Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
24 And Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called the elders of Israel, and their heads, and their judges, and their officers; and they presented themselves before God.
2 Then, Joshua said to all the people, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Your fathers—Terah, the father of Abraham, and the father of Nachor—dwelt beyond the river in old time and served other gods.
3 ‘And I took your father, Abraham, from beyond the river and brought him through all the land of Canaan and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac.
14 “Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in uprightness and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served beyond the river, and in Egypt. And serve the LORD.
15 “And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served (that were beyond the river) or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But I and my House will serve the LORD.”
16 Then the people answered and said, “May it never be that we should forsake the LORD, to serve other gods!
17 “For the LORD our God, He brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage; and he did those great miracles in our sight and preserved us in all the ways that we went and among all the people through whom we came!
18 “And the LORD cast all the people out before us, even the Amorites who dwelt in the land. We, also, will serve the LORD! For He is our God!”
19 And Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the LORD. For He is a Holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not pardon your iniquity or your sins.
20 “If you forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, then He will return and bring misery upon you, and consume you, after He has done you good.”
21 And the people said to Joshua, “No! But we will serve the LORD!”
22 And Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the LORD, to serve Him.” And they said, “Witnessed!”
23 “Then put away, now, the strange gods which are among you, and bow your hearts to the LORD God of Israel.”
24 And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and His Voice we will obey!”
25 So Joshua made a covenant with the people that same day and gave them an Ordinance and Law in Shechem.
78 Hear my doctrine, O my people. Incline your ears to the words of my mouth.
2 I will open my mouth in a parable. I will declare high sentences of old
3 which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children; but to the generation to come we will show the praise of the LORD, His power also, and His wonderful works that He has done.
5 How He established a testimony in Jacob and ordained a Law in Israel. Which He commanded our fathers that they should teach their children,
6 so that the posterity might know it and the children which should be born should stand up and declare it to their children.
7 So that they might set their hope on God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His Commandments.
13 Brothers, I would not have you be ignorant concerning those who are asleep, lest you mourn as others who have no hope.
14 For if we believe that Jesus is dead and is risen, so also will God bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
15 For we say this to you by the Word of the Lord: that we who live - and remain until the coming of the Lord - shall not precede those who sleep.
16 For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first.
17 Then shall we who live and remain be caught up with them also in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord.
18 Therefore, comfort one another with these words.
25 “Then the Kingdom of Heaven shall be likened to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 “And five of them were wise, and five foolish.
3 “The foolish took their lamps but took no oil with them.
4 “But the wise took oil in their flasks with their lamps.
5 “Now, while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.
6 “And at midnight there was a cry made, ‘Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him!’
7 “Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.
8 “And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil. For our lamps are out.’
9 “But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, for there will not be enough for us and you. Rather, go to the market and buy some for yourselves.
10 “And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And those who were ready went in with him to the wedding. And the gate was shut.
11 “Afterwards the other virgins also came, saying, ‘Lord! Lord! Open up for us!’
12 “But he answered, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’
13 “Therefore, watch. For you know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come.
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