For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always. ¹⁸ Therefore comfort one another with these words.

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “Then the kingdom of heaven may be compared to ten virgins who took their lamps and^[a] went out to meet the bridegroom. ² Now five of them were foolish and five were wise. ³ For when^[b] the foolish ones took their lamps, they did not take olive oil with them. ⁴ But the wise ones took olive oil in flasks with their lamps. ⁵ And when^[c] the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.^{[d] 6} But in the middle of the night there was a shout, ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ ⁷ Then all those virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your olive oil, because our lamps are going out!’ ⁹ But the wise ones answered saying, “Certainly there will never be enough for us and for you! Go instead to those who sell olive oil^[e] and buy some^[f] for yourselves.’ ¹⁰ But while^[g] they had gone away to buy it^[h] the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went inside with him to the wedding celebration, and the door was shut. ¹¹ And later the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open the door^[i] for us!’ ¹² But he answered and^[j] said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you!’ ¹³ Therefore be on the alert, because you do not know the day or the hour!