Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
8 Lord God of Armies, hear my prayer;
listen, God of Jacob.(A)Selah
9 Consider our shield,[a] God;(B)
look on the face of your anointed one.(C)
10 Better a day in your courts
than a thousand anywhere else.
I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of my God
than live in the tents of wicked people.(D)
11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield.(E)
The Lord grants favor and honor;
he does not withhold the good
from those who live with integrity.(F)
12 Happy is the person who trusts in you,
Lord of Armies!(G)
Belshazzar’s Feast
5 King Belshazzar(A) held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. 2 Under the influence of[a] the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels(B) that his predecessor[b] Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold[c] vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem,(C) and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.(D)
The Handwriting on the Wall
5 At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand[d] that was writing, 6 his face turned pale,[e] and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself[f] and his knees knocked together. 7 The king shouted to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck,(E) and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” 8 So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him. 9 Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale,[g] and his nobles were bewildered.(F)
10 Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen[h] came to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.[i](G) 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has a spirit of the holy gods in him.(H) In the days of your predecessor he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. Your own predecessor, the king, 12 did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and intelligence, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems.[j](I) Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.”
About the Elders
5 I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness(A) to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed:(B) 2 Shepherd God’s flock among you,(C) not overseeing[a] out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you;[b] not out of greed for money but eagerly; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd(D) appears, you will receive the unfading crown(E) of glory. 5 In the same way, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. All of you clothe yourselves with[c] humility toward one another, because
Conclusion
6 Humble(G) yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand(H) of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you.(I) 8 Be sober-minded,(J) be alert.(K) Your adversary the devil(L) is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him,(M) firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world.
10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory(N) in Christ,[e] will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.[f] 11 To him be dominion[g] forever.[h] Amen.
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.