¹⁵ Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them?^(A) The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.^(B)

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

25 “At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like^(A) ten virgins who took their lamps^(B) and went out to meet the bridegroom.^{(C) 2} Five of them were foolish and five were wise.^{(D) 3} The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. ⁴ The wise ones, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. ⁵ The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.^(E)

⁶ “At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’

⁷ “Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. ⁸ The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’^(F)

⁹ “‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’

¹⁰ “But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet.^(G) And the door was shut.

¹¹ “Later the others also came. ‘Lord, Lord,’ they said, ‘open the door for us!’

¹² “But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I don’t know you.’^(H)

¹³ “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.^(I)

²⁹ The bride belongs to the bridegroom.^(A) The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom’s voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete.^(B)

² I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband,^(A) to Christ, so that I might present you^(B) as a pure virgin to him.

²² Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands^(A) as you do to the Lord.^{(B) 23} For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church,^(C) his body, of which he is the Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands^(D) in everything.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives,^(E) just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her^{(F) 26} to make her holy,^(G) cleansing^[a] her by the washing^(H) with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself^(I) as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.^{(J) 28} In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives^(K) as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ After all, no one ever hated their own body, but they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— ³⁰ for we are members of his body.^{(L) 31} “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.”^{[b](M) 32} This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts^(E) of God’s holy people.)

⁹ Then the angel said to me,^(F) “Write this:^(G) Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”^(H) And he added, “These are the true words of God.”^(I)

² I saw the Holy City,^(A) the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,^(B) prepared as a bride^(C) beautifully dressed for her husband.

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues^(A) came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride,^(B) the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away^(C) in the Spirit^(D) to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God.^{(E) 11} It shone with the glory of God,^(F) and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper,^(G) clear as crystal.^{(H) 12} It had a great, high wall with twelve gates,^(I) and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel.^{(J) 13} There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. ¹⁴ The wall of the city had twelve foundations,^(K) and on them were the names of the twelve apostles^(L) of the Lamb.

¹⁷ The Spirit^(A) and the bride^(B) say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.^(C)