Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
Psalm 139[a]
God’s Infinite Knowledge and Universal Power
1 For the director.[b] A psalm of David.
[c]O Lord, you have examined me
and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I stand;[d]
you perceive my thoughts from a distance.
3 You mark when I go out and when I lie down;
all my ways are open to you.
4 A word is not even on my tongue
and you, O Lord, are completely aware of it.
5 You enfold me from in front and from behind,
and you place your hand upon me.[e]
6 Your knowledge is beyond my comprehension,
far too sublime for me to attain.
13 [a]You created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
14 I praise you because I am wonderfully made;
awesome are your works,
as I know very well.
15 My body was not hidden from you
when I was being made in secret.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,
you saw me in the womb.[b]
16 [c]The sum total of my days
were all recorded in your book.[d]
My life was fashioned
before it had come into being.
17 How precious to me are your designs, O God!
How vast in number they are!
18 If I were to attempt to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand.
When I awake,[e]
I am still with you.
21 The Lord was gracious to Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Young Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.
22 Eli’s Warning Ignored. Now Eli was very old, and he heard about all the things that his sons were doing to the whole of Israel, how they lay with the woman who gathered at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 He said to them, “Why do you do these things? I have been hearing about your evil deeds from everyone. 24 No, my sons! It is an evil report that I hear among the Lord’s people. 25 If one man sins against another, then a judge will judge him. If a man sins against God, who will intercede for him?” But they would not listen to their father’s rebuke, for the Lord wanted to put them to death.[a]
Chapter 25
The Parable of the Ten Virgins.[a] 1 “Then[b] the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 When the foolish ones took their lamps, they neglected to take any oil with them, 4 whereas those who were wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 Since the bridegroom was delayed in coming, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight, a shout was raised: ‘Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ 7 Then all the virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 The wise ones replied, ‘No, for there may not be enough for both us and you. You had better go to the merchants and buy some.’
10 “While they went off to purchase it, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. Then the door was locked. 11 Afterward, the other virgins returned, and they cried out, ‘Lord! Lord! Open the door for us!’ 12 But he replied,‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
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