Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 13

For the choir director; a psalm by David.

¹⁵ Now as I, Daniel, watched the vision and tried to understand it, I saw someone who looked like a man standing in front of me. ¹⁶ I heard a man in Ulai Gate call loudly, “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.”

¹⁷ Gabriel came up beside me, and when he came, I was terrified and immediately knelt down.

He said to me, “Son of man, understand that the vision is about the end times.” ¹⁸ As he spoke to me, I fainted facedown on the ground, but he touched me and made me stand up. ¹⁹ He said, “I will tell you what will happen in the last days, the time of God’s anger, because the end time has been determined.

²⁰ “The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kingdoms of Media and Persia. ²¹ The hairy male goat is the kingdom of Greece, and the large horn between its eyes is its first king. ²² The horn broke off, and four horns replaced it. Four kingdoms will come out of that nation, but they won’t be as strong as the first king was.

²³ “In the last days of those kingdoms, when rebellions are finished, a stern-looking king who understands mysterious things will rise to power. ²⁴ He will become very strong, but not by his own strength. He will cause astounding destruction and will be successful in everything he does. He will destroy those who are powerful along with some holy people. ²⁵ He will cleverly use his power to deceive others successfully. He will consider himself to be great and destroy many people when they don’t expect it. He will oppose the Commander of Commanders, but he will be defeated, though not by any human power. ²⁶ The vision about the 2,300 evenings and mornings that was explained to you is true. Seal the vision, because it is about things that will happen in the distant future.”

²⁷ I, Daniel, was exhausted and sick for days. Then I got up and worked for the king. The vision horrified me because I couldn’t understand it.

³² Remember the past, when you first learned the truth. You endured a lot of hardship and pain. ³³ At times you were publicly insulted and mistreated. At times you associated with people who were treated this way. ³⁴ You suffered with prisoners. You were cheerful even though your possessions were stolen, since you know that you have a better and more permanent possession.^[a]

³⁵ So don’t lose your confidence. It will bring you a great reward. ³⁶ You need endurance so that after you have done what God wants you to do, you can receive what he has promised.

³⁹ We don’t belong with those who turn back and are destroyed. Instead, we belong with those who have faith and are saved.