Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2 In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed such dreams that his spirit was troubled and his sleep left him.^{(A) 2} So the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans be summoned to tell the king his dreams. When they came in and stood before the king,^{(B) 3} he said to them, “I have had such a dream that my spirit is troubled by the desire to understand it.”^{(C) 4} The Chaldeans said to the king (in Aramaic),^[a] “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will reveal the interpretation.”^{(D) 5} The king answered the Chaldeans, “This is a public decree: if you do not tell me both the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins.^{(E) 6} But if you do tell me the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation.”^{(F) 7} They answered a second time, “Let the king first tell his servants the dream, then we can give its interpretation.”^{(G) 8} The king answered, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time because you see the decree from me is firm: ⁹ if you do not tell me the dream, there is but one verdict for you. You have agreed to speak lying and misleading words to me until things take a turn. Therefore, tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can give me its interpretation.”^{(H) 10} The Chaldeans answered the king, “There is no one on earth who can reveal what the king demands! In fact, no king, however great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean. ¹¹ The thing that the king is asking is too difficult, and no one can reveal it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with mortals.”^(I)

¹² Because of this the king flew into a violent rage and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. ¹³ The decree was issued, and the wise men were about to be executed, and they looked for Daniel and his companions, to execute them. ¹⁴ Then Daniel responded with prudence and discretion to Arioch, the king’s chief executioner, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon;^{(J) 15} he asked Arioch, the royal official, “Why is the decree of the king so urgent?” Arioch then explained the matter to Daniel.^{(K) 16} So Daniel went in and requested that the king give him time and he would tell the king the interpretation.

Christ Our Advocate

2 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous,^{(A) 2} and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.^(B)

³ Now by this we know that we have come to know him, if we obey his commandments. ⁴ Whoever says, “I have come to know him,” but does not obey his commandments is a liar, and in such a person the truth does not exist; ⁵ but whoever obeys his word, truly in this person the love of God has reached perfection. By this we know that we are in him:^{(C) 6} whoever says, “I abide in him,” ought to walk in the same way as he walked.^(D)

A New Commandment

⁷ Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment but an old commandment that you have had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word that you have heard. ⁸ Yet I am writing you a new commandment that is true in him and in you, because^[a] the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.^{(E) 9} Whoever says, “I am in the light,” while hating a brother or sister, is still in the darkness.^{(F) 10} Whoever loves a brother or sister abides in the light, and in such a person^[b] there is no cause for stumbling. ¹¹ But whoever hates a brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.^(G)

¹² While I was with them, I protected them in your name that^[a] you have given me. I guarded them, and not one of them was lost except the one destined to be lost,^[b] so that the scripture might be fulfilled.^{(A) 13} But now I am coming to you, and I speak these things in the world so that they may have my joy made complete in themselves.^{[c] 14} I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.^{(B) 15} I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.^{[d](C) 16} They do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world. ¹⁷ Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. ¹⁸ As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.^{(D) 19} And for their sakes I sanctify myself, so that they also may be sanctified in truth.