FIRST READING: Daniel 2: 31 - 45
31
Thou, O king, sawest, and behold there was as it were a great statue:
this statue, which was great and high, tall of stature, stood before
thee, and the look thereof was terrible.
32
The head of this statue was of fine gold, but the breast and the arms
of silver, and the belly and the thighs of brass:
33
And the legs of iron, the feet part of iron and part of clay.
34
Thus thou sawest, till a stone was cut out of a mountain without
hands: and it struck the statue upon the feet thereof that were of
iron and of clay, and broke them in pieces.
35
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold
broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of a summer's
threshingfloor, and they were carried away by the wind: and there was
no place found for them: but the stone that struck the statue, became
a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36
This is the dream: we will also tell the interpretation thereof
before thee, O king.
37
Thou art a king of kings: and the God of heaven hath given thee a
kingdom, and strength, and power, and glory:
38
And all places wherein the children of men, and the beasts of the
field do dwell: he hath also given the birds of the air into thy
hand, and hath put all things under thy power: thou therefore art the
head of gold.
39
And after thee shall rise up another kingdom, inferior to thee, of
silver: and another third kingdom of brass, which shall rule over all
the world.
40
And the fourth kingdom shall be as iron. As iron breaketh into
pieces, and subdueth all things, so shall that break and destroy all
these.
41
And whereas thou sawest the feet, and the toes, part of potter's
clay, and part of iron: the kingdom shall be divided, but yet it
shall take its origin from the iron, according as thou sawest the
iron mixed with the miry clay.
42
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, the
kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43
And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall be
mingled indeed together with the seed of man, but they shall not
stick fast one to another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.
44
But in the days of those kingdoms the God of heaven will set up a
kingdom that shall never be destroyed, and his kingdom shall not be
delivered up to another people, and it shall break in pieces, and
shall consume all these kingdoms, and itself shall stand for ever.
45
According as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain
without hands, and broke in pieces, the clay, and the iron, and the
brass, and the silver, and the gold, the great God hath shewn the
king what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream is true, and
the interpretation thereof is faithful.
57
All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above
all for ever.
58
O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above
all for ever.
59
O ye heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for
ever.
60
O all ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord; praise
and exalt him above all for ever.
61
O all ye powers of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him
above all for ever.
5
And some saying of the temple, that it was adorned with goodly stones
and gifts, he said:
6
These things which you see, the days will come in which there shall
not be left a stone upon a stone that shall not be thrown down.
7
And they asked him, saying: Master, when shall these things be? and
what shall be the sign when they shall begin to come to pass?
8
Who said: Take heed you be not seduced; for many will come in my
name, saying, I am he; and the time is at hand: go ye not therefore
after them.
9
And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified:
these things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet
presently.
10
Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom
against kingdom.
11
And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and
pestilences, and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be
great signs.
