November 25, 2015

Daniel 5: 1- 6, 13- 14, 16- 17, 23- 28

5:1 Belshazzar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and each one of them drank according to his age.
5:2 And so, when they were drunk, he instructed that the vessels of gold and silver should be brought, which Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had carried away from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, so that the king, and his nobles, and his wives, and the concubines, might drink from them.
5:3 Then the gold and silver vessels were presented, which he had carried away from the temple and which had been in Jerusalem, and the king, and his nobles, wives, and concubines, drank from them.
5:4 They drank wine, and they praised their gods of gold, and silver, brass, iron, and wood and stone.
5:5 In the same hour, there appeared fingers, as of the hand of a man, writing on the surface of the wall, opposite the candlestick, in the king’s palace. And the king observed the part of the hand that wrote.
5:6 Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts disturbed him, and he lost his self-control, and his knees knocked against one other.
5:13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke to him, saying, “Are you Daniel, of the sons of the captivity of Judah, whom my father the king led out of Judea?
5:14 I have heard of you, that you have the spirit of the gods, and that greater knowledge, as well as understanding and wisdom, have been found in you.
5:16 Furthermore, I have heard about you that you can interpret obscure things and solve difficulties. So then, if you succeed in reading the writing, and in revealing its interpretation, you will be clothed with purple, and you will have a chain of gold around your neck, and you will be the third leader in my kingdom.”
5:17 To this Daniel responded by saying directly to the king, “Your rewards should be for yourself, and the gifts of your house you may give to another, but I will read to you the writing, O king, and I will reveal to you its interpretation.
5:23 But you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been presented before you. And you, and your nobles, and your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. Likewise, you have praised the gods of silver, and gold, and brass, iron, and wood and stone, who neither see, nor hear, nor feel, yet you have not glorified the God who holds your breath and all your ways in his hand.
5:24 Therefore, he has sent the part of the hand which has written this, which has been inscribed.
5:25 But this is the writing that has been decreed: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.
5:26 And this is the interpretation of the words. MANE: God has numbered your kingdom and has finished it.
5:27 THECEL: you have been weighed on the scales and found lacking.
5:28 PHARES: your kingdom has been divided and has been given to the Medes and the Persians.

Luke 21: 12- 19

21:12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, handing you over to synagogues and into custody, dragging you before kings and governors, because of my name.
21:13 And this will be an opportunity for you to give testimony.
21:14 Therefore, set this in your hearts: that you should not consider in advance how you might respond.
21:15 For I will give to you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries will not be able to resist or contradict.
21:16 And you will be handed over by your parents, and brothers, and relatives, and friends. And they will bring about the death of some of you.
21:17 And you will be hated by all because of my name.
21:18 And yet, not a hair of your head will perish.
21:19 By your patience, you shall possess your souls.