Open Word

Semicontinuous (Track 1)

FIRST READING

Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25

Verse 1. Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges, and officers of Israel, and they presented themselves before God. Verse 2. And Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your fathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates and worshiped other gods. Verse 3. But I took your father Abraham from beyond the Euphrates and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I multiplied his descendants. Verse 14. Now, therefore, fear the LORD and serve Him in sincerity and truth; cast aside the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. Verse 15. But if it is unpleasing in your sight to serve the LORD, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living. As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD!” Verse 16. The people replied, “Far be it from us to forsake the LORD to serve other gods! Verse 17. For the LORD our God brought us and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and performed these great signs before our eyes. He also protected us throughout our journey and among all the nations through which we traveled. Verse 18. And the LORD drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites who lived in the land. We too will serve the LORD, because He is our God!” Verse 19. But Joshua said to the people, “You are not able to serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your rebellion or your sins. Verse 20. If you forsake the LORD and serve foreign gods, He will turn and bring disaster on you and consume you, even after He has been good to you.” Verse 21. “No!” replied the people. “We will serve the LORD!” Verse 22. Then Joshua told them, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen to serve the LORD.” “We are witnesses!” they said. Verse 23. “Now, therefore,” he said, “get rid of the foreign gods among you and incline your hearts to the LORD, the God of Israel.” Verse 24. So the people said to Joshua, “We will serve the LORD our God and obey His voice.” Verse 25. On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.

PSALM

Psalm 78:1-7

A Maskil of Asaph. Give ear, O my people, to my instruction; listen to the words of my mouth.

I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things hidden from the beginning,

that we have heard and known and our fathers have relayed to us.

We will not hide them from their children but will declare to the next generation the praises of the LORD and His might and the wonders He has performed.

For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded our fathers to teach to their children,

that the coming generation would know them— even children yet to be born— to arise and tell their own children

that they should put their confidence in God, not forgetting His works, but keeping His commandments.

Complementary (Track 2)

FIRST READING

Wisdom of Solomon 6:12-16

Text not available in the Berean Standard Bible.

FIRST READING

Amos 5:18-24

Verse 18. Woe to you who long for the Day of the LORD! What will the Day of the LORD be for you? It will be darkness and not light. Verse 19. It will be like a man who flees from a lion, only to encounter a bear, or who enters his house and rests his hand against the wall, only to be bitten by a snake. Verse 20. Will not the Day of the LORD be darkness and not light, even gloom with no brightness in it? Verse 21. “I hate, I despise your feasts! I cannot stand the stench of your solemn assemblies. Verse 22. Even though you offer Me burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; for your peace offerings of fattened cattle I will have no regard. Verse 23. Take away from Me the noise of your songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. Verse 24. But let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

PSALM

Wisdom of Solomon 6:17-20

Text not available in the Berean Standard Bible.

PSALM

Psalm 70

For the choirmaster. Of David. To bring remembrance. Make haste, O God, to deliver me! Hurry, O LORD, to help me!

May those who seek my life be ashamed and confounded; may those who wish me harm be repelled and humiliated.

May those who say, “Aha, aha!” retreat because of their shame.

May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who love Your salvation always say, “Let God be magnified!”

But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

SECOND READING

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

Verse 13. Brothers, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you will not grieve like the rest, who are without hope. Verse 14. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, we also believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. Verse 15. By the word of the Lord, we declare to you that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who have fallen asleep. Verse 16. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a loud command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will be the first to rise. Verse 17. After that, we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be with the Lord. Verse 18. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

GOSPEL

Matthew 25:1-13

Verse 1. “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Verse 2. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. Verse 3. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take along any extra oil. Verse 4. But the wise ones took oil in flasks along with their lamps. Verse 5. When the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep. Verse 6. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Verse 7. Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. Verse 8. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ Verse 9. ‘No,’ said the wise ones, ‘or there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ Verse 10. But while they were on their way to buy it, the bridegroom arrived. Those who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet, and the door was shut. Verse 11. Later the other virgins arrived and said, ‘Lord, lord, open the door for us!’ Verse 12. But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Verse 13. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.