Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Excellency of Brotherly Unity.
A Song of Ascents, of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For (A)brothers to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious (B)oil upon the head,
Coming down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard,
Coming down upon the (C)edge of his robes.
3 It is like the (D)dew of (E)Hermon
Coming down upon the (F)mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord (G)commanded the blessing—(H)life forever.
The King’s Forgotten Dream
2 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar [a](A)had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his (B)sleep [b]left him. 2 Then the king [c]gave orders to call in the [d](C)magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the [e]Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I [f](D)had a dream and my spirit [g]is anxious to [h]understand the dream.”
4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in [i](E)Aramaic: “(F)O king, live forever! (G)Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “[j]The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be [k](H)torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. 6 But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me (I)gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king (J)tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 8 The king replied, “I know for certain that you are [l]bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that [m]the command from me is firm, 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only (K)one [n]decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt [o]words before me until the [p]situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may (L)know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered [q]the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter [r]for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any [s](M)magician, conjurer or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the thing which the king demands is [t]difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it [u]to the king except (N)gods, whose (O)dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.”
12 Because of this the king became (P)indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the [v]decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for (Q)Daniel and his friends to [w]kill them.
14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to (R)Arioch, the captain of the king’s [x]bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; 15 he said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the [y]decree from the king so [z]urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. 16 So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would [aa]give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, (S)Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, 18 so that they might (T)request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be (U)destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
The Secret Is Revealed to Daniel
19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night (V)vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; 20 Daniel said,
“Let the name of God be (W)blessed forever and ever,
For (X)wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 “It is He who (Y)changes the times and the epochs;
He (Z)removes kings and [ab]establishes kings;
He gives (AA)wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to [ac]men of understanding.
22 “It is He who (AB)reveals the profound and hidden things;
(AC)He knows what is in the darkness,
And the (AD)light dwells with Him.
23 “To You, O (AE)God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me (AF)wisdom and power;
Even now You have made known to me what we (AG)requested of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s matter.”
23 When they had been released, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, “O [a]Lord, it is You who (A)made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 25 who (B)by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father David Your servant, said,
‘(C)Why did the [b]Gentiles rage,
And the peoples devise futile things?
26 ‘(D)The kings of the earth [c]took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His [d](E)Christ.’
27 For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy [e](F)servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both (G)Herod and (H)Pontius Pilate, along with (I)the [f]Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and (J)Your purpose predestined to occur. 29 And [g]now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may (K)speak Your word with all (L)confidence, 30 while You extend Your hand to heal, and [h](M)signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy [i](N)servant Jesus.” 31 And when they had prayed, the (O)place where they had gathered together was shaken, and they were all (P)filled with the Holy Spirit and began to (Q)speak the word of God with (R)boldness.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.