The Life of Jesus

Back then, before the Flood, people went on eating and drinking, taking wives and becoming wives, right up till the day Noach entered the ark;

and they didn't know what was happening until the Flood came and swept them all away. It will be just like that when the Son of Man comes.

Then there will be two men in a field -- one will be taken and the other left behind.

There will be two women grinding flour at the mill -- one will be taken and the other left behind.

So stay alert, because you don't know on what day your Lord will come.

But you do know this: had the owner of the house known when the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into.

Therefore you too must always be ready, for the Son of Man will come when you are not expecting him.

"Who is the faithful and sensible servant whose master puts him in charge of the household staff, to give them their food at the proper time?

It will go well with that servant if he is found doing his job when his master comes.

Yes, I tell you that he will put him in charge of all he owns.

But if that servant is wicked and says to himself, `My master is taking his time';

and he starts beating up his fellow servants and spends his time eating and drinking with drunkards;

then his master will come on a day the servant does not expect, at a time he doesn't know;

and he will cut him in two and put him with the hypocrites, where people will wail and grind their teeth!

"The Kingdom of Heaven at that time will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went out to meet the groom.

Five of them were foolish and five were sensible.

The foolish ones took lamps with them but no oil,

whereas the others took flasks of oil with their lamps.

Now the bridegroom was late, so they all went to sleep.

It was the middle of the night when the cry rang out, `The bridegroom is here! Go out to meet him!'

The girls all woke up and prepared their lamps for lighting.

The foolish ones said to the sensible ones, `Give us some of your oil, because our lamps are going out.'

`No,' they replied, `there may not be enough for both you and us. Go to the oil dealers and buy some for yourselves.'

But as they were going off to buy, the bridegroom came. Those who were ready went with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.

Later, the other bridesmaids came. `Sir! Sir!' they cried, `Let us in!'