¹The vision of Isaiah son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

²     Hear, O heavens, and listen, O earth;
          for the LORD has spoken:
     I reared children and brought them up,
          but they have rebelled against me.
³     The ox knows its owner,
          and the donkey its master's crib;
     but Israel does not know,
          my people do not understand.

⁴     Ah, sinful nation,
          people laden with iniquity,
     offspring who do evil,
          children who deal corruptly,
     who have forsaken the LORD,
          who have despised the Holy One of Israel,
          who are utterly estranged!

⁵     Why do you seek further beatings?
          Why do you continue to rebel?
     The whole head is sick,
          and the whole heart faint.
⁶     From the sole of the foot even to the head,
          there is no soundness in it,
     but bruises and sores
          and bleeding wounds;
     they have not been drained, or bound up,
          or softened with oil.

⁷     Your country lies desolate,
          your cities are burned with fire;
     in your very presence
          aliens devour your land;
          it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
⁸     And daughter Zion is left
          like a booth in a vineyard,
     like a shelter in a cucumber field,
          like a besieged city.
⁹     If the LORD of hosts
          had not left us a few survivors,
     we would have been like Sodom,
          and become like Gomorrah.

¹This is now, beloved, the second letter I am writing to you; in them I am trying to arouse your sincere intention by reminding you ²that you should remember the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior spoken through your apostles. ³First of all you must understand this, that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and indulging their own lusts ⁴and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since our ancestors died, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation!" ⁵They deliberately ignore this fact, that by the word of God heavens existed long ago and an earth was formed out of water and by means of water, ⁶through which the world of that time was deluged with water and perished. ⁷But by the same word the present heavens and earth have been reserved for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the godless. ⁸But do not ignore this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day. ⁹The Lord is not slow about his promise, as some think of slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance. ¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fire, and the earth and everything that is done on it will be disclosed.

¹"Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. ²Five 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."