Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 16

Confidence in the Lord

A Davidic Miktam.^(A)

The Dream Interpreted

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was stunned for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or its interpretation alarm you.”

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!^{(A) 20} The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth, ²¹ whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant—and on it was food for all, under it the wild animals lived, and in its branches the birds of the air lived— ²² that tree is you, the king. For you have become great and strong: your greatness has grown and even reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.^(B)

²³ “The king saw an observer, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground and with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky, and share food with the wild animals for seven periods of time.’ ²⁴ This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the sentence of the Most High that has been passed against my lord the king:^{(C) 25} You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals. You will feed on grass like cattle^(D) and be drenched with dew from the sky for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wants.^{(E) 26} As for the command to leave the tree’s stump with its roots, your kingdom will be restored^[a] to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven^[b] rules.^{(F) 27} Therefore, may my advice seem good to you my king. Separate yourself from your sins by doing what is right,^(G) and from your injustices by showing mercy to the needy.^(H) Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”^(I)

⁶ Therefore, as you have received^(A) Christ Jesus the Lord,^(B) walk in Him, ⁷ rooted and built up in Him^(C) and established in the faith, just as you were taught,^(D) overflowing with gratitude.

⁸ Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition,^(E) based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.^{(F) 9} For the entire fullness^(G) of God’s nature^[a] dwells bodily^[b] in Christ, ¹⁰ and you have been filled by Him, who is the head^(H) over every ruler and authority. ¹¹ You were also circumcised in Him with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh,^(I) in the circumcision of the Messiah.^{[c](J) 12} Having been buried with Him^(K) in baptism, you were also raised with Him^(L) through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.^{(M) 13} And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive with Him and forgave us all our trespasses. ¹⁴ He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.^{(N) 15} He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; He triumphed over them by Him.^[d](O)