Come, Bless the Lord

A Song of ^(A)Ascents.

Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

4 ^[a] King Nebuchadnezzar to all ^(A)peoples, nations, and languages, ^(B)that dwell in all the earth: ^(C)Peace be multiplied to you! ² It has seemed good to me to show the ^(D)signs and wonders that the ^(E)Most High God has done for me.

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

^4 [b] I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. ⁵ I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and ^(J)the visions of my head alarmed me. ⁶ So ^(K)I made a decree that ^(L)all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷ Then ^(M)the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but ^(N)they could not make known to me its interpretation. ⁸ At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named ^(O)Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is ^(P)the spirit of the holy gods^[c]—and I told him the dream, saying, ⁹ “O Belteshazzar, ^(Q)chief of the magicians, because I know that ^(R)the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no ^(S)mystery is too difficult for you, tell me ^(T)the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. ^10 (U)The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and ^(V)behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. ^11 (W)The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. ^12 (X)Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. ^(Y)The beasts of the field found shade under it, and ^(Z)the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

¹³ “I saw in ^(AA)the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, ^(AB)a watcher, ^(AC)a holy one, came down from heaven. ¹⁴ He ^(AD)proclaimed aloud and said thus: ^(AE)‘Chop down the tree and ^(AF)lop off its branches, ^(AG)strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. ^(AH)Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; ^(AI)and let seven periods of time ^(AJ)pass over him. ¹⁷ The sentence is by the decree of ^(AK)the watchers, the decision by the word of ^(AL)the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High ^(AM)rules the kingdom of men ^(AN)and gives it to whom he will and ^(AO)sets over it the lowliest of men.’ ¹⁸ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O ^(AP)Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because ^(AQ)all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for ^(AR)the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was ^(AS)Belteshazzar, was ^(AT)dismayed for a while, and ^(AU)his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, ^(AV)may the dream be for those who hate you ^(AW)and its interpretation for your enemies! ^20 (AX)The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, ^21 (AY)whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— ^22 (AZ)it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. ^(BA)Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, ^(BB)and your dominion to the ends of the earth. ²³ And because the king saw ^(BC)a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ^(BD)‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till ^(BE)seven periods of time pass over him,’ ²⁴ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, ^25 (BF)that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made ^(BG)to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and ^(BH)seven periods of time shall pass over you, till ^(BI)you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. ²⁶ And as it was commanded ^(BJ)to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by ^(BK)practicing righteousness, ^(BL)and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, ^(BM)that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar's Humiliation

²⁸ All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. ²⁹ At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, ³⁰ and the king answered and said, ^(BN)“Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by ^(BO)my mighty power as a royal residence and for ^(BP)the glory of my majesty?” ^31 (BQ)While the words were still in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, ^32 (BR)and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, ^(BS)until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” ³³ Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. ^(BT)He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles' feathers, and his nails were like birds' claws.

Nebuchadnezzar Restored

^34 (BU)At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and ^(BV)my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored ^(BW)him who lives forever,

³⁶ At the same time ^(CD)my reason returned to me, and for ^(CE)the glory of my kingdom, ^(CF)my majesty and splendor returned to me. ^(CG)My counselors and ^(CH)my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was ^(CI)added to me. ³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, ^(CJ)praise and extol and honor the ^(CK)King of heaven, ^(CL)for all his works are right and his ways are just; and ^(CM)those who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Paul Speaks to the Ephesian Elders

¹⁷ Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called ^(A)the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁸ And when they came to him, he said to them:

^(B)“You yourselves know ^(C)how I lived among you the whole time ^(D)from the first day that I set foot in Asia, ^19 (E)serving the Lord ^(F)with all humility and with ^(G)tears and with trials that happened to me through ^(H)the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I ^(I)did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and ^(J)teaching you in public and from house to house, ^21 (K)testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of ^(L)repentance toward God and of ^(M)faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.^{[a] 22} And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained ^(N)by^[b] the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, ²³ except that ^(O)the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that ^(P)imprisonment and ^(Q)afflictions await me. ²⁴ But ^(R)I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only ^(S)I may finish my course and ^(T)the ministry ^(U)that I received from the Lord Jesus, ^(V)to testify to ^(W)the gospel of ^(X)the grace of God. ²⁵ And now, behold, ^(Y)I know that none of you among whom I have gone about ^(Z)proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. ²⁶ Therefore ^(AA)I testify to you this day that ^(AB)I am innocent of the blood of all, ²⁷ for ^(AC)I did not shrink from declaring to you ^(AD)the whole counsel of God. ^28 (AE)Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all ^(AF)the flock, in which ^(AG)the Holy Spirit has made you ^(AH)overseers, ^(AI)to care for ^(AJ)the church of God,^[c] which he ^(AK)obtained ^(AL)with his own blood.^{[d] 29} I ^(AM)know that after my departure ^(AN)fierce wolves will come in among you, ^(AO)not sparing the flock; ³⁰ and ^(AP)from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. ³¹ Therefore ^(AQ)be alert, remembering that ^(AR)for three years I did not cease night or day ^(AS)to admonish every one ^(AT)with tears. ³² And now ^(AU)I commend you to God and to ^(AV)the word of his grace, which is able to ^(AW)build you up and to give you ^(AX)the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ^33 (AY)I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. ^34 (AZ)You yourselves know that ^(BA)these hands ministered to my necessities and ^(BB)to those who were with me. ³⁵ In all things ^(BC)I have shown you that ^(BD)by working hard in this way we must ^(BE)help the weak and ^(BF)remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed ^(BG)to give than to receive.’”

³⁶ And when he had said these things, ^(BH)he knelt down and prayed with them all. ³⁷ And ^(BI)there was much weeping on the part of all; ^(BJ)they embraced Paul and ^(BK)kissed him, ³⁸ being sorrowful most of all because of ^(BL)the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And ^(BM)they accompanied him to the ship.