Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

To the Overcomer, A Psalm of David.

¹ ¶ O LORD, thou hast searched me and known me.

² Thou knowest my sitting down and my rising up, thou dost understand my thoughts from afar.

³ Thou hast girded my walk and my rest, and hast prepared all my ways.

⁴ For the word is not even upon my tongue, and, behold, O LORD, thou dost know it altogether.

⁵ Thou hast formed my face and my insides and laid thine hand upon me.

⁶ Thy knowledge is wonderful beyond my ability to comprehend; it is high, I cannot understand it.

¹³ For thou hast possessed my kidneys: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvellous are thy works, and that, my soul knows right well.

¹⁵ My body was not hid from thee, even though I was made in secret and brought together in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance yet being imperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which were then formed, without lacking one of them.

¹⁷ ¶ Therefore, how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with thee.

²¹ And the LORD visited Hannah so that she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

²² Now Eli was very old and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel and how they lay with the women that served at the door of the tabernacle of the testimony.

²³ And he said unto them, Why do ye do such things? For I hear from all the people of your evil dealings.

²⁴ No, my sons, for it is no good report that I hear that ye cause the people of the LORD to transgress.

²⁵ If one man sins against another, the judges shall judge him, but if someone sins against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they did not hearken unto the voice of their father because the LORD had already decided to kill them.

25 ¶ Then shall the kingdom of the heavens be likened unto ten virgins who, taking their lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom.

² And five of them were prudent, and five were foolish.

³ Those that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them;

⁴ but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

⁵ While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶ And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes; go ye out to meet him.

⁷ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

⁸ And the foolish said unto the prudent, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are going out.

⁹ But the prudent answered, saying, Lest there be not enough for us and you, but go ye rather to them that sell and buy for yourselves.

¹⁰ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and those that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.

¹¹ Afterward the other virgins also came, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

¹² But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

¹³ Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.