All Saints Sunday, Year C

¹ In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the sum of the matters. ² Daniel spoke and said, “I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, the four winds of the sky broke out on the great sea. ³ Four great animals came up from the sea, different from one another.

¹⁵ “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was grieved within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. ¹⁶ I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. “So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things. ¹⁷ ‘These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who will arise out of the earth. ¹⁸ But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’

¹ Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints. ² Let Israel rejoice in him who made them. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King. ³ Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp! ⁴ For the LORD takes pleasure in his people. He crowns the humble with salvation. ⁵ Let the saints rejoice in honor. Let them sing for joy on their beds. ⁶ May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hand, ⁷ to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples; ⁸ to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; ⁹ to execute on them the written judgment. All his saints have this honor. Praise the LORD!

¹¹ We were also assigned an inheritance in him, having been foreordained according to the purpose of him who does all things after the counsel of his will, ¹² to the end that we should be to the praise of his glory, we who had before hoped in Christ. ¹³ In him you also, having heard the word of the truth, the Good News of your salvation—in whom, having also believed, you were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of his glory. ¹⁵ For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you, and the love which you have toward all the saints, ¹⁶ don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, ¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, ¹⁸ having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might ²⁰ which he worked in Christ, when he raised him from the dead and made him to sit at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹ far above all rule, authority, power, dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come. ²² He put all things in subjection under his feet, and gave him to be head over all things for the assembly, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.