Daily Readings for Thursday, 28 November
2013
Daniel 6: 12 Then
they approached the king and said concerning the interdict, “O king! Did you
not sign an interdict, that anyone who prays to anyone, divine or human, within
thirty days except to you, O king, shall be thrown into a den of lions?” The
king answered, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and
Persians, which cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they responded to the king,
“Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to
the interdict you have signed, but he is saying his prayers three times a day.”
14 When the king heard the charge, he was
very much distressed. He was determined to save Daniel, and until the sun went
down he made every effort to rescue him. 15 Then the conspirators came to the
king and said to him, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians
that no interdict or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
16 Then the king gave the command, and
Daniel was brought and thrown into the den of lions. The king said to Daniel,
“May your God, whom you faithfully serve, deliver you!” 17 A stone was brought
and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet
and with the signet of his lords, so that nothing might be changed concerning
Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no
food was brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
Daniel Saved from the Lions
19 Then, at break of day, the king got up
and hurried to the den of lions. 20 When he came near the den where Daniel was,
he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has
your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?” 21
Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel
and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found
blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.” 23
Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of
the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found
on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 The king gave a command, and
those who had accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of
lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of
the den the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.
25 Then King Darius wrote to all peoples
and nations of every language throughout the whole world: “May you have
abundant prosperity! 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people
should tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:
For he is the living God,
enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion has no end.
27 He delivers and rescues,
he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
for he has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the
reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.(NRSV)
(Ps) Daniel 3: 68 Bless the Lord, dews and falling snow;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
69 Bless the Lord, ice and cold;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
70 Bless the Lord, frosts and snows;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
71 Bless the Lord, nights and days;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
72 Bless the Lord, light and darkness;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
73 Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds;
sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.
74 “Let the earth bless the Lord;
let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him forever.(NRSV)
Luke 21: The Destruction
of Jerusalem Foretold
20 “When you see Jerusalem surrounded by
armies, then know that its desolation has come near.[a] 21 Then those in Judea
must flee to the mountains, and those inside the city must leave it, and those
out in the country must not enter it; 22 for these are days of vengeance, as a
fulfillment of all that is written. 23 Woe to those who are pregnant and to
those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress
on the earth and wrath against this people; 24 they will fall by the edge of the
sword and be taken away as captives among all nations; and Jerusalem will be
trampled on by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The Coming of the Son of Man
25 “There will be signs in the sun, the
moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the
roaring of the sea and the waves. 26 People will faint from fear and foreboding
of what is coming upon the world, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
27 Then they will see ‘the Son of Man coming in a cloud’ with power and great
glory. 28 Now when these things begin to take place, stand up and raise your
heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Footnotes:
Luke 21:20 Or is at hand(NRSV)
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