You Must Be Ready
35 1“Stay dressed for action and
2keep your lamps burning,
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and be like men who are
3waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and
4knocks.
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5Blessed are those servants whom the master finds
6awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you,
7he will dress himself for service and
8have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.
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If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!
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9But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour
10the thief was coming, he would not have left his house to be broken into.
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You also must be
11ready, for
12the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. ”
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Peter said, “Lord,
13are you telling this parable for us or for all? ”
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And the Lord said, “Who then is
14the faithful and
15wise
16manager, whom his master will set over his household, to give them their portion of food at the proper time?
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17Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.
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Truly, I say to you,
18he will set him over all his possessions.
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But if that servant says to himself, ‘My master
19is delayed in coming, ’ and begins to beat the male and female servants, and to eat and drink and
20get drunk,
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the master of that servant will come
21on a day when he does not expect him and
22at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and put him with the unfaithful.
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23And that servant who
24knew his master’s will but
25did not get ready
26or act according to his will, will receive a
27severe beating.
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28But the one who did not know, and did what deserved a beating,
29will receive a light beating.
30Everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.