Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)
The Lord the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death.
A [a]Mikhtam of David.
16 (A)Preserve me, O God, for (B)I take refuge in You.
2 [b]I said to the Lord, “You are [c]my Lord;
I (C)have no good besides You.”
3 As for the [d](D)saints who are in the earth,
[e]They are the majestic ones (E)in whom is all my delight.
4 The [f](F)sorrows of those who have [g]bartered for another god will be multiplied;
I shall not pour out their drink offerings of (G)blood,
Nor will I (H)take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is the (I)portion of my inheritance and my (J)cup;
You support my (K)lot.
6 The (L)lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my heritage is (M)beautiful to me.
7 I will bless the Lord who has (N)counseled me;
Indeed, my [h](O)mind instructs me in the night.
8 (P)I have (Q)set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is (R)at my right hand, (S)I will not be shaken.
9 Therefore (T)my heart is glad and (U)my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will (V)dwell securely.
10 For You (W)will not abandon my soul to [i]Sheol;
Nor will You [j](X)allow Your [k]Holy One to [l]undergo decay.
11 You will make known to me (Y)the path of life;
In (Z)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are (AA)pleasures forever.
The Vision of a Great Tree
4 “[a]I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and (A)flourishing in my palace. 5 I saw a (B)dream and it made me fearful; and these fantasies as I lay on my bed and the (C)visions [b]in my mind kept alarming me. 6 So I gave orders to (D)bring into my presence all the wise men of Babylon, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then the [c](E)magicians, the conjurers, the [d]Chaldeans and the diviners came in and I related the dream [e]to them, but they could not make its (F)interpretation known to me. 8 But finally Daniel came in before me, whose name is (G)Belteshazzar according to the name of my god, and in whom is [f](H)a spirit of the holy gods; and I related the dream [g]to him, saying, 9 ‘O Belteshazzar, (I)chief of the magicians, since I know that (J)a spirit of the holy gods is in you and (K)no mystery baffles you, (L)tell me the visions of my dream which I have seen, along with its interpretation.
10 ‘Now these were the (M)visions [h]in my mind as I lay on my bed: I was looking, and behold, there was a (N)tree in the midst of the [i]earth and its height was great.
11 ‘The tree grew large and became strong
And its height (O)reached to the sky,
And it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
12 ‘Its foliage was (P)beautiful and its fruit abundant,
And in it was food for all.
The (Q)beasts of the field found (R)shade under it,
And the (S)birds of the sky dwelt in its branches,
And all [j]living creatures fed themselves from it.
13 ‘I was looking in the (T)visions [k]in my mind as I lay on my bed, and behold, (U)an angelic watcher, a (V)holy one, descended from heaven.
14 ‘He shouted out and spoke as follows:
(W)Chop down the tree and cut off its branches,
Strip off its foliage and scatter its fruit;
Let the (X)beasts flee from under it
And the birds from its branches.
15 “Yet (Y)leave the stump [l]with its roots in the ground,
But with a band of iron and bronze around it
In the new grass of the field;
And let him be drenched with the dew of heaven,
And let [m]him share with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
16 “Let his [n]mind be changed from that of a man
And let a beast’s [o]mind be given to him,
And let (Z)seven [p]periods of time pass over him.
17 “This sentence is by the decree of the angelic watchers
And the decision is a command of the holy ones,
In order that the living may (AA)know
That the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind,
And (AB)bestows it on whom He wishes
And sets over it the (AC)lowliest of men.”
18 This is the dream which I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belteshazzar, tell me its interpretation, inasmuch as none of the (AD)wise men of my kingdom is able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able, for a (AE)spirit of the holy gods is in you.’
11 But (A)flee from these things, you (B)man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, (C)faith, (D)love, [a]perseverance and gentleness. 12 (E)Fight the good fight of (F)faith; (G)take hold of the eternal life (H)to which you were called, and you made the good (I)confession in the presence of (J)many witnesses. 13 (K)I charge you in the presence of God, who [b]gives life to all things, and of (L)Christ Jesus, who testified the (M)good confession (N)before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the (O)appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 which He will [c]bring about at (P)the proper time—He who is (Q)the blessed and (R)only Sovereign, (S)the King of [d]kings and (T)Lord of [e]lords, 16 (U)who alone possesses immortality and (V)dwells in unapproachable light, (W)whom no man has seen or can see. (X)To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
17 Instruct those who are rich in (Y)this present world (Z)not to be conceited or to (AA)fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, (AB)who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. 18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in (AC)good [f]works, (AD)to be generous and ready to share, 19 (AE)storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may (AF)take hold of that which is life indeed.
20 O (AG)Timothy, guard (AH)what has been entrusted to you, avoiding (AI)worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge”— 21 which some have professed and thus (AJ)gone astray [g]from (AK)the faith.
(AL)Grace be with you.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.