Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Poem by David.

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stricken mute for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king answered, “Belteshazzar, don’t let the dream or the interpretation, trouble you.”

Belteshazzar answered, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you, and its interpretation to your adversaries. ²⁰ The tree that you saw, which grew and was strong, whose height reached to the sky and its sight to all the earth; ²¹ whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit plentiful, and in it was food for all; under which the animals of the field lived, and on whose branches the birds of the sky had their habitation— ²² it is you, O king, that have grown and become strong; for your greatness has grown, and reaches to the sky, and your dominion to the end of the earth.

²³ “Whereas the king saw a holy watcher coming down from the sky and saying, ‘Cut down the tree, and destroy it; nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of the sky. Let his portion be with the animals of the field, until seven times pass over him.’

²⁴ “This is the interpretation, O king, and it is the decree of the Most High, which has come on my lord the king: ²⁵ You will be driven from men and your dwelling shall be with the animals of the field. You will be made to eat grass as oxen, and will be wet with the dew of the sky, and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever he will. ²⁶ Whereas it was commanded to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be sure to you after you know that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your tranquility.”

⁶ As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

⁸ Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elemental spirits of the world, and not after Christ. ⁹ For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power. ¹¹ In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ Having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.