Daniel 7:15-27

New King James Version

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

¹⁵“I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit ^[a]within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. ¹⁶I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things: ¹⁷‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four ^[b]kings which arise out of the earth. ¹⁸But ^(A)the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

¹⁹“Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet; ²⁰and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke ^[c]pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.

²¹“I was watching; ^(B)and the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them, ²²until the Ancient of Days came, ^(C)and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.

²³“Thus he said:

‘The fourth beast shall be
^(D)A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
²⁴^(E)The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
²⁵^(F)He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall ^(G)persecute^[d] the saints of the Most High,
And shall ^(H)intend to change times and law.
Then ^(I)the saints shall be given into his hand
^(J)For a time and times and half a time.

²⁶‘But^(K) the court shall be seated,
And they shall ^(L)take away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
²⁷Then the ^(M)kingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
^(N)His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
^(O)And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’

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Footnotes

Daniel 7:15 Lit. in the midst of its sheath
Daniel 7:17 Representing their kingdoms, v. 23
Daniel 7:20 Lit. great things
Daniel 7:25 Lit. wear out

Isaiah 5:1-7

New King James Version

God’s Disappointing Vineyard

5 Now let me sing to my Well-beloved
A song of my Beloved ^(A)regarding His vineyard:

My Well-beloved has a vineyard
^[a]On a very fruitful hill.
²He dug it up and cleared out its stones,
And planted it with the choicest vine.
He built a tower in its midst,
And also ^[b]made a winepress in it;
^(B)So He expected it to bring forth good grapes,
But it brought forth wild grapes.

³“And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
^(C)Judge, please, between Me and My vineyard.
⁴What more could have been done to My vineyard
That I have not done in ^(D)it?
Why then, when I expected it to bring forth good grapes,
Did it bring forth wild grapes?
⁵And now, please let Me tell you what I will do to My vineyard:
^(E)I will take away its hedge, and it shall be burned;
And break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down.
⁶I will lay it ^(F)waste;
It shall not be pruned or ^[c]dug,
But there shall come up briers and ^(G)thorns.
I will also command the clouds
That they rain no rain on it.”

⁷For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel,
And the men of Judah are His pleasant plant.
He looked for justice, but behold, oppression;
For righteousness, but behold, ^[d]a cry for help.

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Footnotes

Isaiah 5:1 Lit. In a horn, the son of fatness
Isaiah 5:2 Lit. hewed out
Isaiah 5:6 hoed
Isaiah 5:7 wailing

1 Thessalonians 2

New King James Version

Paul’s Conduct^(A)

2 For you yourselves know, brethren, that our coming to you was not in vain. ²But ^[a]even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at ^(B)Philippi, as you know, we were ^(C)bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. ³^(D)For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.

⁴But as ^(E)we have been approved by God ^(F)to be entrusted with the gospel, even so we speak, ^(G)not as pleasing men, but God ^(H)who tests our hearts. ⁵For ^(I)neither at any time did we use flattering words, as you know, nor a ^[b]cloak for covetousness—^(J)God is witness. ⁶^(K)Nor did we seek glory from men, either from you or from others, when ^(L)we might have ^(M)made demands ^(N)as apostles of Christ. ⁷But ^(O)we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. ⁸So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased ^(P)to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also ^(Q)our own lives, because you had become dear to us. ⁹For you remember, brethren, our ^(R)labor and toil; for laboring night and day, ^(S)that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God.

¹⁰^(T)You are witnesses, and God also, ^(U)how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; ¹¹as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and ^[c]charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, ¹²^(V)that you would walk worthy of God ^(W)who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

Their Conversion

¹³For this reason we also thank God ^(X)without ceasing, because when you ^(Y)received the word of God which you heard from us, you welcomed it ^(Z)not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which also effectively ^(AA)works in you who believe. ¹⁴For you, brethren, became imitators ^(AB)of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For ^(AC)you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ¹⁵^(AD)who killed both the Lord Jesus and ^(AE)their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God ^(AF)and are ^[d]contrary to all men, ¹⁶^(AG)forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved, so as always ^(AH)to fill up the measure of their sins; ^(AI)but wrath has come upon them to the uttermost.

Longing to See Them

¹⁷But we, brethren, having been taken away from you for a short time ^(AJ)in presence, not in heart, endeavored more eagerly to see your face with great desire. ¹⁸Therefore we wanted to come to you—even I, Paul, time and again—but ^(AK)Satan hindered us. ¹⁹For ^(AL)what is our hope, or joy, or ^(AM)crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the ^(AN)presence of our Lord Jesus Christ ^(AO)at His coming? ²⁰For you are our glory and joy.