Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

A Song of degrees of David.

¹ ¶ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

² It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that runs down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that goes down to the skirts of his garments;

³ as the dew of Hermon, that descends upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commands blessing and eternal life.

2 ¶ And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, with which his spirit was troubled, and his sleep fled from him.

² Then the king commanded to call magicians, astrologers, enchanters, and Chaldeans, that they might show the king his dreams. So they came and presented themselves before the king.

³ And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.

⁴ Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever; tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.

⁵ The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from my memory; if ye will not make known unto me the dream with its interpretation, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

⁶ But if ye show the dream and its interpretation, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore show me the dream, and its interpretation.

⁷ They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it.

⁸ The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain time because ye see the thing is gone from my memory.

⁹ But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you for ye certainly prepare lying and corrupt words to speak before me, until the time is changed; therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me its interpretation.

¹⁰ The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter; furthermore there is no king, prince, nor lord that asked such a thing of any magician or astrologer or Chaldean.

¹¹ Finally, the thing that the king requires is singular, and there is no one that can show it before the king except the angels of God, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

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

¹³ And the decree went forth, and the wise men were taken to be slain, and they sought Daniel and his fellows to kill them.

¹⁴ ¶ Then Daniel spoke with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king’s guard, who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁵ He spoke and said to Arioch the king’s captain, What is the reason for which this decree has gone forth from the king with such haste? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

¹⁶ And Daniel went in, and asked the king that he give him time and that he would show the king the interpretation.

¹⁷ Then Daniel went to his house and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

¹⁸ to petition mercies of the God of heaven concerning this mystery and that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁹ Then the mystery was revealed unto Daniel in a night vision for which Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

²⁰ And Daniel spoke and said, Blessed be the name of God from age to age for wisdom and might are his;

²¹ and it is he that changes the times and the opportunities; he removes kings and sets up kings; he gives wisdom unto the wise and knowledge unto those that know understanding:

²² He reveals that which is deep and hidden; he knows what is in darkness, and the light dwells with him.

²³ Unto thee, O God of my fathers, do I confess and give thee praise that thou hast given me wisdom and might and now hast shown me what we asked of thee, for thou hast shown us the king’s matter.

²³ ¶ And being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the princes of the priests and the elders had said unto them.

²⁴ And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord, thou art the God, who hast made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them,

²⁵ who (in the Holy Spirit) by the mouth of thy servant David (our father) hast said, Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples imagine vain things?

²⁶ The kings of the earth were present, and the princes were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ.

²⁷ For of a truth against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together (in this city),

²⁸ to do that which thy hand and thy counsel had determined beforehand must be done.

²⁹ And now, Lord, behold their threatenings and grant unto thy slaves that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

³⁰ that thou might stretch forth thine hand so that healings and signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy slave Jesus.

³¹ And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.