He could see them paddling hard against the wind. Then, early in the morning, just before sunrise, he walked out on the lake and was going to pass right past them.
“But know this: If the elder of a family had known at what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and stopped the thief from breaking in.
They must stay awake and be ready, doing what he says, for they do not know when the chief will return. It may be when the sun is setting, or late into the night, or when the rooster crows early in the morning.