Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
16 (0) Mikhtam. By David:
(1) Protect me, God,
for you are my refuge.
2 I said to Adonai, “You are my Lord;
I have nothing good outside of you.”
3 The holy people in the land are the ones
who are worthy of honor; all my pleasure is in them.
4 Those who run after another god
multiply their sorrows;
To such gods I will not offer
drink offerings of blood
or take their names on my lips.
5 Adonai, my assigned portion, my cup:
you safeguard my share.
6 Pleasant places were measured out for me;
I am content with my heritage.
7 I bless Adonai, my counselor;
at night my inmost being instructs me.
8 I always set Adonai before me;
with him at my right hand, I can never be moved;
9 so my heart is glad, my glory rejoices,
and my body too rests in safety;
10 for you will not abandon me to Sh’ol,
you will not let your faithful one see the Abyss.
11 You make me know the path of life;
in your presence is unbounded joy,
in your right hand eternal delight.
4 (7) When the magicians, exorcists, astrologers and diviners came, I told them the dream; but they couldn’t interpret it for me. 5 (8) Finally, however, Dani’el (renamed Belt’shatzar, after the name of my god), in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, came before me; and I told him the dream: 6 (9) ‘Belt’shatzar, chief of the magicians! Because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the meaning of the visions I saw in my dream. 7 (10) Here are the visions I had in my head as I lay on my bed: I looked, and there before me was a tree at the center of the earth; it was very tall. 8 (11) The tree grew and became strong until its crown reached the sky, and it could be seen from anywhere on earth. 9 (12) Its foliage was beautiful and its fruit abundant; it produced enough food for everyone. The wild animals enjoyed its shade, the birds in the air lived in its branches, and it gave food to every living creature. 10 (13) I looked in the visions of my head as I lay on my bed, and there appeared a holy watcher coming down from heaven. 11 (14) He cried out:
“‘“Cut down the tree, cut off its branches,
strip off its leaves, scatter its fruit!
Let the wild animals flee from its shelter!
Let the birds abandon its branches!
12 (15) But leave the stump with its roots in the ground,
with a band of iron and bronze,
in the lush grass of the countryside;
let him be drenched with dew from the sky
and share the lot of animals in the pasture;
13 (16) let his heart and mind cease to be human
and become those of an animal;
and let seven seasons pass over him.
14 (17) “‘“This order is issued by the watchers,
the sentence is announced by the holy ones,
so that all who live may know
that the Most High rules the human kingdom,
that he gives it to whomever he wishes
and can raise up over it the lowliest of mortals.”
15 (18) “‘This is the dream which I, King N’vukhadnetzar, saw. Now you, Belt’shatzar, tell me its interpretation. None of the sages of my kingdom can tell me the interpretation, but you can do it, because the spirit of the holy gods is in you.’
16 (19) “Dani’el, whose name was Belt’shatzar, was in shock awhile, frightened by his thoughts. The king said, ‘Belt’shatzar, don’t let the dream or the interpretation frighten you.’ Belt’shatzar answered, ‘My lord, if only the dream were about those who hate you, and the interpretation about your enemies! 17 (20) The tree you saw which grew and became strong until its crown reached the sky, and it could be seen throughout the whole earth, 18 (21) that had beautiful foliage and abundant fruit, enough to feed everyone, under which the wild animals lived, and on whose branches the birds in the air built their nests —
11 But you, as a man of God, flee from these things; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faithfulness, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith, take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you testified so well to your faith before many witnesses. 13 I charge you before God, who gives life to all things, and before the Messiah Yeshua, who in his witness to Pontius Pilate gave the same good testimony, 14 to obey your commission spotlessly and irreproachably until our Lord Yeshua the Messiah appears. 15 His appearing will be brought about in its own time by the blessed and sole Sovereign, who is King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone is immortal, who dwells in unapproachable light that no human being has ever seen or can see — to him be honor and eternal power. Amen.
17 As for those who do have riches in this present world, charge them not to be proud and not to let their hopes rest on the uncertainties of riches but to rest their hopes on God, who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. 18 Charge them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous and ready to share. 19 In this way they will treasure up for themselves a good foundation for the future, so that they may lay hold of the real life.
20 Oh, Timothy! Keep safe what has been entrusted to you. Turn away from the ungodly babblings and the argumentative opposition of what is falsely called “knowledge.” 21 For many who promise this “knowledge” have missed the mark, as far as the faith is concerned. Grace be with you.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.