Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

16 The prayer of David. Hear, O Lord, my justice: attend to my supplication. Give ear unto my prayer, which proceedeth not from deceitful lips.

² Let my judgment come forth from thy countenance: let thy eyes behold the things that are equitable.

³ Thou hast proved my heart, and visited it by night, thou hast tried me by fire: and iniquity hath not been found in me.

⁴ That my mouth may not speak the works of men: for the sake of the words of thy lips, I have kept hard ways.

⁵ Perfect thou my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps be not moved.

⁶ I have cried to thee, for thou, O God, hast heard me: O incline thy ear unto me, and hear my words.

⁷ shew forth thy wonderful mercies; thou who savest them that trust in thee.

⁸ From them that resist thy right hand keep me, as the apple of thy eye. Protect me under the shadow of thy wings.

⁹ From the face of the wicked who have afflicted me. My enemies have surrounded my soul:

¹⁰ They have shut up their fat: their mouth hath spoken proudly.

¹¹ They have cast me forth and now they have surrounded me: they have set their eyes bowing down to the earth.

¹² They have taken me, as a lion prepared for the prey; and as a young lion dwelling in secret places.

¹³ Arise, O Lord, disappoint him and supplant him; deliver my soul from the wicked one: thy sword

¹⁴ From the enemies of thy hand. O Lord, divide them from the few of the earth in their life: their belly is filled from thy hidden stores. They are full of children: and they have left to their little ones the rest of their substance.

¹⁵ But as for me, I will appear before thy sight in justice: I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear.

⁴ Then came in the diviners, the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and I told the dream before them: but they did not shew me the interpretation thereof:

⁵ Till their colleague Daniel came in before me, whose name is Baltassar, according to the name of my god, who hath in him the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him.

⁶ Baltassar, prince of the diviners, because I know that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and that no secret is impossible to thee: tell me the visions of my dreams that I have seen, and the interpretation of them.

⁷ This was the vision of my head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was exceeding great.

⁸ The tree was great, and strong: and the height thereof reached unto heaven: the sight thereof was even to the ends of all the earth.

⁹ Its leaves were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much: and in it was food for all: under it dwelt cattle, and beasts, and in the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode: and all flesh did eat of it.

¹⁰ I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher, and a holy one came down from heaven.

¹¹ He cried aloud, and said thus: Cut down the tree, and chop off the branches thereof: shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruits: let the beasts fly away that are under it, and the birds from its branches.

¹² Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be tied with a band of iron, and of brass, among the grass, that is without, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the wild beasts in the grass of the earth.

¹³ Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given him; and let seven times pass over him.

¹⁴ This is the decree by the sentence of the watchers, and the word and demand of the holy ones; till the living know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men; and he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest man over it.

¹⁵ I king Nabuchodonosor saw this dream: thou, therefore, O Baltassar, tell me quickly the interpretation: for all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to declare the meaning of it to me: but thou art able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.

¹⁶ Then Daniel, whose name was Baltassar, began silently to think within himself for about one hour: and his thoughts troubled him. But the king answering, said: Baltassar, let not the dream and the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Baltassar answered, and said: My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thy enemies.

¹⁷ The tree which thou sawest which was high and strong, whose height reached to the skies, and the sight thereof into all the earth:

¹⁸ And the branches thereof were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and the birds of the air had their abode in its branches.

¹¹ But thou, O man of God, fly these things: and pursue justice, godliness, faith, charity, patience, mildness.

¹² Fight the good fight of faith: lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art called, and hast confessed a good confession before many witnesses.

¹³ I charge thee before God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who gave testimony under Pontius Pilate, a good confession,

¹⁴ That thou keep the commandment without spot, blameless, unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,

¹⁵ Which in his times he shall shew who is the Blessed and only Mighty, the King of kings, and Lord of lords;

¹⁶ Who only hath immortality, and inhabiteth light inaccessible, whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and empire everlasting. Amen.

¹⁷ Charge the rich of this world not to be highminded, nor to trust in the uncertainty of riches, but in the living God, (who giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy,)

¹⁸ To do good, to be rich in good works, to give easily, to communicate to others,

¹⁹ To lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on the true life.

²⁰ O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding the profane novelties of words, and oppositions of knowledge falsely so called.

²¹ Which some promising, have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.