Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Jehovah the psalmist’s portion in life and deliverer in death.

Michtam of David.

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken dumb for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine adversaries. ²⁰ The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth; ²¹ whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was food for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the birds of the heavens had their habitation: ²² it is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. ²³ And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet 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 is come upon my lord the king: ²⁵ that thou shalt be driven from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee; till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. ²⁶ And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule. ²⁷ Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and ^[a]break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor; if there may be ^[b]a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

⁶ As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and builded up in him, and established ^[a]in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding ^[b]in thanksgiving.

^8 [c]Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the ^[d]rudiments of the world, and not after Christ: ⁹ for in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, ¹⁰ and in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power: ¹¹ in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ; ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses; ¹⁴ having blotted out ^[e]the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross; ^15 [f]having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.