Day 408 of 730

¹"Then the Kingdom of Heaven will be like ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went out to meet the bridegroom.

²Five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

³For the foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them,

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

⁵Now while the bridegroom delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶But at midnight there was a cry, 'Behold! The bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'

⁷Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

⁸The foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.'

⁹But the wise answered, saying, 'What if there is not enough for us and you? You go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.'

¹⁰While they went away to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut.

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

¹²But he answered, 'Truly I tell you, I do not know you.'

¹³Watch therefore, for you do not know the day nor the hour.

¹⁴"For it is like a man, going on a journey, who called his own servants, and entrusted his goods to them.

¹⁵To one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his own ability. Then he went on his journey.

¹⁶Immediately the one who received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents.

¹⁷In like manner he who got the two gained another two.

¹⁸But he who received the one went away and dug in the earth, and hid his lord's money.

¹⁹"Now after a long time the lord of those servants came, and reconciled accounts with them.

²⁰He who received the five talents came and brought another five talents, saying, 'Lord, you delivered to me five talents. Behold, I have gained another five talents.'

²¹"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

²²"He also who got the two talents came and said, 'Lord, you delivered to me two talents. Behold, I have gained another two talents.'

²³"His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a few things, I will set you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'

²⁴"He also who had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew you that you are a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter.

²⁵I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have what is yours.'

²⁶"But his lord answered him, 'You wicked and slothful servant. You knew that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter.

²⁷You ought therefore to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back my own with interest.

²⁸Take away therefore the talent from him, and give it to him who has the ten talents.

²⁹For to everyone who has will be given, and he will have abundance, but from him who does not have, even that which he has will be taken away.

³⁰Throw out the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

³¹"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory.

³²Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

³³He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

³⁴Then the King will tell those on his right hand, 'Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;

³⁵for I was hungry, and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.

³⁶I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you visited me. I was in prison, and you came to me.'

³⁷"Then the righteous will answer him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, and feed you; or thirsty, and give you a drink?

³⁸When did we see you as a stranger, and take you in; or naked, and clothe you?

³⁹When did we see you sick, or in prison, and come to you?'

⁴⁰"The King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

⁴¹Then he will say also to those on the left hand, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels;

⁴²for I was hungry, and you did not give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink;

⁴³I was a stranger, and you did not take me in; naked, and you did not clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit me.'

⁴⁴"Then they will also answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not help you?'

⁴⁵"Then he will answer them, saying, 'Truly I tell you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.'

⁴⁶These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

¹My heart is steadfast, God. I will sing and I will make music with my soul.

²Wake up, harp and lyre! I will wake up the dawn.

³I will give thanks to you, Lord, among the nations. I will sing praises to you among the peoples.

⁴For your loving kindness is great above the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.

⁵Be exalted, God, above the heavens! Let your glory be over all the earth.

⁶That your beloved may be delivered, save with your right hand, and answer us.

⁷God has spoken from his sanctuary: "In triumph, I will divide Shechem, and measure out the valley of Succoth.

⁸Gilead is mine. Manasseh is mine. Ephraim also is my helmet. Judah is my scepter.

⁹Moab is my wash pot. I will toss my sandal on Edom. I will shout over Philistia."

¹⁰Who will bring me into the fortified city? Who has led me to Edom?

¹¹Haven't you rejected us, God? You do not go forth, God, with our armies.

¹²Give us help against the enemy, for the help of man is vain.

¹³Through God, we will do valiantly. For it is he who will tread down our enemies.

¹My son, pay attention to my wisdom. Turn your ear to my understanding:

²that you may maintain discretion, that your lips may preserve knowledge.

³For the lips of an adulteress drip honey. Her mouth is smoother than oil,

⁴But in the end she is as bitter as wormwood, and as sharp as a two-edged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death. Her steps lead straight to Sheol.

⁶She gives no thought to the way of life. Her ways are crooked, and she doesn't know it.

⁷Now therefore, my sons, listen to me. Do not depart from the words of my mouth.

⁸Remove your way far from her. Do not come near the door of her house,

⁹lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one;

¹⁰lest strangers feast on your wealth, and your labors enrich another man's house.

¹¹You will groan at your latter end, when your flesh and your body are consumed,

¹²and say, "How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised reproof;

¹³neither have I obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor turned my ear to those who instructed me!

¹⁴I have come to the brink of utter ruin, in the midst of the gathered assembly."

¹⁵Drink water out of your own cistern, running water out of your own well.

¹⁶Should your springs overflow in the streets, streams of water in the public squares?

¹⁷Let them be for yourself alone, not for strangers with you.

¹⁸Let your spring be blessed. Rejoice in the wife of your youth.

¹⁹A loving doe and a graceful deer- let her breasts satisfy you at all times. Be captivated always with her love.

²⁰For why should you, my son, be captivated with an adulteress? Why embrace the bosom of another?

²¹For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord. He examines all his paths.

²²The evil deeds of the wicked ensnare him. The cords of his sin hold him firmly.

²³He will die for lack of instruction. In the greatness of his folly, he will go astray.