Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
135 Alleluia. Praise ye the name of the Lord; ye servants of the Lord, praise ye (him).
2 Ye that stand in the house of the Lord; in the halls/in the foreyards of the house of our God. (Ye who stand in the House of the Lord; in the courtyards of the House of our God.)
3 Praise ye the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing ye to his name, for it is sweet (for it is pleasant to do so).
4 For the Lord chose Jacob to himself; [and] Israel into possession to himself. (For the Lord chose Jacob for himself; yea, he chose Israel as his special possession.)
5 For I have known, that the Lord is great; and our God (is) before all gods. (For I know that the Lord is great; and that our God is above all gods.)
6 The Lord made all things, whatever things he would, in heaven and in earth; in the sea, and in all depths of waters. (The Lord made everything, whatever he desired, in heaven and on earth; in the sea, and in all the depths of the waters.)
7 He led out clouds from the farthest part of earth; and made lightnings into rain. Which bringeth forth winds from his treasures; (He leadeth out the clouds from the farthest parts of the earth; and maketh lightning for the rains. He bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries, or out of his storehouses.)
8 which killed the first begotten things of Egypt, from man unto beast. (He killed all the first-born in Egypt, both man and beast.)
9 He sent out signs and great wonders, in the middle of thee, thou Egypt; into Pharaoh, and into all his servants. (He sent out signs and great wonders, into the midst of thee, O Egypt; against Pharaoh, and all his servants.)
10 Which smote many folks; and killed strong kings. (Who struck down many nations; and killed strong kings.)
11 Sihon, the king of Amorites, and Og, the king of Bashan; and all the realms of Canaan (and all the kings in Canaan).
12 And he gave the land of them heritage; to be heritage to Israel, his people. (And he gave their land for an inheritance; yea, to be an inheritance for his people Israel.)
13 Lord, thy name is [into] without end; Lord, thy memorial be in generation and into generation. (Lord, thy name shall endure forever; Lord, thou shalt be remembered by all generations.)
14 For the Lord shall deem his people; and he shall be prayed in his servants. (For the Lord shall judge his people; and he shall take pity upon his servants.)
15 The simulacra of heathen men be silver and gold; the works of the hands of men. (The idols of the heathen be but silver and gold; yea, the works of men’s hands.)
16 Those images have a mouth, and shall not speak; those have eyes, and shall not see. (Those idols have mouths, but they cannot speak; they have eyes, but they cannot see.)
17 Those have ears, and shall not hear; for there is no spirit in the mouth of them. (They have ears, but they cannot hear; for there is no breath in their mouths.)
18 They that make those [things], be made like them; and all that trust in them. (Let they who make those things, be made like them; and all who trust in them as well.)
19 The house of Israel, bless ye the Lord; the house of Aaron, bless ye the Lord.
20 The house of Levi, bless ye the Lord; ye that dread the Lord, bless ye the Lord (ye who fear the Lord/ye who revere the Lord, bless ye the Lord).
21 Blessed be the Lord (out) of Zion; that dwelleth in Jerusalem. (Blessed be the Lord in Zion; yea, he who dwelleth in Jerusalem.)
6 It pleased Darius, and he ordained sixscore dukes over the realm, that they should be in all his realm. (And it pleased Darius, and he ordained one hundred and twenty governors over the kingdom, and that they should be throughout all his kingdom.)
2 And over them he ordained three princes, of which Daniel was one; that the dukes should yield reason to them, and that the king should not suffer any dis-ease. (And over them he ordained three princes, of whom Daniel was one; so that the governors could report to them, and so that the king need not suffer any distress.)
3 Therefore Daniel overcame all the princes and dukes, for [the] more spirit of God was in him. Certainly the king thought to ordain him on all the realm. (And soon Daniel outshone the other princes, and the governors, for he had more God-given ability than any of the others. And the king decided to ordain him over all the kingdom.)
4 Wherefore (the) princes and dukes, either prefects, sought to find occasion to Daniel, of the side of the king; and they might find no cause and suspicion, for he was faithful, and no blame and suspicion was found in him. (And so the other princes, and the governors, or the prefects, sought to find occasion against Daniel, who stood at the king’s side; but they could find no cause, or reason, for suspicion about him, for he was faithful, and so no blame or suspicion was found in him.)
5 Therefore those men said, We shall not find any occasion to this Daniel, no but in hap in the law of his God. (And so those men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except perhaps in regard to the Law of his God.)
6 Then the princes and dukes made false suggestion to the king, and spake thus to him, King Darius, live thou without end. (And then the princes and the governors made a sly suggestion to the king, and they said to him, King Darius, may thou live forever!)
7 All the princes of thy realm, and magistrates, and dukes, senators, and judges, have made a counsel, that a decree and commandment of the emperor go out, that each man that asketh any asking of whatever god and man, till to thirty days, no but of thee, thou king, he be sent into the pit of lions. (All the princes of thy kingdom, and the magistrates, and governors, and senators, and judges, have taken counsel, and agree that a decree and a command, or an order, of the emperor should go out, that for thirty days, anyone who asketh anything of any god or any man, except of thee, O king, that that person should be sent into the lions’ pit.)
8 Now therefore, king, confirm thou the sentence, and write thou the decree, that this that is ordained of Medes and Persians be not changed, neither be it leaveful to any man to break. (And so now, O king, confirm thou the matter, and write thou the decree, that what is ordained by the Medes and the Persians be not changed, nor be it lawful for anyone to break it.)
9 Forsooth Darius, the king, setted forth, and confirmed the decree. (And so King Darius put forth, and confirmed the decree.)
10 And when Daniel had found (out) this thing, that is, (that) the law (was) ordained, he entered into his house; and the while the windows were open in his solar against Jerusalem, in three times in the day he bowed his knees, and worshipped, and acknowledged before his God, as he was wont to do before. (And when Daniel had learned about this, that is, that the law was ordained, he entered into his house; and at the windows in his solarium that were open toward Jerusalem, three times a day he bowed his knees, and worshipped, and acknowledged his God, as he was wont to do before the decree had been issued.)
11 Therefore those men inquired full busily, and found Daniel praying, and beseeching his God.
12 And they nighed and spake to the king of the commandment, (and said,) King, whether thou ordainedest not, that each man that asked any (asking) of gods and of men, till to thirty days, no but (of) thee, thou king, he should be sent into the pit of lions? To which men the king answered, and said, The word is sooth, by the decree of Medes and Persians, which it is not leaveful to break. (And they came and spoke to the king about his command, or his order, and said, O king, did thou not ordain, that for thirty days, anyone who asked anything of gods or of men, except of thee, O king, that that person should be sent into the lions’ pit? To whom the king answered, and said, The word is true, by the decree of the Medes and Persians, which it is not lawful to break.)
13 Then they answered, and said before the king, Daniel, of the sons of (the) captivity of Judah, reckoned not of thy law, and of the commandment which thou ordainedest, but three times by the day he prayeth in his beseeching. (Then they answered, and said to the king, Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, hath not reckoned of thy law, and of the command, or the order, which thou hast ordained, but three times each day he prayeth in his beseeching to his God.)
14 And when the king had heard this word, he was sorry enough, and he setted the heart for Daniel, for to deliver him (and he set his heart, to try to save Daniel); and till to the going down of the sun he travailed for to deliver him.
15 But those men understood the king, and said to him, Know thou, king, that it is the law of Medes and of Persians, that it is not leaveful that any decree be changed, which the king ordaineth. (But those men understood what the king was trying to do, and said to him, O king, thou knowest, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians, that it is not lawful that any decree be changed which the king hath ordained.)
16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and sent him into the pit of lions. And the king said to Daniel, Thy God, whom thou worshippest ever[more], he shall deliver thee. (Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and sent him down into the lions’ pit. And the king said to Daniel, Thy God, whom thou worshippest forevermore, he shall rescue thee.)
17 And one stone was brought, and was put on the mouth of the pit, which the king asealed with his ring, and with the ring(s) of his best men, lest anything were done against Daniel.
18 Then the king went into his house, and slept without supper, and meats were not brought before him; furthermore and sleep went away from him. (Then the king went back to his palace, and went to bed without any supper, yea, no food was brought before him; but all sleep went away from him.)
19 Then the king rose in the first (of the) morrowtide, and went hastily to the pit of lions; (Then the king rose early in the morning, and went hastily to the lions’ pit;)
20 and he nighed to the pit, and cried on Daniel with [a] weeping voice, and spake to him, Daniel, the servant of God living, guessest thou, whether thy God, whom thou servest ever[more], might deliver thee from the lions? (and he came near to the pit, and called down to Daniel with a weeping voice, and spoke to him, and said, Daniel, the servant of the living God, knowest thou now/tellest thou me, whether thy God, whom thou servest forevermore, hath saved thee from the lions?)
21 And Daniel answered the king, and said, King, live thou without end. (And Daniel answered the king, and said, O king, may thou live forever!)
22 My God sent his angel, and closed together the mouths of (the) lions, and they harmed not me, for rightfulness is found in me before him; but also, thou king, I did no trespass before thee. (My God sent his angel, and closed up the lions’ mouths, and they did not harm me, for rightfulness, or innocence, is found in me before him; and also, O king, I did no trespass against thee.)
23 Then the king made joy greatly on him, and commanded Daniel to be led out of the pit. And Daniel was led out of the pit, and none hurting was found in him, for he believed to his God. (Then the king greatly rejoiced, and commanded that Daniel should be lifted up out of the pit. And Daniel was lifted up out of the pit, and there was no hurt, or injury, found on him, for he had believed in his God.)
24 Forsooth the king commanded, and those men, that accused Daniel, were brought [forth], and were sent into the pit of lions, they, and the sons of them, and the wives of them; and they came not unto the pavement of the pit, till the lions ravished them, and all-brake all the bones of them. (And the king commanded, and those men, who had accused Daniel, were brought forth, and were sent down into the lions’ pit, yea, they, and their sons, and their wives; and they had not even come to the pavement, or the floor, of the pit, when the lions sprang upon them, and broke all their bones, and they all died.)
25 Then Darius, the king, wrote to all peoples, lineages, and languages, dwelling in all earth, (and said,) Peace be multiplied to you. (Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, and the tribes, or the nations, in every language, living on all the earth, and said, Peace be multiplied to you.)
26 Therefore a decree is ordained of me, (which is,) That in all mine empire and realm men tremble, and dread the God of Daniel; for he is God living, and everlasting into worlds, and his realm shall not be destroyed, and his power is till into without end. (And so a decree is ordained by me, which is, That in all my empire and kingdom, people tremble before, and fear the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, everlasting and forever, and his kingdom, or his reign, shall never be destroyed, and his power shall last forever.)
27 He is deliverer and saviour, making miracles and marvels in heaven and in earth, which delivered Daniel from the pit of lions. (He is the Deliverer and the Saviour, making miracles and marvels in heaven and on earth, who rescued Daniel from the lions’ pit.)
28 Certainly Daniel dwelled stably till to the realm of Darius, and till to the realm of Cyrus of Persia. (Certainly Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius, and also during the reign of Cyrus of Persia.)
12 Little sons, I write to you, that your sins be forgiven to you for his name.
13 Fathers, I write to you, for ye have known him, that is from the beginning. Young men, I write to you, for ye have overcome the wicked. I write to you, young children [I write to you, infants, or young children], for ye have known the Father.
14 I write to you, brethren, for ye have known him, that is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, for ye be strong, and the word of God dwelleth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked.
15 Do not ye love the world, nor those things that be in the world [neither those things that be in the world]. If any man loveth the world, the charity of the Father is not in him.
16 For all thing that is in the world, is covetousness of flesh, and covetousness of eyes, and pride of life, which is not of the Father, but it is of the world.
17 And the world shall pass, and the covetousness of it; but he that doeth the will of God, dwelleth without end [dwelleth into without end].
2001 by Terence P. Noble