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Wicked Rulers and Prophets

3And I said:
Listen, you heads of Jacob
   and rulers of the house of Israel!
Should you not know justice?—
²   you who hate the good and love the evil,
who tear the skin off my people,^*
   and the flesh off their bones;
³ who eat the flesh of my people,
   flay their skin off them,
break their bones in pieces,
   and chop them up like meat^* in a kettle,
   like flesh in a cauldron.

⁴ Then they will cry to the Lord,
   but he will not answer them;
he will hide his face from them at that time,
   because they have acted wickedly.

⁵ Thus says the Lord concerning the prophets
   who lead my people astray,
who cry ‘Peace’
   when they have something to eat,
but declare war against those
   who put nothing into their mouths.
⁶ Therefore it shall be night to you, without vision,
   and darkness to you, without revelation.
The sun shall go down upon the prophets,
   and the day shall be black over them;
⁷ the seers shall be disgraced,
   and the diviners put to shame;
they shall all cover their lips,
   for there is no answer from God.
⁸ But as for me, I am filled with power,
   with the spirit of the Lord,
   and with justice and might,
to declare to Jacob his transgression
   and to Israel his sin.

⁹ Hear this, you rulers of the house of Jacob
   and chiefs of the house of Israel,
who abhor justice
   and pervert all equity,
¹⁰ who build Zion with blood
   and Jerusalem with wrong!
¹¹ Its rulers give judgement for a bribe,
   its priests teach for a price,
   its prophets give oracles for money;
yet they lean upon the Lord and say,
   ‘Surely the Lord is with us!
   No harm shall come upon us.’
¹² Therefore because of you
   Zion shall be ploughed as a field;
Jerusalem shall become a heap of ruins,
   and the mountain of the house a wooded height.

¹⁴⁵ With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord.
   I will keep your statutes.
¹⁴⁶ I cry to you; save me,
   that I may observe your decrees.
¹⁴⁷ I rise before dawn and cry for help;
   I put my hope in your words.
¹⁴⁸ My eyes are awake before each watch of the night,
   that I may meditate on your promise.
¹⁴⁹ In your steadfast love hear my voice;
   O Lord, in your justice preserve my life.
¹⁵⁰ Those who persecute me with evil purpose draw near;
   they are far from your law.
¹⁵¹ Yet you are near, O Lord,
   and all your commandments are true.
¹⁵² Long ago I learned from your decrees
   that you have established them for ever.

¹⁵³ Look on my misery and rescue me,
   for I do not forget your law.
¹⁵⁴ Plead my cause and redeem me;
   give me life according to your promise.
¹⁵⁵ Salvation is far from the wicked,
   for they do not seek your statutes.
¹⁵⁶ Great is your mercy, O Lord;
   give me life according to your justice.
¹⁵⁷ Many are my persecutors and my adversaries,
   yet I do not swerve from your decrees.
¹⁵⁸ I look at the faithless with disgust,
   because they do not keep your commands.
¹⁵⁹ Consider how I love your precepts;
   preserve my life according to your steadfast love.
¹⁶⁰ The sum of your word is truth;
   and every one of your righteous ordinances endures for ever.

¹⁶¹ Princes persecute me without cause,
   but my heart stands in awe of your words.
¹⁶² I rejoice at your word
   like one who finds great spoil.
¹⁶³ I hate and abhor falsehood,
   but I love your law.
¹⁶⁴ Seven times a day I praise you
   for your righteous ordinances.
¹⁶⁵ Great peace have those who love your law;
   nothing can make them stumble.
¹⁶⁶ I hope for your salvation, O Lord,
   and I fulfil your commandments.
¹⁶⁷ My soul keeps your decrees;
   I love them exceedingly.
¹⁶⁸ I keep your precepts and decrees,
   for all my ways are before you.

¹⁶⁹ Let my cry come before you, O Lord;
   give me understanding according to your word.
¹⁷⁰ Let my supplication come before you;
   deliver me according to your promise.
¹⁷¹ My lips will pour forth praise,
   because you teach me your statutes.
¹⁷² My tongue will sing of your promise,
   for all your commandments are right.
¹⁷³ Let your hand be ready to help me,
   for I have chosen your precepts.
¹⁷⁴ I long for your salvation, O Lord,
   and your law is my delight.
¹⁷⁵ Let me live that I may praise you,
   and let your ordinances help me.
¹⁷⁶ I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant,
   for I do not forget your commandments.

The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids

25‘Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids^* took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom.^{* 2}Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. ³When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; ⁴but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. ⁵As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, “Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.” ⁷Then all those bridesmaids^* got up 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 replied, “No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.” ¹⁰And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. ¹¹Later the other bridesmaids^* came also, saying, “Lord, lord, open to us.” ¹²But he replied, “Truly I tell you, I do not know you.” ¹³Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.^*

The Parable of the Talents

14 ‘For it is as if a man, going on a journey, summoned his slaves and entrusted his property to them; ¹⁵to one he gave five talents,^* to another two, to another one, to each according to his ability. Then he went away. ¹⁶The one who had received the five talents went off at once and traded with them, and made five more talents. ¹⁷In the same way, the one who had the two talents made two more talents. ¹⁸But the one who had received the one talent went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. ¹⁹After a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. ²⁰Then the one who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five more talents, saying, “Master, you handed over to me five talents; see, I have made five more talents.” ²¹His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” ²²And the one with the two talents also came forward, saying, “Master, you handed over to me two talents; see, I have made two more talents.” ²³His master said to him, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” ²⁴Then the one who had received the one talent also came forward, saying, “Master, I knew that you were a harsh man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed; ²⁵so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours.” ²⁶But his master replied, “You wicked and lazy slave! You knew, did you, that I reap where I did not sow, and gather where I did not scatter? ²⁷Then you ought to have invested my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received what was my own with interest. ²⁸So take the talent from him, and give it to the one with the ten talents. ²⁹For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. ³⁰As for this worthless slave, throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

The Judgement of the Nations

31 ‘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. ³²All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, ³³and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. ³⁴Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; ³⁵for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, ³⁶I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” ³⁷Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? ³⁸And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? ³⁹And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” ⁴⁰And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,^* you did it to me.” ⁴¹Then he will say to those at his left hand, “You that are accursed, depart from me into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; ⁴²for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, ⁴³I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not give me clothing, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” ⁴⁴Then they also will answer, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not take care of you?” ⁴⁵Then he will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.” ⁴⁶And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’