Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Path of Eternal Life
Psalm 16
1 A Michtam of David.
Keep me safe, O God, for in You I have found shelter.
2 I said to Adonai: “You are my Lord—
I have no good apart from You.”
3 As for the kedoshim who are in the land,
they are noble—in them is all my delight.
4 As for those who run after another god,
may their sorrows multiply.
I will not pour out their drink offerings of blood,
nor lift up their names with my lips.
5 Adonai is my portion and my cup.
You cast my lot.
6 My boundary lines fall in pleasant places
—surely my heritage is beautiful.
7 I will bless Adonai, who counsels me.
Even at night my heart instructs me.
8 I have set Adonai always before me.
Since He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.
9 So my heart is glad and my soul rejoices.
My body also rests secure.
10 For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol
nor let Your faithful one see the Pit.[a]
11 You make known to me the path of life.
Abundance of joys are in Your presence,
eternal pleasures at Your right hand.[b]
4 When the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and diviners came in, I recounted the dream to them, but they were unable to make known its interpretation to me.
5 Finally Daniel—whose name was Belteshazzar after the name of my god and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods—came in before me and I told him the dream.
6 I said, “Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery baffles you. Consider my dream that I have seen and tell me its interpretation.
7 “These are the visions in my head while I was on my bed: I looked, and behold, there was a tree in the midst of the earth. Its height was enormous. 8 The tree grew large and became strong and its top reached to heaven; it was visible to the ends of the earth. 9 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit abundant, and on it was food for all. Beneath it the beasts of the field found shade and birds of the sky lived in its branches, and from it all creatures were fed.
10 “I was watching the visions in my mind while on my bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, descended from heaven. 11 He called loudly, saying:
‘Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit!
Let beasts flee from under it,
and birds from its branches.
12 Yet leave a stump with its roots in the earth,
in fetters of iron and bronze,
in the tender grass of the field.
Let him be damp with the dew of heaven,
and let his portion be with the animals in the grass of the earth.
13 Let his mind be altered from that of a man
and let an animal’s mind be given to him
and let seven periods of time pass over him.
14 This sentence is by the decree of the watchers,
this verdict by the command of the holy ones,
so that the living may know
that the Most High is sovereign over the realm of man
and bestows it to whomever He wishes,
and may set over them even the lowliest of men.’
15 “I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw this dream. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its meaning, for none of the wise men of my kingdom are able to make known to me its interpretation. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Interpretation: A King Eats Grass
16 Then Daniel, whose name is also Belteshazzar, was perplexed for a brief time; his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered, and said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or the interpretation disturb you.”
But Belteshazzar replied, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies! 17 The tree that you saw grow large and strong, whose top reached to heaven and that was visible to all the earth, 18 whose leaves were beautiful and whose fruit was so abundant that there was food for all in it and beneath which the beasts of the fields lived and in its branches birds of the sky dwelt—
11 But you, O man of God, flee from these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, perseverance, and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith! Take hold of the eternal life—you were called to it, and you made the good confession for it in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you before God who gives life to all things and Messiah Yeshua who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. 15 This He will reveal in His own time—the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords, [a] 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or is able to see.[b] To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
17 Direct those who are rich in this present age not to be proud or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches,[c] but rather on God—who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 Direct them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous, sharing, 19 storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so they might take hold of the true life.
20 O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning away from pointless chatter and the contradictions of so-called knowledge— 21 by professing it, some have missed the mark concerning the faith.
Grace be with you.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.