Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
How Long, O Lord?
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
13 (A)How long, O Lord? Will you (B)forget me for ever?
How long will you (C)hide your face from me?
2 How long must I take (D)counsel in my soul
and have sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 (E)Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
(F)light up my eyes, lest (G)I sleep the sleep of death,
4 (H)lest my enemy say, “I have prevailed over him”,
lest my foes rejoice because I am (I)shaken.
5 But I have (J)trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall (K)rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.
The Interpretation of the Vision
15 When I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I (A)sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me one having (B)the appearance of a man. 16 (C)And I heard a man's voice (D)between the banks of the (E)Ulai, and it called, (F)“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.” 17 So he came near where I stood. And when he came, (G)I was frightened (H)and fell on my face. But he said to me, “Understand, (I)O son of man, that the vision is for (J)the time of the end.”
18 And when he had spoken to me, (K)I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground. But (L)he touched me and made me stand up. 19 He said, “Behold, I will make known to you what shall be at the latter end of (M)the indignation, for it refers to (N)the appointed time of the end. 20 As for (O)the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of (P)Media and Persia. 21 And (Q)the goat[a] is the king of Greece. And (R)the great horn between his eyes is (S)the first king. 22 (T)As for the horn that was broken, in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his[b] nation, (U)but not with his power. 23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold countenance, one who understands riddles, shall arise. 24 His power shall be great—(V)but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction (W)and shall succeed in what he does, (X)and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. 25 (Y)By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind (Z)he shall become great. (AA)Without warning he shall destroy many. And he (AB)shall even rise up against the Prince of princes, and he shall be broken—but (AC)by no human hand. 26 The vision of (AD)the evenings and the mornings that has been told (AE)is true, but (AF)seal up the vision, (AG)for it refers to many days from now.”
27 And (AH)I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision (AI)and did not understand it.
32 But recall the former days when, after (A)you were enlightened, you endured (B)a hard struggle with sufferings, 33 sometimes being (C)publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. 34 For (D)you had compassion on those in prison, and (E)you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had (F)a better possession and an abiding one. 35 Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has (G)a great reward. 36 For (H)you have need of endurance, so that (I)when you have done the will of God you may (J)receive what is promised. 37 For,
(K)“Yet a little while,
and (L)the coming one will come and will not delay;
38 (M)but my righteous one shall live by faith,
and if he shrinks back,
my soul has no pleasure in him.”
39 But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.