Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)
O Yahweh, Your Name Is Everlasting
135 [a](A)Praise Yah!
Praise the name of Yahweh;
Praise Him, O (B)slaves of Yahweh,
2 You who stand in the house of Yahweh,
In the (C)courts of the house of our God!
3 [b]Praise Yah, for (D)Yahweh is good;
(E)Sing praises to His name, (F)for it is lovely.
4 For Yah has (G)chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His [c](H)treasured possession.
5 For I know that (I)Yahweh is great
And that our Lord is greater (J)than all gods.
6 (K)Whatever Yahweh pleases, He does,
In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all deeps.
7 The One who (L)causes the clouds to ascend from the end of the earth;
Who (M)makes lightnings for the rain,
Who (N)brings forth the wind from His storehouses.
8 [d]He (O)struck the firstborn of Egypt,
From man to beast.
9 [e]He sent (P)signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
Amongst (Q)Pharaoh and all his slaves.
10 [f](R)He (S)struck many nations
And slew mighty kings,
11 (T)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
And (U)Og, king of Bashan,
And (V)all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He (W)gave their land as an inheritance,
An inheritance to Israel His people.
13 O Yahweh, Your (X)name is everlasting,
O Yahweh, Your [g]remembrance is [h]from generation to generation.
14 For Yahweh will (Y)render justice for His people
And (Z)will give comfort to His slaves.
15 The (AA)idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of man’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear,
Surely, there is not any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will be like them,
All who trust in them.
Darius’ Officials Seek to Accuse Daniel
6 [a]It seemed good to Darius that he set 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom, 2 and over them three commissioners (of whom (A)Daniel was one), that these satraps might be accountable to them, and that the king might not suffer (B)loss. 3 Then this Daniel began distinguishing himself [b]among the commissioners and satraps because an (C)extraordinary spirit was in him, and the king planned to set him over the (D)entire kingdom. 4 Then the commissioners and satraps began (E)seeking to find a ground of accusation against Daniel in regard to matters of the kingdom; but they were not able to find (F)any ground of accusation or evidence of corruption, inasmuch as he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We will not find any ground of accusation against this Daniel unless we find it against him with regard to the (G)law of his God.”
6 Then these commissioners and satraps came [c]by agreement to the king and said thus to him: “King Darius, (H)live forever! 7 All the (I)commissioners of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the high officials and the governors have (J)counseled together that the king should establish a statute and enforce an injunction that anyone who seeks to make a petition [d]to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, shall (K)be cast into the lions’ [e]den. 8 Now, O king, (L)establish the injunction and [f]sign the written document so that it may not be changed, according to the (M)law of the Medes and Persians, which [g]may not be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius (N)signed the written document, that is, the injunction.
10 Now when Daniel knew that the written document was signed, he entered his house (now in his roof chamber he had windows open (O)toward Jerusalem); and he continued (P)kneeling on his knees three times a day, (Q)praying and (R)giving thanks before his God, [h]as he had been doing previously. 11 Then these men came [i](S)by agreement and found Daniel seeking to make a petition and making supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near and (T)said before the king concerning the king’s injunction, “Did you not sign an injunction that any man who seeks to make a petition [j]to any god or man besides you, O king, for thirty days, is to be cast into the lions’ den?” The king answered and said, “The word is certain, according to the (U)law of the Medes and Persians, which [k]may not be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, “(V)Daniel, who is one of the [l]exiles from Judah, pays (W)no attention to you, O king, or to the injunction which you signed, but keeps seeking to make his petition three times a day.”
14 Then, as soon as the king heard this word, he was greatly (X)distressed within himself and set his mind on saving Daniel; and even until sunset he kept exerting himself to deliver him. 15 Then these men came [m]by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a (Y)law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
16 Then the king said the word, and Daniel was brought in and (Z)cast into the lions’ den. The king answered and said to Daniel, “[n](AA)Your God whom you constantly serve will Himself save you.” 17 And a (AB)stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing would be changed in regard to Daniel. 18 Then the king went off to his palace and spent the night (AC)fasting, and no entertainment was brought before him; and his (AD)sleep fled from him.
19 Then the king arose at dawn, at the break of day, and hurriedly went to the lions’ den. 20 When he had come near the den to Daniel, he cried out with a troubled voice. The king answered and said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has (AE)your God, whom you constantly serve, been (AF)able to save you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel spoke [o]to the king, “(AG)O king, live forever! 22 My God (AH)sent His angel and (AI)shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, inasmuch as [p]I was found innocent before Him; and also [q]toward you, O king, I have done no harm.” 23 Then the king was greatly pleased and said for Daniel to be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and (AJ)no harm whatsoever was found on him because he had (AK)believed in his God. 24 The king then said the word, and they brought those men who had [r]brought charges against Daniel, and they (AL)cast them, their (AM)children, and their wives into the lions’ den; and they had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
25 Then Darius the king wrote to all the (AN)peoples, nations, and men of every tongue who were inhabiting all the land: “(AO)May your [s]peace abound! 26 [t]I (AP)make a decree that in all the [u]dominion of my kingdom, men are to fear and be in dread before the God of Daniel;
For He is the (AQ)living God and (AR)enduring forever,
And (AS)His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed,
And His [v]dominion will be unto the end.
27 He saves and delivers and does (AT)signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has also saved Daniel from the [w]power of the lions.”
28 So this (AU)Daniel enjoyed success in the kingdom of Darius and in the kingdom of (AV)Cyrus the Persian.
12 I am writing to you, (A)little children, because (B)your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. 13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known Him (C)who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because (D)you have overcome (E)the evil one. I have written to you, children, because [a](F)you have known the Father. 14 I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him (G)who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are (H)strong, and the (I)word of God abides in you, and (J)you have overcome the evil one.
Do Not Love the World
15 Do not love (K)the world nor the things in the world. (L)If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, (M)the lust of the flesh and (N)the lust of the eyes and (O)the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 (P)And the world is passing away, and also its lusts, but the one who (Q)does the will of God abides forever.
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