midnight

²⁵Then, in the middle of the night, Paul and Silas were praying and praising God. And those who were also in custody were listening to them.

¹“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins, who, taking their lamps, went out to meet the groom and the bride. ²But five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. ³For the five foolish, having brought their lamps, did not take oil with them. ⁴Yet truly, the prudent ones brought the oil, in their containers, with the lamps. ⁵Since the bridegroom was delayed, they all fell asleep, and they were sleeping. ⁶But in the middle of the night, a cry went out: ‘Behold, the groom is arriving. Go out to meet him.’

³Therefore, keep in mind the way that you have received and heard, and then observe it and repent. But if you will not be vigilant, I will come to you like a thief, and you will not know at what hour I will come to you.

⁷Then, on the first Sabbath, when we had assembled together to break bread, Paul discoursed with them, intending to set out the next day. But he prolonged his sermon into the middle of the night. The expression “first Sabbath” refers to Easter Sunday, the commemoration of the first Christian Sabbath. In the year in question, Easter Sunday was celebrated some 12 (5 + 7) days or more after “the days of Unleavened Bread”, which refers to Passover. It is unclear how Easter Sunday was calculated at that early time in the Church, but it did not always coincide with Passover.

²⁹Then it happened, in the middle of the night: the Lord struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the captive woman who was in prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.

²³But the hour is coming, and it is now, when true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth. For the Father also seeks such persons who may worship him.

¹³And so you must be vigilant, because you do not know the day or the hour.

¹The Praise of a Canticle, of David. Whoever dwells with the assistance of the Most High will abide in the protection of the God of heaven. ²He will say to the Lord, “You are my supporter and my refuge.” My God, I will hope in him. ³For he has freed me from the snare of those who go hunting, and from the harsh word. ⁴He will overshadow you with his shoulders, and you will hope under his wings. ⁵His truth will surround you with a shield. You will not be afraid: before the terror of the night, ⁶before the arrow flying in the day, before the troubles that wander in the darkness, nor of invasion and the midday demon.

⁶For wrath is in his indignation, and life is in his will. Toward evening, weeping will linger, and toward morning, gladness.

¹And Jesus departed from the temple and went away. And his disciples approached him, so as to show him the buildings of the temple. ²But he said to them in response: “Do you see all these things? Amen I say to you, there shall not remain here stone upon stone, which is not torn down.” ³Then, when he was seated at the Mount of Olives, the disciples drew near to him privately, saying: “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your advent and of the consummation of the age?” ⁴And answering, Jesus said to them: “Pay attention, lest someone lead you astray. ⁵For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Christ.’ And they will lead many astray. ⁶For you will hear of battles and rumors of battles. Take care not to be disturbed. For these things must be, but the end is not so soon.

⁶²I arose in the middle of the night to confess to you, over the judgments of your justification.

²⁶And having sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³⁰That same night, king Belshazzar the Chaldean was killed.

¹Blow the trumpet in Zion, wail on my holy mountain, let all the inhabitants of the land be stirred up. For the day of the Lord is on its way; for it is near:

⁵¹Behold, I tell you a mystery. Certainly, we shall all rise again, but we shall not all be transformed:

²⁸And God blessed them, and he said, “Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

¹⁶Whoever will have believed and been baptized will be saved. Yet truly, whoever will not have believed will be condemned.

¹⁴Therefore, he sent horses, and chariots, and experienced soldiers to that place. And when they had arrived in the night, they encircled the city.

¹⁶For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, so that all who believe in him may not perish, but may have eternal life. ¹⁷For God did not send his Son into the world, in order to judge the world, but in order that the world may be saved through him.

¹³Is any of you sad? Let him pray. Is he even-tempered? Let him sing psalms.

¹⁶Then two women harlots went to the king, and they stood before him.