Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

4 Unto the end, in verses. A psalm for David.

² When I called upon him, the God of my justice heard me: when I was in distress, thou hast enlarged me. Have mercy on me: and hear my prayer.

³ O ye sons of men, how long will you be dull of heart? why do you love vanity, and seek after lying?

⁴ Know ye also that the Lord hath made his holy one wonderful: the Lord will hear me when I shall cry unto him.

⁵ Be angry, and sin not: the things you say in your hearts, be sorry for them upon your beds.

⁶ Offer up the sacrifice of justice, and trust in the Lord: many say, Who sheweth us good things?

⁷ The light of thy countenance O Lord, is signed upon us: thou hast given gladness in my heart.

⁸ By the fruit of their corn, their wine and oil, they are multiplied.

⁹ In peace in the selfsame I will sleep, and I will rest:

¹⁰ For thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope.

² In those days I Daniel mourned the days of three weeks.

³ I ate no desirable bread, and neither flesh, nor wine entered into my mouth, neither was I anointed with ointment: till the days of three weeks were accomplished.

⁴ And in the four and twentieth day of the first month I was by the great river which is the Tigris.

⁵ And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw: and behold a man clothed in linen, and his loins were girded with the finest gold:

⁶ And his body was like the chrysolite, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as a burning lamp: and his arms, and all downward even to the feet, like in appearance to glittering brass: and the voice of his word like the voice of a multitude.

⁷ And I Daniel alone saw the vision: for the men that were with me saw it not: but an exceeding great terror fell upon them, and they fled away, and hid themselves.

⁸ And I being left alone saw this great vision: and there remained no strength in me, and the appearance of my countenance was changed in me, and I fainted away, and retained no strength.

⁹ And I heard the voice of his words: and when I heard, I lay in a consternation, upon my face, and my face was close to the ground.

¹⁰ And behold a hand touched me, and lifted me up upon my knees, and upon the joints of my hands.

¹¹ And he said to me: Daniel, thou man of desires, understand the words that I speak to thee, and stand upright: for I am sent now to thee. And when he had said this word to me, I stood trembling.

¹² And he said to me: Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand, to afflict thyself in the sight of thy God, thy words have been heard: and I am come for thy words.

¹³ But the prince of the kingdom of the Persians resisted me one and twenty days: and behold Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I remained there by the king of the Persians.

¹⁴ But I am come to teach thee what things shall befall thy people in the latter days, for as yet the vision is for days.

¹⁵ And when he was speaking such words to me, I cast down my countenance to the ground, and held my peace.

¹⁶ And behold, as it were the likeness of a son of man touched my lips: then I opened my mouth, and spoke, and said to him that stood before me: O my Lord, at the sight of thee my joints are loosed, and no strength hath remained in me.

¹⁷ And how can the servant of my lord speak with my lord? for no strength remaineth in me, moreover my breath is stopped.

¹⁸ Therefore he that looked like a man touched me again, and strengthened me.

¹⁹ And he said: Fear not, O man of desires, peace be to thee: take courage and be strong. And when he spoke to me, I grew strong: and I said: Speak, O my lord, for thou hast strengthened me.

²⁶ These things have I written to you, concerning them that seduce you.

²⁷ And as for you, let the unction, which you have received from him, abide in you. And you have no need that any man teach you; but as his unction teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie. And as it hath taught you, abide in him.

²⁸ And now, little children, abide in him, that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be confounded by him at his coming.