Psalm 72

New International Version

Psalm 72

Of Solomon.

¹Endow the king with your justice,^(A) O God,
the royal son with your righteousness.
²May he judge your people in righteousness,^(B)
your afflicted ones with justice.

³May the mountains bring prosperity to the people,
    the hills the fruit of righteousness.
⁴May he defend the afflicted^(C) among the people
    and save the children of the needy;^(D)
    may he crush the oppressor.^(E)
⁵May he endure^[a]^(F) as long as the sun,
    as long as the moon, through all generations.^(G)
⁶May he be like rain^(H) falling on a mown field,
    like showers watering the earth.
⁷In his days may the righteous flourish^(I)
    and prosperity abound till the moon is no more.

⁸May he rule from sea to sea
    and from the River^[b]^(J) to the ends of the earth.^(K)
⁹May the desert tribes bow before him
    and his enemies lick the dust.
¹⁰May the kings of Tarshish^(L) and of distant shores^(M)
    bring tribute to him.
May the kings of Sheba^(N) and Seba
    present him gifts.^(O)
¹¹May all kings bow down^(P) to him
    and all nations serve^(Q) him.

¹²For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
    the afflicted who have no one to help.
¹³He will take pity^(R) on the weak and the needy
    and save the needy from death.
¹⁴He will rescue^(S) them from oppression and violence,
    for precious^(T) is their blood in his sight.

¹⁵Long may he live!
    May gold from Sheba^(U) be given him.
May people ever pray for him
    and bless him all day long.^(V)
¹⁶May grain^(W) abound throughout the land;
    on the tops of the hills may it sway.
May the crops^(X) flourish like Lebanon^(Y)
    and thrive^[c] like the grass of the field.^(Z)
¹⁷May his name endure forever;^(AA)
    may it continue as long as the sun.^(AB)

Then all nations will be blessed through him,^[d]
and they will call him blessed.^(AC)

¹⁸Praise be to the Lord God, the God of Israel,^(AD)
who alone does marvelous deeds.^(AE)
¹⁹Praise be to his glorious name^(AF) forever;
may the whole earth be filled with his glory.^(AG)
Amen and Amen.^(AH)

²⁰This concludes the prayers of David son of Jesse.^(AI)

Footnotes

Psalm 72:5 Septuagint; Hebrew You will be feared
Psalm 72:8 That is, the Euphrates
Psalm 72:16 Probable reading of the original Hebrew text; Masoretic Text Lebanon, / from the city
Psalm 72:17 Or will use his name in blessings (see Gen. 48:20)

Daniel 2:1-19

New International Version

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2 In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams;^(A) his mind was troubled^(B) and he could not sleep.^(C) ²So the king summoned the magicians,^(D) enchanters, sorcerers^(E) and astrologers^[a]^(F) to tell him what he had dreamed.^(G) When they came in and stood before the king, ³he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles^(H) me and I want to know what it means.^[b]”

⁴Then the astrologers answered the king,^[c]^(I) “May the king live forever!^(J) Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

⁵The king replied to the astrologers, “This is what I have firmly decided:^(K) If you do not tell me what my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces^(L) and your houses turned into piles of rubble.^(M) ⁶But if you tell me the dream and explain it, you will receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor.^(N) So tell me the dream and interpret it for me.”

⁷Once more they replied, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

⁸Then the king answered, “I am certain that you are trying to gain time, because you realize that this is what I have firmly decided: ⁹If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one penalty^(O) for you. You have conspired to tell me misleading and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and I will know that you can interpret it for me.”^(P)

¹⁰The astrologers^(Q) answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great and mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or astrologer.^(R) ¹¹What the king asks is too difficult. No one can reveal it to the king except the gods,^(S) and they do not live among humans.”

¹²This made the king so angry and furious^(T) that he ordered the execution^(U) of all the wise men of Babylon. ¹³So the decree was issued to put the wise men to death, and men were sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death.^(V)

¹⁴When Arioch, the commander of the king’s guard, had gone out to put to death the wise men of Babylon, Daniel spoke to him with wisdom and tact. ¹⁵He asked the king’s officer, “Why did the king issue such a harsh decree?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel. ¹⁶At this, Daniel went in to the king and asked for time, so that he might interpret the dream for him.

¹⁷Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.^(W) ¹⁸He urged them to plead for mercy^(X) from the God of heaven^(Y) concerning this mystery,^(Z) so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹During the night the mystery^(AA) was revealed to Daniel in a vision.^(AB) Then Daniel praised the God of heaven^(AC)

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Footnotes

Daniel 2:2 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 4, 5 and 10
Daniel 2:3 Or was
Daniel 2:4 At this point the Hebrew text has in Aramaic, indicating that the text from here through the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic.

Ephesians 4:17-5:1

New International Version

Instructions for Christian Living

¹⁷So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer^(A) live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.^(B) ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding^(C) and separated from the life of God^(D) because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.^(E) ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity,^(F) they have given themselves over^(G) to sensuality^(H) so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

²⁰That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off^(I) your old self,^(J) which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires;^(K) ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds;^(L) ²⁴and to put on^(M) the new self,^(N) created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.^(O)

²⁵Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully^(P) to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.^(Q) ²⁶“In your anger do not sin”^[a]:^(R) Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷and do not give the devil a foothold.^(S) ²⁸Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work,^(T) doing something useful with their own hands,^(U) that they may have something to share with those in need.^(V)

²⁹Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths,^(W) but only what is helpful for building others up^(X) according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,^(Y) with whom you were sealed^(Z) for the day of redemption.^(AA) ³¹Get rid of^(AB) all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.^(AC) ³²Be kind and compassionate to one another,^(AD) forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.^(AE) 5 ¹Follow God’s example,^(AF) therefore, as dearly loved children^(AG)