Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David.
16 (A)Protect me, God, for (B)I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I (C)have nothing good besides You.”
3 As for the [d](D)saints who are on the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones; (E)all my delight is in them.
4 [f]The (F)pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of (G)blood,
Nor will I (H)take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the (I)portion of my inheritance and my (J)cup;
You support my (K)lot.
6 The measuring (L)lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is (M)beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has (N)advised me;
Indeed, my [g](O)mind instructs me in the night.
8 (P)I have (Q)set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is (R)at my right hand, (S)I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore (T)my heart is glad and (U)my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will (V)dwell securely.
10 For You (W)will not abandon my soul to [h]Sheol;
You will not [i](X)allow Your [j]Holy One to [k]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me (Y)the way of life;
In (Z)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are (AA)pleasures forever.
The Vision of a Great Tree
4 “[a]I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and (A)happy in my palace. 5 I saw a (B)dream and it startled me; and these appearances as I lay on my bed and the (C)visions [b]in my mind kept alarming me. 6 So I gave orders to (D)bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, so that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the (E)soothsayer priests, the sorcerers, the [c]Chaldeans, and the diviners came in and I related the dream [d]to them, but they could not make its (F)interpretation known to me. 8 But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is (G)Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is [e](H)a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream [f]to him, saying, 9 ‘Belteshazzar, (I)chief of the soothsayer priests, since I know that (J)a spirit of the holy gods is in you and (K)no secret baffles you, (L)tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation.
10 ‘Now these were the (M)visions [g]in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a (N)tree in the middle of the [h]earth and its height was great.
11 The tree grew large and became strong
And its height (O)reached to the sky,
And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
12 Its foliage was (P)beautiful and its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The (Q)animals of the field [i]found (R)shade under it,
And the (S)birds of the sky lived in its branches,
And all [j]living creatures fed from it.
13 ‘I was looking in the (T)visions [k]in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, (U)an angelic watcher, a (V)holy one, descended from heaven.
14 He shouted out and spoke as follows:
“(W)Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Shake off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
Let the (X)animals flee from under it
And the birds from its branches.
15 Yet (Y)leave the stump [l]with its roots in the ground,
But with a band of iron and bronze around it
In the new grass of the field;
And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
And let [m]him share with the animals in the grass of the earth.
16 Let his [n]mind change from that of a human
And let an animal’s [o]mind be given to him,
And let (Z)seven [p]periods of time pass over him.
17 This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers,
And the decision is a command of the holy ones,
In order that the living may (AA)know
That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
And (AB)He grants it to whomever He wishes
And sets over it the (AC)lowliest of people.”
18 This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, since none of the (AD)wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, because a (AE)spirit of the holy gods is in you.’
11 But (A)flee from these things, you (B)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, (C)faith, (D)love, [a]perseverance, and gentleness. 12 (E)Fight the good fight of (F)faith; (G)take hold of the eternal life (H)to which you were called, and for which you made the good (I)confession in the presence of (J)many witnesses. 13 (K)I direct you in the presence of God, who [b]gives life to all things, and of (L)Christ Jesus, who testified the (M)good confession (N)before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without [c]fault or reproach until the (O)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [d]bring about at (P)the proper time—He who is (Q)the blessed and (R)only Sovereign, (S)the King of [e]kings and (T)Lord of [f]lords, 16 (U)who alone possesses immortality and (V)dwells in unapproachable light, (W)whom [g]no one has seen or can see. (X)To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
17 Instruct those who are rich in (Y)this present world (Z)not to be conceited or to (AA)set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, (AB)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in (AC)good [h]works, (AD)to be generous and ready to share, 19 (AE)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may (AF)take hold of that which is truly life.
20 (AG)Timothy, protect (AH)what has been entrusted to you, avoiding (AI)worldly, empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thereby have (AJ)gone astray [i]from (AK)the faith.
(AL)Grace be with you.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.