Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

Psalm 16

A Miktam of David.

Daniel Interprets the Dream

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for a while, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, “Belteshazzar, do not let the dream, or its interpretation, trouble you.”

Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, if only the dream was for those who hate you, and its interpretation for your enemies! ²⁰ The tree that you saw, which grew and became strong, whose height reached to the heavens, and was visible to all the earth, ²¹ and whose leaves were fair, and its fruit much, and in it was food for all, under which the animals of the field lived, and upon whose branches the fowl of the heavens had their habitation: ²² It is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.

²³ “Whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut the tree down and destroy it, yet leave the stump of its roots in the ground, even with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. And let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the animals of the field until seven periods of time pass over it’—

²⁴ “This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king: ²⁵ You shall be driven away from men, and your dwelling shall be with the wild animals. You shall be given grass to eat like oxen, and wet with the dew of heaven. And seven times shall pass over you, until you have learned that the Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He chooses. ²⁶ Inasmuch as they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots, your kingdom shall be assured to you after you acknowledge that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you, and break off your sins by righteousness and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Fullness of Life in Christ

⁶ As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, ⁷ rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, and abounding with thanksgiving.

⁸ Beware lest anyone captivate you through philosophy and vain deceit, in the tradition of men and the elementary principles of the world, and not after Christ.

⁹ For in Him lives all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. ¹⁰ And you are complete in Him, who is the head of all authority and power. ¹¹ In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² buried with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised with Him through the faith of the power of God, who has raised Him from the dead.

¹³ And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has resurrected together with Him, having forgiven you all sins. ¹⁴ He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us and contrary to us, and He took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ And having disarmed authorities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them by the cross.