This translation is from the New American Bible. The bolded hyperlinks will take you to additional translations. The entire chapter is included to provide context.
Information about the meaning of the original Hebrew or Greek of italicized words is provided in blue beneath each reading.
Text highlighted in yellow tells us something about God’s nature or our relationship to Him.
Text in green tells us about something God wants us to do.
Text in red describes what God tells us not to do.
Reading 1
You, LORD, are our father, our redeemer you are named forever.
Why do you let us wander, O LORD, from your ways, and harden our hearts so that we fear you not?
Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage.
Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, with the mountains quaking before you, while you wrought awesome deeds we could not hope for, such as they had not heard of from of old.
No ear has ever heard, no eye ever seen, any God but you doing such deeds for those who wait for him.
Would that you might meet us doing right, that we were mindful of you in our ways!
Behold, you are angry, and we are sinful; all of us have become like unclean people, all our good deeds are like polluted rags; we have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
There is none who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to cling to you; for you have hidden your face from us and have delivered us up to our guilt.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father; we are the clay and you the potter: we are all the work of your hands.
Wander = תָּעָה = ta`ah
to err, wander, go astray, stagger;be out of the way; to be deceived
Responsorial Psalm
R. (4) Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
O shepherd of Israel, hearken, from your throne upon the cherubim, shine forth.
Rouse your power, and come to save us.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see; take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
May your help be with the man of your right hand, with the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
R. Lord, make us turn to you; let us see your face and we shall be saved.
Reading II
Brothers and sisters:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always on your account for the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus, that in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge, as the testimony to Christ was confirmed among you, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful, and by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Show us Lord, your love; and grant us your salvation.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Be watchful! Be alert! You do not know when the time will come.
It is like a man traveling abroad. He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work, and orders the gatekeeper to be on the watch. Watch, therefore; you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming, whether in the evening, or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or in the morning. May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
Be watchful = βλέπω = blepō
Behold, perceive, take heed; “to look, see," usually implying more especially an intent, earnest contemplation;"to have sight, to see," then, "observe, discern, perceive," frequently implying special contemplation; to see, discern;to turn the eyes to anything: to look at, look upon, gaze at; to perceive by the senses, to feel; to have (the power of) understanding;to discern mentally, observe, perceive, discover, understand; to turn the thoughts or direct the mind to a thing, to consider, contemplate, to look at, to weigh carefully, examine
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
see, have the power of sight; look; look longingly, expect, propose; look to a thing, beware; see, behold
be alert = ἀγρυπνέω = agrypneō
the watchfulness of those who are intent upon a thing; keep awake, watch; to be circumspect, attentive, ready; keep awake:—watch;to exercise constant vigilance over something;a state untouched by any slumberous or beclouding influences, and thence, one that is guarded against advances of drowsiness or bewilderment; wariness
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
to be watchful; lie awake and think of
work = ἔργον = ergon
work, employment, task;business, employment, that which any one is occupied;that which one undertakes to do, enterprise, undertaking;to work; toil (as an effort or occupation);any product whatever, anything accomplished by hand, art, industry, mind; a benefaction; what harmonizes with the order of society, a good deed, noble action
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
works of industry; tillage, tilled lands; occupations; deed, action;that which is wrought or made, work;result of work, profit or interest; business;hard work, difficult to do
watch = γρηγορέω = grēgoreō
give strict attention to, be cautious, active;to take heed lest through remission and indolence some destructive calamity suddenly overtake one; be vigilant
Henry George Liddell, Robert Scott, A Greek-English Lexicon
to be or become fully awake, watch
What these readings tell us about God and His ways:
You, LORD, are our father
our redeemer you are named forever.
your servants
we are sinful; all of us have become like unclean people, all our good deeds are like polluted rags; we have all withered like leaves, and our guilt carries us away like the wind.
Yet, O LORD, you are our father
we are the clay and you the potter:
we are all the work of your hands.
shepherd of Israel
your power
what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
God our Father
the Lord Jesus Christ.
the grace of God bestowed on you in Christ Jesus
in him you were enriched in every way, with all discourse and all knowledge
He will keep you firm to the end, irreproachable on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
God is faithful
by him you were called to fellowship with his Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
your love
your salvation.
You do not know when the time will come.
He leaves home and places his servants in charge, each with his own work
you do not know when the Lord of the house is coming
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
What these readings tell us to do:
your servants
wait for him
Would that you might meet us doing right
mindful of you in our ways!
calls upon your name
rouses himself to cling to you
turn to you
turn to you
turn to you
call upon your name
turn to you
give thanks to my God
wait for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ
Be watchful!
Be alert!
Watch
What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’”
What these readings tell us not to do:
wander
harden our hearts
fear you not
withdraw from you
May he not come suddenly and find you sleeping
