Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
You Will Not Abandon My Soul
A (A)Miktam[a] of David.
16 Preserve me, O God, for in you I (B)take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord;
(C)I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for (D)the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.[b]
4 The sorrows of those who run after[c] another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or (E)take their names on my lips.
5 The Lord is (F)my chosen portion and my (G)cup;
you hold my (H)lot.
6 (I)The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.
7 I bless the Lord who (J)gives me counsel;
in (K)the night also my (L)heart instructs me.[d]
8 (M)I have (N)set the Lord always before me;
because he is at my (O)right hand, I shall not be (P)shaken.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my (Q)whole being[e] rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
10 For you will not abandon my soul to (R)Sheol,
(S)or let your (T)holy one see (U)corruption.[f]
11 You make known to me (V)the path of life;
in your presence there is (W)fullness of joy;
at your right hand are (X)pleasures for evermore.
Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream
4 [a] I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and (A)the visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So (B)I made a decree that (C)all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then (D)the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but (E)they could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named (F)Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is (G)the spirit of the holy gods[b]—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, (H)chief of the magicians, because I know that (I)the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no (J)mystery is too difficult for you, tell me (K)the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 (L)The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and (M)behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 (N)The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 (O)Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. (P)The beasts of the field found shade under it, and (Q)the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
13 “I saw in (R)the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, (S)a watcher, (T)a holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He (U)proclaimed aloud and said thus: (V)‘Chop down the tree and (W)lop off its branches, (X)strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. (Y)Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; (Z)and let seven periods of time (AA)pass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of (AB)the watchers, the decision by the word of (AC)the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High (AD)rules the kingdom of men (AE)and gives it to whom he will and (AF)sets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O (AG)Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because (AH)all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for (AI)the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”
Fight the Good Fight of Faith
11 But as for you, (A)O man of God, (B)flee these things. (C)Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. 12 (D)Fight the good fight of the faith. (E)Take hold of the eternal life (F)to which you were called and about which you made (G)the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 (H)I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, (I)who in his testimony before[a] Pontius Pilate made (J)the good confession, 14 to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until (K)the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which he will display (L)at the proper time—he who is (M)the blessed and only Sovereign, (N)the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 (O)who alone has immortality, (P)who dwells in (Q)unapproachable light, (R)whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
17 As for the rich in (S)this present age, charge them (T)not to be haughty, nor (U)to set their hopes on (V)the uncertainty of riches, but on God, (W)who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 18 They are to do good, (X)to be rich in good works, to be generous and (Y)ready to share, 19 thus (Z)storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may (AA)take hold of (AB)that which is truly life.
20 O Timothy, guard the deposit entrusted to you. (AC)Avoid the (AD)irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called “knowledge”, 21 for by professing it some have swerved from the faith.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.