Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Day of the Lord Is Coming
18 How terrible it will be for you
who long for the day of the Lord!
Why do you want it to come?
That day will be dark, not light.
19 It will be like a man running away from a lion
only to meet a bear.
He enters his house and rests his hand on a wall
only to be bitten by a snake.
20 The day of the Lord will be dark, not light.
It will be very black.
There won’t be a ray of sunlight anywhere.
21 The Lord says,
“I hate your holy feasts.
I can’t stand them.
Your gatherings stink.
22 You bring me burnt offerings and grain offerings.
But I will not accept them.
You bring your best friendship offerings.
But I will not even look at them.
23 Take the noise of your songs away!
I will not listen to the music of your harps.
24 I want you to treat others fairly.
So let fair treatment roll on
just as a river does!
Always do what is right.
Let right living flow along
like a stream that never runs dry!
For the director of music. A prayer of David.
70 God, hurry and save me.
Lord, come quickly and help me.
2 Let those who are trying to kill me be put to shame.
Let them not be honored.
Let all those who want to destroy me
be turned back in shame.
3 Some people make fun of me.
Let them be turned back when their plans fail.
4 But let all those who seek you
be joyful and glad because of what you have done.
Let those who want you to save them always say,
“The Lord is great!”
5 But I am poor and needy.
God, come quickly to me.
You are the God who helps me and saves me.
Lord, please don’t wait any longer.
What Happens to Believers Who Have Died
13 Brothers and sisters, we want you to know what happens to those who die. We don’t want you to mourn, as other people do. They mourn because they don’t have any hope. 14 We believe that Jesus died and rose again. When he returns, many who believe in him will have died already. We believe that God will bring them back with Jesus. 15 This agrees with what the Lord has said. When the Lord comes, many of us will still be alive. We tell you that we will certainly not go up before those who have died. 16 The Lord himself will come down from heaven. We will hear a loud command. We will hear the voice of the leader of the angels. We will hear a blast from God’s trumpet. Many who believe in Christ will have died already. They will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them. We will be taken up in the clouds. We will meet the Lord in the air. And we will be with him forever. 18 So encourage one another with these words of comfort.
The Story of Ten Bridesmaids
25 “Here is what the kingdom of heaven will be like at that time. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went out to meet the groom. 2 Five of them were foolish. Five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but didn’t take any olive oil with them. 4 The wise ones took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The groom did not come for a long time. So the bridesmaids all grew tired and fell asleep.
6 “At midnight someone cried out, ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him!’
7 “Then all the bridesmaids woke up and got their lamps ready. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise ones, ‘Give us some of your oil. Our lamps are going out.’
9 “ ‘No,’ they replied. ‘There may not be enough for all of us. Instead, go to those who sell oil. Buy some for yourselves.’
10 “So they went to buy the oil. But while they were on their way, the groom arrived. The bridesmaids who were ready went in with him to the wedding dinner. Then the door was shut.
11 “Later, the other bridesmaids also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘What I’m about to tell you is true. I don’t know you.’
13 “So keep watch. You do not know the day or the hour that the groom will come.
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