Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Michtam of David.

16 Preserve me, O God: for I trust in thee.

² Thou [my soul] hast said to Jehovah, Thou art the Lord: my goodness [extendeth] not to thee;—

³ To the saints that are on the earth, and to the excellent [thou hast said], In them is all my delight.

⁴ Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another: their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer, and I will not take up their names into my lips.

⁵ Jehovah is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.

⁶ The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

⁷ I will bless Jehovah, who giveth me counsel; even in the nights my reins instruct me.

⁸ I have set Jehovah continually before me; because [he is] at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹ Therefore my heart rejoiceth, and my glory exulteth; my flesh moreover shall dwell in hope.

¹⁰ For thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol, neither wilt thou allow thy Holy One to see corruption.

¹¹ Thou wilt make known to me the path of life: thy countenance is fulness of joy; at thy right hand are pleasures for evermore.

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, nor its interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and its interpretation to thine enemies!

²⁰ The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto the heavens, and the sight of it to all the earth;

²¹ whose leaves were beautiful, and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens had their habitation:

²² it is thou, O king, who art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto the heavens, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

²³ And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from the heavens, and saying, Hew the tree down, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be bathed with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him:

²⁴ this is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which cometh upon my lord the king:

²⁵ They shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and thou shalt be bathed with the dew of heaven; and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

²⁶ And whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom shall remain unto thee, after that thou shalt know that the heavens do rule.

²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

⁶ As therefore ye have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in him,

⁷ rooted and built up in him, and assured in the faith, even as ye have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

⁸ See that there be no one who shall lead *you* away as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the teaching of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.

⁹ For in him dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;

¹⁰ and ye are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and authority,

¹¹ in whom also ye have been circumcised with circumcision not done by hand, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ;

¹² buried with him in baptism, in which ye have been also raised with [him] through faith of the working of God who raised him from among the dead.

¹³ And you, being dead in offences and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has quickened together with him, having forgiven us all the offences;

¹⁴ having effaced the handwriting in ordinances which [stood out] against us, which was contrary to us, he has taken it also out of the way, having nailed it to the cross;

¹⁵ having spoiled principalities and authorities, he made a show of them publicly, leading them in triumph by it.