Revised Common Lectionary (Complementary)

5 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. ² Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink therefrom. ³ Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. ⁴ They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

⁵ In the same hour came forth the fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. ⁶ Then the king’s ^[a]countenance was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. ⁷ The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. ⁸ Then came in all the king’s wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation. ⁹ Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were perplexed.

¹⁰ Now the queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house: the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever; let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed. ¹¹ There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, ^[b]the king, I say, thy father, made him master of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; ¹² forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

5 The elders therefore among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: ² Tend the flock of God which is among you, ^[a]exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, ^[b]according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; ³ neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. ^5 [c]Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; ⁷ casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. ⁸ Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: ⁹ whom withstand stedfast in ^[d]your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are ^[e]accomplished in your ^[f]brethren who are in the world. ¹⁰ And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself ^[g]perfect, establish, strengthen ^[h]you. ¹¹ To him be the dominion ^[i]for ever and ever. Amen.