Daniel
1 In the third year of the reign of
Jehoiakim king of
2And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of
3Then the king instructed Ashpenaz, the master of his
eunuchs, to bring some of the children of
4young men in whom there was no blemish, but
good-looking, gifted in all wisdom, possessing knowledge and quick to
understand, who had ability to serve in the king's palace, and whom they might
teach the language and literature of the Chaldeans.
5And the king appointed for them a daily provision of
the king's delicacies and of the wine which he drank, and three years of
training for them, so that at the end of that time they might serve before the
king.
6Now from among those of the sons of
7To them the chief of the eunuchs gave names: he gave
Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and
to Azariah, Abed-Nego.
8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not
defile himself with the portion of the king's delicacies, nor with the wine
which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he
might not defile himself.
9Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and
goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.
10And the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, "I
fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he
see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you
would endanger my head before the king."
11So Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the
eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12"Please test your servants for ten days, and let
them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.
13Then let our appearance be examined before you, and
the appearance of the young men who eat the portion of the king's delicacies;
and as you see fit, so deal with your servants."
14So he consented with them in this matter, and tested
them ten days.
15And at the end of ten days their features appeared
better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the
king's delicacies.
16Thus the steward took away their portion of
delicacies and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
17As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge
and skill in all literature and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions
and dreams.
18Now at the end of the days, when the king had said
that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before
Nebuchadnezzar.
19Then the king interviewed them, and among them all
none was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; therefore they
served before the king.
20And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about
which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the
magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
21Thus Daniel continued until the first year of King
Cyrus.
2Now in the second year of
Nebuchadnezzar's reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his spirit was so
troubled that his sleep left him.
2Then the king gave the command to call the magicians,
the astrologers, the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams.
So they came and stood before the king.
3And the king said to them, "I have had a dream,
and my spirit is anxious to know the dream."
4Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in Aramaic,
"O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will give the
interpretation."
5The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "My
decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream to me, and its
interpretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made an
ash heap.
6However, if you tell the dream and its
interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great honor.
Therefore tell me the dream and its interpretation."
7They answered again and said, "Let the king tell
his servants the dream, and we will give its interpretation."
8The king answered and said, "I know for certain
that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:
9if you do not make known the dream to me, there is
only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words
before me till the time has changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall
know that you can give me its interpretation."
10The Chaldeans answered the king, and said,
"There is not a man on earth who can tell the king's matter; therefore no
king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or
Chaldean.
11It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and
there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling
is not with flesh."
12For this reason the king was angry and very furious,
and gave the command to destroy all the wise men of
13So the decree went out, and they began killing the
wise men; and they sought Daniel and his companions, to kill them.
14Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel answered Arioch,
the captain of the king's guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of
15he answered and said to Arioch the king's captain,
"Why is the decree from the king so urgent?" Then Arioch made the
decision known to Daniel.
16So Daniel went in and asked the king to give him
time, that he might tell the king the interpretation.
17Then Daniel went to his house, and made the decision
known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,
18that they might seek mercies from the God of heaven
concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with
the rest of the wise men of
19Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night
vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20Daniel answered and said: "Blessed be the name
of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.
21And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes
kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those
who have understanding.
22He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is
in the darkness, And light dwells with Him.
23"I thank You and praise You, O God of my
fathers; You have given me wisdom and might, And have now made known to me what
we asked of You, For You have made known to us the king's demand."
24Therefore Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had
appointed to destroy the wise men of
25Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel before the king,
and said thus to him, "I have found a man of the captives of
26The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was
Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have
seen, and its interpretation?"
27Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and
said, "The secret which the king has demanded, the wise men, the
astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot declare to the king.
28But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and
He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your
dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:
29As for you, O king, thoughts came to your mind while
on your bed, about what would come to pass after this; and He who reveals
secrets has made known to you what will be.
30But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to
me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make
known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of
your heart.
31"You, O king, were watching; and behold, a great
image! This great image, whose splendor was excellent, stood before you; and
its form was awesome.
32This image's head was of fine gold, its chest and
arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,
33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly
of clay.
34You watched while a stone was cut out without hands,
which struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
35Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and
the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing
floors; the wind carried them away so that no trace of them was found. And the
stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36"This is the dream. Now we will tell the
interpretation of it before the king.
37You, O king, are a king of kings. For the God of
heaven has given you a kingdom, power, strength, and glory;
38and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts
of the field and the birds of the heaven, He has given them into your hand, and
has made you ruler over them all--you are this head of gold.
39But after you shall arise another kingdom inferior to
yours; then another, a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the
earth.
40And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron,
inasmuch as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that
crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others.
41Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter's
clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the
iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay.
42And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and
partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile.
43As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will
mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as
iron does not mix with clay.
44And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will
set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be
left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
and it shall stand forever.
45Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the
clay, the silver, and the gold--the great God has made known to the king what
will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is
sure."
46Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, prostrate before
Daniel, and commanded that they should present an offering and incense to him.
47The king answered Daniel, and said, "Truly your
God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you
could reveal this secret."
48Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great
gifts; and he made him ruler over the whole
49Also Daniel petitioned the king, and he set Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-Nego over the affairs of the province of
3Nebuchadnezzar the king made an
image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set
it up in the plain of Dura, in the
2And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together
the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers,
the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to
the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
3So the satraps, the administrators, the governors,
the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the
officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image
that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is
commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,
5that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute,
harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall
down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up;
6and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be
cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."
7So at that time, when all the people heard the sound
of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all
the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which
King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
8Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward
and accused the Jews.
9They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O
king, live forever!
10You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who
hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with
all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image;
11and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be
cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12There are certain Jews whom you have set over the
affairs of the
13Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the
command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men
before the king.
14Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, "Is it
true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or
worship the gold image which I have set up?
15Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound
of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of
music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if
you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning
fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?"
16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to
the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
17If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to
deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your
hand, O king.
18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we
do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set
up."
19Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the
expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. He
spoke and commanded that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was
usually heated.
20And he commanded certain mighty men of valor who were
in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and cast them into the
burning fiery furnace.
21Then these men were bound in their coats, their
trousers, their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst
of the burning fiery furnace.
22Therefore, because the king's command was urgent, and
the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego.
23And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-Nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose
in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men
bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said to the king,
"True, O king."
25"Look!" he answered, "I see four men
loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of
the fourth is like the Son of God."
26Then Nebuchadnezzar went near the mouth of the
burning fiery furnace and spoke, saying, "Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-Nego, servants of the Most High God, come out, and come here." Then
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego came from the midst of the fire.
27And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the
king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the
fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their
garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them.
28Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying, "Blessed be the
God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, who sent His Angel and delivered His
servants who trusted in Him, and they have frustrated the king's word, and
yielded their bodies, that they should not serve nor worship any god except
their own God!
29Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or
language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap;
because there is no other God who can deliver like this."
30Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-Nego in the
4Nebuchadnezzar the king, To all
peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be
multiplied to you.
2I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders
that the Most High God has worked for me.
3How great are His signs, And how mighty His wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And His dominion is from generation to
generation.
4I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house, and
flourishing in my palace.
5I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts
on my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
6Therefore I issued a decree to bring in all the wise
men of
7Then the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans,
and the soothsayers came in, and I told them the dream; but they did not make
known to me its interpretation.
8But at last Daniel came before me (his name is
Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god; in him is the Spirit of the Holy
God), and I told the dream before him, saying:
9"Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I
know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in you, and no secret troubles you,
explain to me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and its interpretation.
10"These were the visions of my head while on my
bed: I was looking, and behold, A tree in the midst of the earth, And its
height was great.
11The tree grew and became strong; Its height reached
to the heavens, And it could be seen to the ends of all the earth.
12Its leaves were lovely, Its fruit abundant, And in it
was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, The birds of
the heavens dwelt in its branches, And all flesh was fed from it.
13"I saw in the visions of my head while on my
bed, and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
14He cried aloud and said thus: "Chop down the
tree and cut off its branches, Strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let
the beasts get out from under it, And the birds from its branches.
15Nevertheless leave the stump and roots in the earth,
Bound with a band of iron and bronze, In the tender grass of the field. Let it
be wet with the dew of heaven, And let him graze with the beasts On the grass
of the earth.
16Let his heart be changed from that of a man, Let him
be given the heart of a beast, And let seven times pass over him.
17"This decision is by the decree of the watchers,
And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know
That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will,
And sets over it the lowest of men.'
18"This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen.
Now you, Belteshazzar, declare its interpretation, since all the wise men of my
kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation; but you are able,
for the Spirit of the Holy God is in you."
19Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was
astonished for a time, and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spoke, and
said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its interpretation trouble
you." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, may the dream concern
those who hate you, and its interpretation concern your enemies!
20"The tree that you saw, which grew and became
strong, whose height reached to the heavens and which could be seen by all the
earth,
21whose leaves were lovely and its fruit abundant, in
which was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and in whose
branches the birds of the heaven had their home--
22it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong;
for your greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to
the end of the earth.
23"And inasmuch as the king saw a watcher, a holy
one, coming down from heaven and saying, "Chop down the tree and destroy
it, but leave its stump and roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and
bronze in the tender grass of the field; let it be wet with the dew of heaven,
and let him graze with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him';
24this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the
decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:
25They shall drive you from men, your dwelling shall be
with the beasts of the field, and they shall make you eat grass like oxen. They
shall wet you with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over you, till
you know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to
whomever He chooses.
26"And inasmuch as they gave the command to leave
the stump and roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be assured to you, after
you come to know that Heaven rules.
27Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to
you; break off your sins by being righteous, and your iniquities by showing
mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may be a lengthening of your prosperity."
28All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
29At the end of the twelve months he was walking about
the royal
30The king spoke, saying, "Is not this great
31While the word was still in the king's mouth, a voice
fell from heaven: "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: the kingdom
has departed from you!
32And they shall drive you from men, and your dwelling
shall be with the beasts of the field. They shall make you eat grass like oxen;
and seven times shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules in
the kingdom of men, and gives it to whomever He chooses."
33That very hour the word was fulfilled concerning
Nebuchadnezzar; he was driven from men and ate grass like oxen; his body was
wet with the dew of heaven till his hair had grown like eagles' feathers and
his nails like birds' claws.
34And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted
my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most
High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an
everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation.
35All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the
inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him,
"What have You done?"
36At the same time my reason returned to me, and for
the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors
and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty
was added to me.
37Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the
King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those
who walk in pride He is able to put down.
5Belshazzar the king made a great
feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the
thousand.
2While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command
to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken
from the temple which had been in
3Then they brought the gold vessels that had been
taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in
4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and
silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
5In the same hour the fingers of a man's hand appeared
and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's
palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.
6Then the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts
troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees
knocked against each other.
7The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of
8Now all the king's wise men came, but they could not
read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation.
9Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his
countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.
10The queen, because of the words of the king and his
lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, "O king, live
forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change.
11There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit
of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom,
like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your
father--your father the king--made him chief of the magicians, astrologers,
Chaldeans, and soothsayers.
12Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge,
understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas
were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be
called, and he will give the interpretation."
13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king
spoke, and said to Daniel, "Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives
from Judah, whom my father the king brought from
14I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in
you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
15Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought
in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its
interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing.
16And I have heard of you, that you can give
interpretations and explain enigmas. Now if you can read the writing and make
known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a
chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the
kingdom."
17Then Daniel answered, and said before the king,
"Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I
will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your
father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
19And because of the majesty that He gave him, all
peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he
wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he
set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.
20But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was
hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his
glory from him.
21Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart
was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed
him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he
knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it
whomever He chooses.
22"But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled
your heart, although you knew all this.
23And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of
heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your
lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have
praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do
not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns
all your ways, you have not glorified.
24Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and
this writing was written.
25"And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God
has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;
27TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found
wanting;
28PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to
the Medes and Persians."
29Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed
Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a
proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans,
was slain.
31And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about
sixty-two years old.
6It pleased Darius to set over the
kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom;
2and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was
one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer
no loss.
3Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the
governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king
gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.
4So the governors and satraps sought to find some
charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or
fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.
5Then these men said, "We shall not find any
charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of
his God."
6So these governors and satraps thronged before the
king, and said thus to him: "King Darius, live forever!
7All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators
and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish
a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man
for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
8Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the
writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and
Persians, which does not alter."
9Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
10Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he
went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open toward
11Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and
making supplication before his God.
12And they went before the king, and spoke concerning
the king's decree: "Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions
any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the
den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing is true,
according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter."
13So they answered and said before the king, "That
Daniel, who is one of the captives from
14And the king, when he heard these words, was greatly
displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he
labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15Then these men approached the king, and said to the
king, "Know, O king, that it is the law of the Medes and Persians that no
decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed."
16So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel
and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel,
"Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you."
17Then a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the
den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of
his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
18Now the king went to his palace and spent the night
fasting; and no musicians were brought before him. Also his sleep went from
him.
19Then the king arose very early in the morning and
went in haste to the den of lions.
20And when he came to the den, he cried out with a
lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, "Daniel,
servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able
to deliver you from the lions?"
21Then Daniel said to the king, "O king, live
forever!
22My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths, so
that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also,
O king, I have done no wrong before you."
23Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and
commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up
out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, because he believed in
his God.
24And the king gave the command, and they brought those
men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions--them,
their children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all
their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.
25Then King Darius wrote: To all peoples, nations, and
languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.
26I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom
men must tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever; His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed, And
His dominion shall endure to the end.
27He delivers and rescues, And He works signs and
wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has delivered Daniel from the power of the
lions.
28So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and
in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
7In the first year of Belshazzar king
of
2Daniel spoke, saying, "I saw in my vision by
night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the
3And four great beasts came up from the sea, each
different from the other.
4The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I
watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth
and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man's heart was given to it.
5"And suddenly another beast, a second, like a
bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its
teeth. And they said thus to it: "Arise, devour much flesh!'
6"After this I looked, and there was another, like
a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four
heads, and dominion was given to it.
7"After this I saw in the night visions, and
behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge
iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue
with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it
had ten horns.
8I was considering the horns, and there was another
horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns
were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes
of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.
9"I watched till thrones were put in place, And
the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, And the hair of
His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning
fire;
10A fiery stream issued And came forth from before Him.
A thousand thousands ministered to Him; Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before
Him. The court was seated, And the books were opened.
11"I watched then because of the sound of the
pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain,
and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
12As for the rest of the beasts, they had their
dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13"I was watching in the night visions, And
behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to
the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him.
14Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a
kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His
dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom
the one Which shall not be destroyed.
15"I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit within my
body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked
him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the
interpretation of these things:
17"Those great beasts, which are four, are four
kings which arise out of the earth.
18But the saints of the Most High shall receive the
kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.'
19"Then I wished to know the truth about the
fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful,
with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in
pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;
20and the ten horns that were on its head, and the
other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had
eyes and a mouth which spoke pompous words, whose appearance was greater than
his fellows.
21"I was watching; and the same horn was making
war against the saints, and prevailing against them,
22until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was
made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints
to possess the kingdom.
23"Thus he said: "The fourth beast shall be A
fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, And
shall devour the whole earth, Trample it and break it in pieces.
24The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this
kingdom. And another shall rise after them; He shall be different from the first
ones, And shall subdue three kings.
25He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times
and law. Then the saints shall be given into his hand For a time and times and
half a time.
26"But the court shall be seated, And they shall
take away his dominion, To consume and destroy it forever.
27Then the kingdom and dominion, And the greatness of
the kingdoms under the whole heaven, Shall be given to the people, the saints
of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, And all dominions
shall serve and obey Him.'
28"This is the end of the account. As for me,
Daniel, my thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I kept
the matter in my heart."
8In the third year of the reign of
King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me--to me, Daniel--after the one that
appeared to me the first time.
2I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was
looking, that I was in Shushan, the citadel, which is in the
3Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing
beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high;
but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
4I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and
southward, so that no animal could withstand him; nor was there any that could
deliver from his hand, but he did according to his will and became great.
5And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came
from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the
ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.
6Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I
had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.
7And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with
rage against him, attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power
in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled
him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.
8Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he
became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it four notable ones
came up toward the four winds of heaven.
9And out of one of them came a little horn which grew
exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the
10And it grew up to the host of heaven; and it cast
down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.
11He even exalted himself as high as the Prince of the
host; and by him the daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of His
sanctuary was cast down.
12Because of transgression, an army was given over to
the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast truth down to the ground.
He did all this and prospered.
13Then I heard a holy one speaking; and another holy
one said to that certain one who was speaking, "How long will the vision
be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression of desolation, the
giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?"
14And he said to me, "For two thousand three
hundred days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed."
15Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision
and was seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me one having the
appearance of a man.
16And I heard a man's voice between the banks of the
Ulai, who called, and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the
vision."
17So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was
afraid and fell on my face; but he said to me, "Understand, son of man,
that the vision refers to the time of the end."
18Now, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep
sleep with my face to the ground; but he touched me, and stood me upright.
19And he said, "Look, I am making known to you
what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; for at the appointed
time the end shall be.
20The ram which you saw, having the two horns--they are
the kings of Media and
21And the male goat is the
22As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in
its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its
power.
23"And in the latter time of their kingdom, When
the transgressors have reached their fullness, A king shall arise, Having
fierce features, Who understands sinister schemes.
24His power shall be mighty, but not by his own power;
He shall destroy fearfully, And shall prosper and thrive; He shall destroy the
mighty, and also the holy people.
25"Through his cunning He shall cause deceit to
prosper under his rule; And he shall exalt himself in his heart. He shall destroy
many in their prosperity. He shall even rise against the Prince of princes; But
he shall be broken without human means.
26"And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true; Therefore seal up the vision, For it refers to many
days in the future."
27And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days;
afterward I arose and went about the king's business. I was astonished by the
vision, but no one understood it.
9In the first year of Darius the son
of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of
the Chaldeans--
2in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood
by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through
Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations
of
3Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make
request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
4And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession,
and said, "O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy
with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments,
5we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done
wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
6Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets,
who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the
people of the land.
7O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame
of face, as it is this day--to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of
Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to
which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have
committed against You.
8"O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our
kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
9To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness,
though we have rebelled against Him.
10We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to
walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
11Yes, all
12And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke
against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great
disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been
done to Jerusalem.
13"As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this
disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our
God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.
14Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and
brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He
does, though we have not obeyed His voice.
15And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out
of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is
this day--we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
16"O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I
pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem,
Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our
fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
17Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your
servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord's sake cause Your face to
shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
18O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes
and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do
not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but
because of Your great mercies.
19O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and
act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are
called by Your name."
20Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my
sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the
LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God,
21yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel,
whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly,
reached me about the time of the evening offering.
22And he informed me, and talked with me, and said,
"O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand.
23At the beginning of your supplications the command
went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore
consider the matter, and understand the vision:
24"Seventy weeks are determined For your people
and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To
make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To
seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.
25"Know therefore and understand, That from the
going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the
Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be
built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.
26"And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be
cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall
destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And
till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one
week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and
offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even
until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the
desolate."
10In the third year of Cyrus king of
Persia a message was revealed to Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar.
The message was true, but the appointed time was long; and he understood the
message, and had understanding of the vision.
2In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full
weeks.
3I ate no pleasant food, no meat or wine came into my
mouth, nor did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.
4Now on the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I
was by the side of the great river, that is, the Tigris,
5I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain
man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!
6His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance
of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished
bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude.
7And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who
were with me did not see the vision; but a great terror fell upon them, so that
they fled to hide themselves.
8Therefore I was left alone when I saw this great
vision, and no strength remained in me; for my vigor was turned to frailty in
me, and I retained no strength.
9Yet I heard the sound of his words; and while I heard
the sound of his words I was in a deep sleep on my face, with my face to the
ground.
10Suddenly, a hand touched me, which made me tremble on
my knees and on the palms of my hands.
11And he said to me, "O Daniel, man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak to you, and stand upright, for I have now been sent to you." While he was speaking this word t