The Ancient of Days Reigns

¹¹ Then I kept looking because of the sound of the ^[c]boastful words which the horn was speaking; I kept looking until the beast was killed, and its body was destroyed and given to the ^(J)burning ^[d]fire. ¹² As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but an extension of life was granted to them for an appointed period of time.

The Son of Man Presented

The Vision Interpreted

¹⁵ “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was distressed within ^[g]me, and the ^(P)visions ^[h]in my mind kept ^(Q)alarming me. ¹⁶ I approached one of those who were ^(R)standing by and began requesting of him the ^[i]exact meaning of all this. So he ^(S)told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷ ‘These great beasts, which are four in number, are four kings who will arise from the earth. ¹⁸ But the ^[j](T)saints of the Highest One will ^(U)receive the kingdom and take possession of the kingdom forever, ^[k]for all ages to come.’

¹⁹ “Then I desired to know the ^[l]exact meaning of the ^(V)fourth beast, which was different from all ^[m]the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its claws of bronze, and which devoured, crushed, and trampled down the remainder with its feet, ²⁰ and the meaning of the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, and before which three of the horns fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth uttering great boasts, and ^[n]which was larger in appearance than its associates. ²¹ I kept looking, and that horn was ^(W)waging war with the ^[o]saints and prevailing against them, ²² until the Ancient of Days came and ^(X)judgment was ^[p]passed in favor of the ^[q]saints of the Highest One, and the time arrived when the ^[r]saints took possession of the kingdom.

²³ “This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth which will be different from all the other kingdoms, and will devour the whole earth and trample it down and crush it. ²⁴ As for the ^(Y)ten horns, out of this kingdom ten kings will arise; and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the previous ones and will ^[s]humble three kings. ²⁵ And he will ^[t](Z)speak against the ^(AA)Most High and ^(AB)wear down the ^[u]saints of the Highest One, and he will intend to make ^(AC)alterations in times and in law; and ^[v]they will be handed over to him for a ^[w](AD)time, ^[x]times, and half a ^[y]time. ²⁶ But the court will ^[z]convene for judgment, and his dominion will be ^(AE)taken away, ^[aa]annihilated and destroyed ^[ab]forever. ²⁷ Then the ^[ac](AF)sovereignty, the dominion, and the greatness of all the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be given to the people of the ^[ad]saints of the Highest One; His kingdom will be an ^(AG)everlasting kingdom, and all the empires will ^(AH)serve and obey Him.’

²⁸ “^[ae]At this point the revelation ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts were ^(AI)greatly alarming me and my ^[af]face became pale, but I ^(AJ)kept the matter ^[ag]to myself.”

The Tongue Is a Fire

3 ^(A)Do not become teachers in large numbers, ^(B)my brothers, since you know that we who are teachers will incur a ^[a]stricter judgment. ² For we all ^(C)stumble in many ways. ^(D)If anyone does not stumble in ^[b]what he says, he is a ^(E)perfect man, able to ^[c](F)rein in the whole body as well. ³ Now ^(G)if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their whole body as well. ⁴ Look at the ships too: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are nevertheless directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot determines. ⁵ So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it ^(H)boasts of great things.

^(I)See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! ⁶ And ^(J)the tongue is a fire, the very world of unrighteousness; the tongue is set among ^[d]our body’s parts as that which ^(K)defiles the whole body and sets on fire the course of our ^[e]life, and is set on fire by ^[f](L)hell. ⁷ For every ^[g]species of beasts and birds, of reptiles and creatures of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by the human ^[h]race. ⁸ But no one among mankind can tame the tongue; it is a restless evil, full of ^(M)deadly poison. ⁹ With it we bless ^(N)our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people, ^(O)who have been made in the likeness of God; ¹⁰ from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brothers and sisters, these things should not be this way. ¹¹ Does a spring send out from the same opening both ^[i]fresh and bitter water? ^12 (P)Can a fig tree, my brothers and sisters, bear olives, or a vine bear figs? Nor can salt water produce ^[j]fresh.

Wisdom from Above

¹³ Who among you is wise and understanding? ^(Q)Let him show by his ^(R)good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter ^(S)jealousy and ^[k]selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against ^(T)the truth. ¹⁵ This wisdom is not that which comes down ^(U)from above, but is ^(V)earthly, ^[l](W)natural, ^(X)demonic. ¹⁶ For where ^(Y)jealousy and ^[m]selfish ambition exist, ^[n]there is disorder and every evil thing. ¹⁷ But the wisdom ^(Z)from above is first ^(AA)pure, then ^(AB)peace-loving, ^(AC)gentle, ^[o]reasonable, ^(AD)full of mercy and good fruits, ^[p](AE)impartial, free of ^(AF)hypocrisy. ¹⁸ And the ^(AG)fruit of righteousness is sown in peace ^[q]by those who make peace.

Daniel’s Prayer for His People

9 In the first year of ^(A)Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— ² in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to ^(B)Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, ^(C)seventy years. ³ So I gave my ^[a]attention to the Lord God, to seek Him by prayer and pleading, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. ⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed, and said, “Oh, Lord, the ^(D)great and awesome God, who ^(E)keeps His covenant and faithfulness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, ^5 (F)we have sinned, we have done wrong, and ^[b]acted wickedly and ^(G)rebelled, even ^(H)turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. ⁶ Moreover, we have not ^(I)listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our leaders, our fathers, and all the people of the land.

⁷ “^(J)Righteousness belongs to You, Lord, but to us ^[c](K)open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in ^(L)all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against You. ^8 [d]Open shame belongs to us, Lord, to our kings, our leaders, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You. ⁹ To the Lord our God belong ^(M)compassion and forgiveness, ^[e]because we have ^(N)rebelled against Him; ¹⁰ and we have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His ^[f]teachings which He ^(O)set before us through His servants the prophets. ¹¹ Indeed, ^(P)all Israel has violated Your Law and turned aside, not obeying Your voice; so the ^(Q)curse has gushed forth on us, along with the oath which is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him. ¹² So He has ^(R)confirmed His words which He had spoken against us and against our ^[g](S)rulers who ruled us, to bring on us great disaster; for under the entire heaven there has ^(T)not been done anything like what was done in Jerusalem. ¹³ Just as it is written in the ^(U)Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us; yet we have ^(V)not ^[h]sought the favor of the Lord our God by ^(W)turning from our wrongdoing and ^[i]giving attention to Your truth. ¹⁴ So the Lord has ^[j](X)kept the disaster in store and brought it on us; for the Lord our God is ^(Y)righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done, but we have not obeyed His voice.

¹⁵ “And now, Lord, our God, You who ^(Z)brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and ^(AA)made a name for Yourself, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have been wicked. ¹⁶ Lord, in accordance with all Your ^[k]righteous acts, let now Your ^(AB)anger and Your wrath turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your ^(AC)holy mountain; for because of our sins and the wrongdoings of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people have become an ^(AD)object of taunting to all those around us. ¹⁷ So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his pleas, and for ^[l]Your sake, Lord, ^(AE)let Your face shine on Your ^(AF)desolate sanctuary. ¹⁸ My God, ^(AG)incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and ^(AH)see our desolations and the city which is ^(AI)called by Your name; for we are not ^[m](AJ)presenting our pleas before You based on ^[n]any merits of our own, but based on Your great compassion. ¹⁹ Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, my God, ^(AK)do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Gabriel Brings an Answer

²⁰ While I was still ^(AL)speaking and praying, and ^(AM)confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and ^[o]presenting my plea before the Lord my God in behalf of the holy mountain of my God, ²¹ while I was still speaking in prayer, the man ^(AN)Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision ^[p]previously, ^[q]came to me ^[r]in my extreme weariness about the time of the ^(AO)evening offering. ²² And he instructed me and talked with me and said, “Daniel, I have come now to give you insight with ^(AP)understanding. ²³ At the ^(AQ)beginning of your pleas the ^[s]command was issued, and I have come to tell you, because you are ^[t](AR)highly esteemed; so pay attention to the message and gain ^(AS)understanding of the vision.

Seventy Weeks and the Messiah

²⁴ “Seventy ^[u](AT)weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to ^[v]finish the wrongdoing, to ^[w]make an end of sin, to ^(AU)make atonement for guilt, to bring in ^(AV)everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and ^[x]prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. ²⁵ So you are to know and understand that from the issuing of a ^[y](AW)decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, until ^[z](AX)Messiah the ^(AY)Prince, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with ^[aa]streets and moat, even in times of distress. ²⁶ Then after the sixty-two weeks, the ^[ab]Messiah will be ^(AZ)cut off and have ^[ac]nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will ^(BA)destroy the city and the sanctuary. And ^[ad]its end will come with a ^(BB)flood; even to the end ^[ae]there will be war; desolations are determined. ²⁷ And he will confirm a covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of ^[af](BC)abominations will come the one who ^[ag]makes desolate, until a ^(BD)complete destruction, one that is ^[ah]decreed, gushes forth on the one who ^[ai]makes desolate.”

Things to Avoid

4 ^[a]What is the source of quarrels and ^(A)conflicts among you? ^[b]Is the source not your pleasures that wage ^(B)war in ^[c]your body’s parts? ² You lust and do not have, so you ^(C)commit murder. And you are envious and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and ^(D)do not receive, because you ask ^[d]with the wrong motives, so that you may spend what you request ^[e]on your pleasures. ⁴ You ^(E)adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with ^(F)the world is ^(G)hostility toward God? ^(H)Therefore whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. ⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture ^(I)says to no purpose, “^[f]He ^[g]jealously desires ^(J)the Spirit whom He has made to dwell in us”? ⁶ But ^(K)He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “^(L)God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ^7 (M)Submit therefore to God. But ^[h](N)resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ^8 (O)Come close to God and He will come close to you. ^(P)Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and ^(Q)purify your hearts, you ^(R)[i]double-minded. ^9 (S)Be miserable, and mourn, and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into gloom. ^10 (T)Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.

^11 (U)Do not speak against one another, ^(V)brothers and sisters. The one who speaks against a brother or sister, or ^(W)judges his brother or sister, speaks against ^(X)the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not ^(Y)a doer of the law but a judge of it. ¹² There is only one ^(Z)Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is ^(AA)able to save and to destroy; but ^(AB)who are you, ^[j]judging your neighbor?

^13 (AC)Come now, you who say, “^(AD)Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.” ^14 [k]Yet you do not know ^[l]what your life will be like tomorrow. ^(AE)For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away. ^15 [m]Instead, you ought to say, “^(AF)If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.” ¹⁶ But as it is, you boast in your ^[n]arrogance; ^(AG)all such boasting is evil. ¹⁷ So ^(AH)for one who knows the ^[o]right thing to do and does not do it, for him it is sin.