Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

133 (Shir HaMa’alot, of Dovid). Hinei, mah tov umah na’im shevet achim gahm yachad (how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity)!

² It is like the precious shemen upon the rosh, that ran down upon the beard, even Aharon’s beard; that went down to the collar of his robes;

³ As the tal of Chermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Tziyon; for there Hashem commanded the brocha, even Chayyim Ad Olam.

2 And in the second year of the reign of Nevuchadnetzar, Nevuchadnetzar dreamed chalomot (dreams), wherewith his ruach was troubled, and his sleep left him.

² Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Kasdim (Chaldeans) for to show the king his chalomot. So they came and stood before the king.

³ And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a chalom (dream) and my ruach was troubled to have da’as of the chalom (dream).

⁴ Then spoke the Kasdim (Chaldeans) to the king in Aramaic, O king, live for ever; tell thy servants the chalom (dream), and we will show the pesher (interpretation, explanation).

⁵ The king answered and said to the Kasdim (Chaldeans), The decision from me is firm; if ye will not give me da’as of the chalom (dream), with the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a pile of rubble;

⁶ But if ye show the chalom (dream), and the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor; therefore show me the chalom (dream), and the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof.

⁷ They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the chalom (dream), and we will show the pesher (interpretation, explanation) of it.

⁸ The king answered and said, I have da’as of certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the decision from me is firm.

⁹ But if ye will not give me da’as of the chalom (dream), there is but one decree for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the tide is turned; therefore tell me the chalom (dream), and I shall have da’as that ye can show me the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof.

¹⁰ The Kasdim (Chaldeans) answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter; therefore there is no melech, no matter how rav (great) or powerful, that asked such things of any magician, or enchanter, or Kasdai (Chaldean).

¹¹ And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the g-ds, whose dwelling is not with basar (flesh).

¹² For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the chachamim (wise men) of Babylon.

¹³ And the decree went forth that the chachamim should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his chaverim to be slain.

¹⁴ Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Aryoch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the chachamim of Babylon;

¹⁵ He answered and said to Aryoch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Aryoch made the thing known to Daniel.

¹⁶ Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the pesher (interpretation, explanation).

¹⁷ Then Daniel went to his bais, and made the decree known to Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah, his chaverim,

¹⁸ That they would plead for rachamim from the G-d of Shomayim concerning this raz (mystery, secret); that Daniel and his chaverim should not perish with the rest of the chachamim of Babylon.

¹⁹ Then was the raz revealed unto Daniel in a chazon of the lailah. Then Daniel said a brakhah to the G-d of Shomayim.

²⁰ Daniel answered and said, Baruch hashem Elohim l’olam va’ed; for chochmah (wisdom) and gevurah (might) are His;

²¹ And He changeth the times and the zmanim (seasons); He removeth melachim, and setteth up melachim; He giveth chochmah unto the chachamim, and da’as to them that know binah;

²² He revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth what is in the choshech, and the light dwelleth with Him.

²³ I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O Thou G-d of my fathers, Who hast given me chochmah and gevurah, and hast given unto me da’as now of what we desired of Thee; for Thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

²³ And, after having been released, the Moshiach’s Shlichim came to their own, and reported all the things the Rashei Hakohanim and the Zekenim had said to them.

²⁴ And having heard this, the people lifted their voices to Hashem with one mind, and said, "Rabbono Shel Olam, you are the one BARAH ES HASHOMAYIM V’ES HA’ARETZ and the yam and all that is in them, [BERESHIS 1:1; NECHEMYAH 9:6; IYOV 41:11; YESHAYAH 37:16; TEHILLIM 146:6; SHEMOT 20:11]

²⁵ "And You are the One Who by the Ruach Hakodesh through the mouth of Avinu Dovid Your eved, said, LAMMAH RAGESHU GOYIM UL’UMMIM YEHIGU RIK ("Why did the Goyim rage and the peoples plot vain and futile things?")

²⁶ YITYATZVU MALKHEI ERETZ V’ROZNIM NOSEDU YACHAD AL HASHEM V’AL MOSHIACHO (‘The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers assembled together against Hashem and against His Moshiach.') [TEHILLIM 2:1,2; DANIEL 9:25]

²⁷ "For be’emes (in truth) in this Ir (City), keneged (in opposition, against) Your Eved HaKadosh Yehoshua whom You did anoint, there were assembled both Herod and Pontius Pilate along with the Goyim and HaAm Yisroel, [TEHILLIM 61:1, 2:1f; YESHAYAH 53; ZECHARYAH 12:10]

²⁸ "To do whatever that was by Your hand and by Your ratzon (will) it was nigzar merosh (predestined) to occur.

²⁹ "And now, Adonoi, look upon their threats and grant that Your avadim may speak Your dvar with all ometz lev (courage, boldness), [TEHILLIM 138:3]

³⁰ "While You stretch out Your hand for refu’ah and otot and moftim to occur through the Shem of Your Eved HaKadosh Yehoshua."

³¹ And after they had davened, the place in which they had assembled was shaken and everyone was filled with the Ruach Hakodesh and they were speaking the dvar Hashem with ometz lev (courage, boldness).