Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

A Prayer of Confidence^[a]

⁴ “I was living comfortably in my palace, enjoying great prosperity. ⁵ But I had a frightening dream and saw terrifying visions while I was asleep. ⁶ I ordered all the royal advisers in Babylon to be brought to me so that they could tell me what the dream meant. ⁷ Then all the fortunetellers, magicians, wizards, and astrologers were brought in, and I told them my dream, but they could not explain it to me. ⁸ Then Daniel came in. (He is also called Belteshazzar, after the name of my god.) The spirit of the holy gods^[a] is in him, so I told him what I had dreamed. I said to him: ⁹ Belteshazzar, chief of the fortunetellers, I know that the spirit of the holy gods^[b] is in you and that you understand all mysteries. This is^[c] my dream. Tell me what it means.

¹⁰ “While I was asleep, I had a vision of a huge tree in the middle of the earth. ¹¹ It grew bigger and bigger until it reached the sky and could be seen by everyone in the world. ¹² Its leaves were beautiful, and it was loaded down with fruit—enough for the whole world to eat. Wild animals rested in its shade, birds built nests in its branches, and every kind of living being ate its fruit.

¹³ “While I was thinking about the vision, I saw coming down from heaven an angel, alert and watchful. ¹⁴ He proclaimed in a loud voice, ‘Cut the tree down and chop off its branches; strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Drive the animals from under it and the birds out of its branches. ¹⁵ But leave the stump in the ground with a band of iron and bronze around it. Leave it there in the field with the grass.

“‘Now let the dew fall on this man, and let him live with the animals and the plants. ¹⁶ For seven years he will not have a human mind, but the mind of an animal. ¹⁷ This is the decision of the alert and watchful angels. So then, let all people everywhere know that the Supreme God has power over human kingdoms and that he can give them to anyone he chooses—even to those who are least important.’

¹⁸ “This is the dream I had,” said King Nebuchadnezzar. “Now, Belteshazzar, tell me what it means. None of my royal advisers could tell me, but you can, because the spirit of the holy gods^[d] is in you.”

Personal Instructions

¹¹ But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness. ¹² Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses. ^13 (A)Before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who firmly professed his faith before Pontius Pilate, I command you ¹⁴ to obey your orders and keep them faithfully until the Day when our Lord Jesus Christ will appear. ¹⁵ His appearing will be brought about at the right time by God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. ¹⁶ He alone is immortal; he lives in the light that no one can approach. No one has ever seen him; no one can ever see him. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment. ¹⁸ Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others. ¹⁹ In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life.

²⁰ Timothy, keep safe what has been entrusted to your care. Avoid the profane talk and foolish arguments of what some people wrongly call “Knowledge.” ²¹ For some have claimed to possess it, and as a result they have lost the way of faith.

God's grace be with you all.