Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Review of Israel’s History
24 Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem(A) and summoned Israel’s elders, leaders, judges, and officers, and they presented themselves before God.(B) 2 Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah,(C) the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods. 3 But I took your father Abraham from the region beyond the Euphrates River, led him throughout the land of Canaan, and multiplied his descendants.(D) I gave him Isaac,(E)
The Covenant Renewal
14 “Therefore, fear the Lord and worship Him in sincerity and truth.(A) Get rid of the gods your fathers worshiped(B) beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt, and worship Yahweh. 15 But if it doesn’t please you to worship Yahweh, choose for yourselves today the one you will worship: the gods your fathers worshiped beyond the Euphrates River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living.(C) As for me and my family, we will worship Yahweh.”
16 The people replied, “We will certainly not abandon the Lord to worship other gods! 17 For the Lord our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery,(D) and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us all along the way we went and among all the peoples whose lands we traveled through. 18 The Lord drove out before us all the peoples, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will worship the Lord, because He is our God.”
19 But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship Yahweh, because He is a holy God. He is a jealous God;(E) He will not remove your transgressions and sins.(F) 20 If you abandon the Lord and worship foreign gods, He will turn against you, harm you, and completely destroy(G) you, after He has been good to you.”
21 “No!” the people answered Joshua. “We will worship the Lord.”
22 Joshua then told the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you yourselves have chosen to worship Yahweh.”
“We are witnesses,” they said.
23 “Then get rid of the foreign gods that are among you and offer your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.”
24 So the people said to Joshua, “We will worship the Lord our God and obey Him.”
25 On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people at Shechem and established a statute and ordinance for them.
Psalm 78
Lessons from Israel’s Past
A Maskil of Asaph.(A)
1 My people, hear my instruction;
listen to what I say.(B)
2 I will declare wise sayings;
I will speak mysteries from the past(C)—
3 things we have heard and known
and that our fathers have passed down to us.(D)
4 We must not hide them from their children,
but must tell a future generation
the praises of the Lord,
His might, and the wonderful works
He has performed.(E)
5 He established a testimony in Jacob
and set up a law in Israel,
which He commanded our fathers
to teach to their children(F)
6 so that a future generation—
children yet to be born—might know.
They were to rise and tell their children(G)
7 so that they might put their confidence in God
and not forget God’s works,
but keep His commands.(H)
The Comfort of Christ’s Coming
13 We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, concerning those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who have no hope.(A) 14 Since we believe that Jesus died and rose(B) again,(C) in the same way God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through[a] Jesus.(D) 15 For we say this to you by a revelation from the Lord:[b](E) We who are still alive at the Lord’s coming(F) will certainly have no advantage over[c] those who have fallen asleep.(G) 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,[d](H) with the archangel’s(I) voice, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ(J) will rise first. 17 Then(K) we who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds(L) to meet the Lord in the air and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage[e] one another with these words.
The Parable of the 10 Virgins
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like 10 virgins[a] who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.(A) 2 Five of them were foolish and five were sensible.(B) 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they didn’t take olive oil with them. 4 But the sensible ones took oil in their flasks with their lamps. 5 Since the groom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 “In the middle of the night there was a shout: ‘Here’s the groom! Come out to meet him.’
7 “Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 But the foolish ones said to the sensible ones, ‘Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.’
9 “The sensible ones answered, ‘No, there won’t be enough for us and for you. Go instead to those who sell, and buy oil for yourselves.’
10 “When they had gone to buy some, the groom arrived. Then those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut.(C)
11 “Later the rest of the virgins also came and said, ‘Master, master, open up for us!’
12 “But he replied, ‘I assure you: I do not know you!’
13 “Therefore be alert, because you don’t know either the day or the hour.[b]
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