Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

Deborah, Barak and Yael

4 But Bnei-Yisrael again did what was evil in Adonai’s eyes after Ehud had died. ² So Adonai sold them over into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor. His army commander was Sisera, who lived in Harosheth-ha-goyim^[a]. ³ So Bnei-Yisrael cried out to Adonai, for he had 900 iron chariots, and had harshly oppressed Bnei-Yisrael for 20 years.

⁴ Now Deborah, a woman who was a prophetess, the wife of Lappidoth, was judging Israel at that time. ⁵ She used to sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and Bnei-Yisrael came up to her for judgment. ⁶ Now she sent and summoned Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, and said to him, “Hasn’t Adonai, God of Israel, commanded, ‘Go, march to Mount Tabor, and take with you 10,000 men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun? ⁷ Then at the Kishon torrent, I will draw out to you Sisera, commander of Jabin’s army with his chariots and his multitude, and I will give him into your hand.’”

Be Gracious to Your Servants

Psalm 123

Keep Watch for the Day of the Lord

5 Now concerning the times and seasons,^[a] brothers and sisters, you have no need for anything to be written to you. ² For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord^[b] comes like a thief in the night. ³ When they are saying, “Shalom and safety,”^[c] sudden destruction comes upon them like a woman having birth pains in the womb—there is no way they will escape. ⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in the dark, so that the Day might overtake you like a thief. ^{[d] 5} For you all are sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night or of darkness— ⁶ so then, let us not sleep as the others do, but let us remain on the alert and sober-minded. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night; and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we are of the day, let us be sober-minded—putting on the breastplate of faithfulness and love, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ^{[e] 9} For God did not destine us for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. ¹⁰ He died for us so that, whether we may be awake or asleep,^[f] we may live together with Him. ¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up—just as you in fact are doing.

Parable of the Talents

¹⁴ “For it is like a man about to go on a journey. He called his own servants and handed over his possessions to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five talents,^[a] to another two, and to another one, each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

¹⁶ “Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five more. ¹⁷ In the same way, the one with two gained two more. ¹⁸ But the one who received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

¹⁹ “Now after a long time, the master of those servants came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰ The one who had received the five talents came up and brought another five talents, saying, ‘Master, you handed me five talents. Look, I’ve gained five more.’ ²¹ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’

²² “The one who had received the two talents also came up and said, ‘Master, you handed me two talents. Look, I’ve gained two more.’ ²³ His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful with a little, so I’ll put you in charge of much. Enter into your master’s joy!’

²⁴ “Then the one who had received the one talent also came up and said, ‘Master, I knew that you are a hard man, reaping where you didn’t sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. ²⁵ So I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.’

²⁶ “But his master responded, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! You knew that I reap where I didn’t sow and gather where I scattered no seed? ²⁷ Then you should have brought my money to the brokers, and when I came I would have received it back with interest. ²⁸ Therefore take the talent away from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents. ²⁹ For to the one who has, more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance. But from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. ³⁰ Throw the worthless servant out, into the outer darkness where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”