Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Prayer for help in affliction.

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

8 In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me, Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first. ² And I saw in the vision; now it was so, that when I saw, I was in Shushan the ^[a]palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision, and I was by the river Ulai. ³ Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last. ⁴ I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no beasts could stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and magnified himself.

⁵ And as I was considering, behold, a he-goat came from the west over the face of the whole earth, and ^[b]touched not the ground: and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes. ⁶ And he came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and ran upon him in the fury of his power. ⁷ And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with anger against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him; but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled upon him; and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand. ⁸ And the he-goat magnified himself exceedingly: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four notable horns toward the four winds of heaven.

⁹ And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the glorious land. ¹⁰ And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled upon them. ¹¹ Yea, it magnified itself, even to the prince of the host; and ^[c]it took away from him the continual burnt-offering, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down. ¹² And ^[d]the host was given over to it together with the continual burnt-offering through transgression; and it cast down truth to the ground, and it did its pleasure and prospered. ¹³ Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy one said unto that certain one who spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the continual burnt-offering, and the transgression that maketh desolate, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot? ¹⁴ And he said unto me, Unto two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings; then shall the sanctuary be ^[e]cleansed.

²⁶ For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more a sacrifice for sins, ²⁷ but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and a ^[a]fierceness of fire which shall devour the adversaries. ²⁸ A man that hath set at nought Moses’ law dieth without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses: ²⁹ of how much sorer punishment, think ye, shall he be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified ^[b]an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him that said, ^[c]Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, ^[d]The Lord shall judge his people. ³¹ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.