12The Lord said to Moses, "Go up this mountain of the Abarim range, and see the land that I have given to the Israelites.13When you have seen it, you also shall be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was,14because you rebelled against my word in the wilderness of Zin when the congregation quarreled with me. You did not show my holiness before their eyes at the waters." (These are the waters of Meribah of Kadesh in the wilderness of Zin.)
15Moses spoke to the Lord, saying,16"Let the Lord, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint someone over the congregation17who shall go out before them and come in before them, who shall lead them out and bring them in, so that the congregation of the Lord may not be like sheep without a shepherd."18So the Lord said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand upon him;19have him stand before Eleazar the priest and all the congregation, and commission him in their sight.20You shall give him some of your authority, so that all the congregation of the Israelites may obey.21But he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the decision of the Urim before the Lord; at his word they shall go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the Israelites with him, the whole congregation."22So Moses did as the Lord commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole congregation;23he laid his hands on him and commissioned him—as the Lord had directed through Moses.
11God did extraordinary miracles through Paul,12so that when the handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his skin were brought to the sick, their diseases left them, and the evil spirits came out of them.
13Then some itinerant Jewish exorcists tried to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul proclaims."14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Sceva were doing this.15But the evil spirit said to them in reply, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?"16Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, mastered them all, and so overpowered them that they fled out of the house naked and wounded.17When this became known to all residents of Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks, everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised.18Also many of those who became believers confessed and disclosed their practices.19A number of those who practiced magic collected their books and burned them publicly; when the value of these books was calculated, it was found to come to fifty thousand silver coins.20So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
1Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God,15and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."16As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen.17And Jesus said to them, "Follow me and I will make you fish for people."18And immediately they left their nets and followed him.19As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets.20Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him.
1Now the Reubenites and the Gadites owned a very great number of cattle. When they saw that the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead was a good place for cattle,2the Gadites and the Reubenites came and spoke to Moses, to Eleazar the priest, and to the leaders of the congregation, saying,3"Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon—4the land that the Lord subdued before the congregation of Israel—is a land for cattle; and your servants have cattle."5They continued, "If we have found favor in your sight, let this land be given to your servants for a possession; do not make us cross the Jordan."6But Moses said to the Gadites and to the Reubenites, "Shall your brothers go to war while you sit here?
16Then they came up to him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks, and towns for our little ones,17but we will take up arms as a vanguard before the Israelites, until we have brought them to their place. Meanwhile our little ones will stay in the fortified towns because of the inhabitants of the land.18We will not return to our homes until all the Israelites have obtained their inheritance.19We will not inherit with them on the other side of the Jordan and beyond, because our inheritance has come to us on this side of the Jordan to the east."20So Moses said to them, "If you do this—if you take up arms to go before the Lord for the war,21and all those of you who bear arms cross the Jordan before the Lord, until he has driven out his enemies from before him22and the land is subdued before the Lord—then after that you may return and be free of obligation to the Lord and to Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the Lord.23But if you do not do this, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.24Build towns for your little ones, and folds for your flocks; but do what you have promised."25Then the Gadites and the Reubenites said to Moses, "Your servants will do as my lord commands.26Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our livestock shall remain there in the towns of Gilead;27but your servants will cross over, everyone armed for war, to do battle for the Lord, just as my lord orders."
26Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.27And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.28We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.
29For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family.30And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
1Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples,2"The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat;3therefore, do whatever they teach you and follow it; but do not do as they do, for they do not practice what they teach.4They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on the shoulders of others; but they themselves are unwilling to lift a finger to move them.5They do all their deeds to be seen by others; for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long.6They love to have the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues,7and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and to have people call them rabbi.8But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all students.9And call no one your father on earth, for you have one Father—the one in heaven.10Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Messiah.11The greatest among you will be your servant.12All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.
1In the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho, the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:2Command the Israelites to give, from the inheritance that they possess, towns for the Levites to live in; you shall also give to the Levites pasture lands surrounding the towns.3The towns shall be theirs to live in, and their pasture lands shall be for their cattle, for their livestock, and for all their animals.
9The Lord spoke to Moses, saying:10Speak to the Israelites, and say to them: When you cross the Jordan into the land of Canaan,11then you shall select cities to be cities of refuge for you, so that a slayer who kills a person without intent may flee there.12The cities shall be for you a refuge from the avenger, so that the slayer may not die until there is a trial before the congregation.13The cities that you designate shall be six cities of refuge for you:14you shall designate three cities beyond the Jordan, and three cities in the land of Canaan, to be cities of refuge.15These six cities shall serve as refuge for the Israelites, for the resident or transient alien among them, so that anyone who kills a person without intent may flee there.30If anyone kills another, the murderer shall be put to death on the evidence of witnesses; but no one shall be put to death on the testimony of a single witness.31Moreover you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer who is subject to the death penalty; a murderer must be put to death.32Nor shall you accept ransom for one who has fled to a city of refuge, enabling the fugitive to return to live in the land before the death of the high priest.33You shall not pollute the land in which you live; for blood pollutes the land, and no expiation can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed in it, except by the blood of the one who shed it.34You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell; for I the Lord dwell among the Israelites.
31What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?32He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else?33Who will bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.34Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us.35Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?36As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered."37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.38For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,39nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
13"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them.15Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.16"Woe to you, blind guides, who say, 'Whoever swears by the sanctuary is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the sanctuary is bound by the oath.'17You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the sanctuary that has made the gold sacred?18And you say, 'Whoever swears by the altar is bound by nothing, but whoever swears by the gift that is on the altar is bound by the oath.'19How blind you are! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that makes the gift sacred?20So whoever swears by the altar, swears by it and by everything on it;21and whoever swears by the sanctuary, swears by it and by the one who dwells in it;22and whoever swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God and by the one who is seated upon it.23"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. It is these you ought to have practiced without neglecting the others.24You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel!25"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.26You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside also may become clean.
1These are the words that Moses spoke to all Israel beyond the Jordan—in the wilderness, on the plain opposite Suph, between Paran and Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Di-zahab.2(By the way of Mount Seir it takes eleven days to reach Kadesh-barnea from Horeb.)3In the fortieth year, on the first day of the eleventh month, Moses spoke to the Israelites just as the Lord had commanded him to speak to them.4This was after he had defeated King Sihon of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, and King Og of Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei.5Beyond the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law as follows:6The Lord our God spoke to us at Horeb, saying, "You have stayed long enough at this mountain.7Resume your journey, and go into the hill country of the Amorites as well as into the neighboring regions—the Arabah, the hill country, the Shephelah, the Negeb, and the seacoast—the land of the Canaanites and the Lebanon, as far as the great river, the river Euphrates.8See, I have set the land before you; go in and take possession of the land that I swore to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them and to their descendants after them."
9At that time I said to you, "I am unable by myself to bear you.10The Lord your God has multiplied you, so that today you are as numerous as the stars of heaven.11May the Lord, the God of your ancestors, increase you a thousand times more and bless you, as he has promised you!12But how can I bear the heavy burden of your disputes all by myself?13Choose for each of your tribes individuals who are wise, discerning, and reputable to be your leaders."14You answered me, "The plan you have proposed is a good one."15So I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and reputable individuals, and installed them as leaders over you, commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, commanders of tens, and officials, throughout your tribes.16I charged your judges at that time: "Give the members of your community a fair hearing, and judge rightly between one person and another, whether citizen or resident alien.17You must not be partial in judging: hear out the small and the great alike; you shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. Any case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it."18So I charged you at that time with all the things that you should do.
1I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience confirms it by the Holy Spirit—2I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.3For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my own people, my kindred according to the flesh.4They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises;5to them belong the patriarchs, and from them, according to the flesh, comes the Messiah, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
6It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all Israelites truly belong to Israel,7and not all of Abraham's children are his true descendants; but "It is through Isaac that descendants shall be named for you."8This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as descendants.9For this is what the promise said, "About this time I will return and Sarah shall have a son."10Nor is that all; something similar happened to Rebecca when she had conceived children by one husband, our ancestor Isaac.11Even before they had been born or had done anything good or bad (so that God's purpose of election might continue,12not by works but by his call) she was told, "The elder shall serve the younger."13As it is written, "I have loved Jacob, but I have hated Esau."
14What then are we to say? Is there injustice on God's part? By no means!15For he says to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."16So it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.17For the scripture says to Pharaoh, "I have raised you up for the very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth."18So then he has mercy on whomever he chooses, and he hardens the heart of whomever he chooses.
27"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs, which on the outside look beautiful, but inside they are full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth.28So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.29"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous,30and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.'31Thus you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets.32Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors.33You snakes, you brood of vipers! How can you escape being sentenced to hell?
34Therefore I send you prophets, sages, and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town,35so that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.36Truly I tell you, all this will come upon this generation.37"Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!38See, your house is left to you, desolate.39For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord.'"
18At that time, I charged you as follows: "Although the Lord your God has given you this land to occupy, all your troops shall cross over armed as the vanguard of your Israelite kin.19Only your wives, your children, and your livestock—I know that you have much livestock—shall stay behind in the towns that I have given to you.20When the Lord gives rest to your kindred, as to you, and they too have occupied the land that the Lord your God is giving them beyond the Jordan, then each of you may return to the property that I have given to you."
21And I charged Joshua as well at that time, saying: "Your own eyes have seen everything that the Lord your God has done to these two kings; so the Lord will do to all the kingdoms into which you are about to cross.22Do not fear them, for it is the Lord your God who fights for you."23At that time, too, I entreated the Lord, saying:24"O Lord God, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your might; what god in heaven or on earth can perform deeds and mighty acts like yours!25Let me cross over to see the good land beyond the Jordan, that good hill country and the Lebanon."26But the Lord was angry with me on your account and would not heed me. The Lord said to me, "Enough from you! Never speak to me of this matter again!27Go up to the top of Pisgah and look around you to the west, to the north, to the south, and to the east. Look well, for you shall not cross over this Jordan.28But charge Joshua, and encourage and strengthen him, because it is he who shall cross over at the head of this people and who shall secure their possession of the land that you will see."
19You will say to me then, "Why then does he still find fault? For who can resist his will?"20But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, "Why have you made me like this?"21Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use?22What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath that are made for destruction;23and what if he has done so in order to make known the riches of his glory for the objects of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—24including us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles?
25As indeed he says in Hosea, "Those who were not my people I will call 'my people,' and her who was not beloved I will call 'beloved.'"26"And in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' there they shall be called children of the living God."27And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel, "Though the number of the children of Israel were like the sand of the sea, only a remnant of them will be saved;28for the Lord will execute his sentence on the earth quickly and decisively."29And as Isaiah predicted, "If the Lord of hosts had not left survivors to us, we would have fared like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah."
30What then are we to say? Gentiles, who did not strive for righteousness, have attained it, that is, righteousness through faith;31but Israel, who did strive for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law.32Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone,33as it is written, "See, I am laying in Zion a stone that will make people stumble, a rock that will make them fall, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame."
1As Jesus came out of the temple and was going away, his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple.2Then he asked them, "You see all these, do you not? Truly I tell you, not one stone will be left here upon another; all will be thrown down."3When he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will this be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4Jesus answered them, "Beware that no one leads you astray.5For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Messiah!' and they will lead many astray.6And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, but the end is not yet.7For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places:8all this is but the beginning of the birthpangs.9"Then they will hand you over to be tortured and will put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of my name.10Then many will fall away, and they will betray one another and hate one another.11And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.12And because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of many will grow cold.13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.14And this good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the world, as a testimony to all the nations; and then the end will come.
7Then Moses summoned Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel: "Be strong and bold, for you are the one who will go with this people into the land that the Lord has sworn to their ancestors to give them; and you will put them in possession of it.8It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed."
9Then Moses wrote down this law, and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.10Moses commanded them: "Every seventh year, in the scheduled year of remission, during the festival of booths,11when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.12Assemble the people—men, women, and children, as well as the aliens residing in your towns—so that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God and to observe diligently all the words of this law,13and so that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are crossing over the Jordan to possess."24When Moses had finished writing down in a book the words of this law to the very end,25Moses commanded the Levites who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,26"Take this book of the law and put it beside the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God; let it remain there as a witness against you.27For I know well how rebellious and stubborn you are. If you already have been so rebellious toward the Lord while I am still alive among you, how much more after my death!28Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes and your officials, so that I may recite these words in their hearing and call heaven and earth to witness against them.29For I know that after my death you will surely act corruptly, turning aside from the way that I have commanded you. In time to come trouble will befall you, because you will do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger through the work of your hands."30Then Moses recited the words of this song, to the very end, in the hearing of the whole assembly of Israel:
32Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth.2May my teaching drop like the rain, my speech condense like the dew; like gentle rain on grass, like showers on new growth.3For I will proclaim the name of the Lord; ascribe greatness to our God!4The Rock, his work is perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God, without deceit, just and upright is he;
1Brothers and sisters, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.2I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened.3For, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own, they have not submitted to God's righteousness.4For Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.5Moses writes concerning the righteousness that comes from the law, that "the person who does these things will live by them."6But the righteousness that comes from faith says, "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down)7"or 'Who will descend into the abyss?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).8But what does it say? "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart" (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim);9because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.11The scripture says, "No one who believes in him will be put to shame."
12For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.13For, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved."
15"So when you see the desolating sacrilege standing in the holy place, as was spoken of by the prophet Daniel (let the reader understand),16then those in Judea must flee to the mountains;17the one on the housetop must not go down to take what is in the house;18the one in the field must not turn back to get a coat.19Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing infants in those days!20Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a sabbath.21For at that time there will be great suffering, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.22And if those days had not been cut short, no one would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.23Then if anyone says to you, 'Look! Here is the Messiah!' or 'There he is!' —do not believe it.24For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and produce great signs and omens, to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.25Take note, I have told you beforehand.26So, if they say to you, 'Look! He is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look! He is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.27For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.29"Immediately after the suffering of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.30Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see 'the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven' with power and great glory.31And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
1Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the Lord showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan,2all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,3the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar.4The Lord said to him, "This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'I will give it to your descendants'; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there."
5Then Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, at the Lord's command.6He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day.7Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated.8The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended.
9Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses.10Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.11He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land,12and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.
14But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?15And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"16But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?"17So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.18But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have; for "Their voice has gone out to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world."19Again I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says, "I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation; with a foolish nation I will make you angry."20Then Isaiah is so bold as to say, "I have been found by those who did not seek me; I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me."21But of Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people."
A reading from the Gospel according to Matthew 24:32-51
32"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near.33So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.34Truly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place.35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.36"But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.37For as the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.38For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark,39and they knew nothing until the flood came and swept them all away, so too will be the coming of the Son of Man.40Then two will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left.41Two women will be grinding meal together; one will be taken and one will be left.42Keep awake therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.43But understand this: if the owner of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.44Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.45"Who then is the faithful and wise slave, whom his master has put in charge of his household, to give the other slaves their allowance of food at the proper time?46Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives.47Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions.48But if that wicked slave says to himself, 'My master is delayed,'49and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and eats and drinks with drunkards,50the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know.51He will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.