Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
Deborah and Barak
4 Then (A)the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, after Ehud died. 2 So the Lord sold them into the hand of (B)Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor; and the commander of his army was Sisera, who lived in (C)Harosheth-hagoyim. 3 The sons of Israel cried out to the Lord; for he had nine hundred (D)iron chariots, and he oppressed the sons of Israel severely for twenty years.
4 Now Deborah, a [a]prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. 5 She used to [b]sit under the (E)palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim; and the sons of Israel went up to her for judgment. 6 Now she sent word and summoned (F)Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh-naphtali, and said to him, “[c]The Lord, the God of Israel, has indeed commanded, ‘Go and march to Mount Tabor, and take with you ten thousand men from the sons of Naphtali and from the sons of Zebulun. 7 I will draw out to you Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his [d]many troops to the river Kishon, and (G)I will hand him over to you.’”
Prayer for the Lord’s Help.
A Song of Ascents.
The Day of the Lord
5 Now as to the (A)periods and [a]times, brothers and sisters, you (B)have no need of anything to be written to you. 2 For you yourselves know full well that (C)the day of the Lord is coming (D)just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, “(E)Peace and safety!” then (F)sudden destruction [b]will come upon them like (G)labor pains upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brothers and sisters, are not in (H)darkness, so that the day would overtake you [c](I)like a thief; 5 for you are all (J)sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of (K)darkness; 6 so then, let’s not (L)sleep as [d](M)others do, but let’s be alert and [e](N)sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who are drunk, (O)get drunk at night. 8 But since (P)we are of the day, let’s (Q)be [f]sober, having put on the (R)breastplate of (S)faith and love, and as a (T)helmet, the (U)hope of salvation. 9 For God has not destined us for (V)wrath, but for (W)obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 (X)who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him. 11 Therefore, [g]encourage one another and (Y)build one another up, just as you also are doing.
Parable of the Talents
14 “(A)For it is just like a man (B)about to go on a journey, who called his own slaves and entrusted his possessions to them. 15 To one he gave five [a](C)talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he (D)went on his journey. 16 The one who had received the five (E)talents immediately went and did business with them, and earned five more talents. 17 In the same way the one who had received the two talents earned two more. 18 But he who received the one talent went away and dug a hole in the ground, and hid his [b]master’s money.
19 “Now after a long time the master of those slaves *came and *(F)settled accounts with them. 20 The one who had received the five (G)talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, ‘Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have earned five more talents.’ 21 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and (H)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will (I)put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your [c]master.’
22 “Also the one who had received the two (J)talents came up and said, ‘Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have earned two more talents.’ 23 His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and (K)faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter the joy of your master.’
24 “Now the one who had received the one (L)talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed. 25 And I was afraid, so I went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you still have what is yours.’
26 “But his master answered and said to him, ‘You [d]worthless, lazy slave! Did you know that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter seed? 27 Then you ought to have [e]put my money in the bank, and [f]on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 Therefore: take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.’
29 “(M)For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 And throw the worthless slave into (N)the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
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