Daniel finds the dream, CHAP. II. and gives the interpretation. sel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of 29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts the king's guard, which was gone forth to came into thy mind upon thy bed, what slay the wise men of Babylon: should come to pass hereafter: and he that 15 He answered and said to Arioch the revealeth secrets maketh known to thee king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty what shall come to pass. from the king? Then Arioch made the 30 But as for me, this secret is not rething known to Daniel. vealed to me for any wisdom that I have 16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of more than any living, but for their sakes the king that he would give him time, and that shall make known the interpretation that he would shew the king the interpre- to the king, and that thou mightest know tation. the thoughts of thy heart. 17 Then Daniel went to his house and 31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold made the thing known to Hananiah, Mi- a great image. This great image, whose shael, and Azariah, his companions: brightness was excellent, stood before 18 That they would desire mercies of thee; and the form thereof was terrible. the God of heaven concerning this secret;| 32 This image's head was of fine gold, that Daniel and his fellows should not per- his breast and his arms of silver, his belly ish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. and his thighs of brass, 19 Then was the secret revealed unto 33 His legs of iron, his feet part, of iron. Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel and part of clay. blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: 21 And he changeth the times and the 35 Then was the iron, the clay, the seasons; he removeth kings, and setteth brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to up kings; he giveth wisdom unto the wise, pieces together, and became like the chaff and knowledge to them that know under- of the summer threshing-floors; and the standing: wind carried them away, that no place 22 He revealeth the deep and secret was found for them: and the stone that things: he knoweth what is in the dark-smote the image became a great mountain, ness, and the light dwelleth with him. and filled the whole earth. 34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. 23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou 36 This is the dream; and we will tell God of my fathers, who hast given me wis- the interpretation thereof before the king. dom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's 37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men matter. 24 Therefore, Daniel went in unto dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls Arioch, whom the king had ordained to of the heaven hath he given into thy destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went hand, and hath made thee ruler over them and said thus unto him; Destroy not the all. Thou art this head of gold. wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth. 25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art 41 And whereas thou sawest the feet thou able to make known unto me the and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of dream which I have seen, and the inter- iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but pretation thereof? there shall be in it of the strength of the 27 Daniel answered in the presence of iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron the king, and said, The secret which the mixed with miry clay. king hath demanded cannot the wise men,! 42 And as the toes of the feet were part the astrologers, the magicians, the sooth- of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom sayers, shew unto the king; shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 28 But,there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; iron is not mixed with clay. 43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as The goiden image set up. DANIEL. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, 44 And in the days of these kings shall people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of shall neverbe destroyed: and the kingdom music, all the people, the nations, and the shall not be left to other people, but it shall languages, fell down and worshipped the break in pieces and consume all these golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. king had set up. 45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter that every man that shall bear the sound 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, and the dream is certain, and the interpre- of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, tation thereof sure. and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall deans came near, and accused the Jews. : 46 T Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fall down and worship the golden image: fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an worshippeth, that he should be cast into 11 And whoso falleth not down and oblation and sweet odours unto him. the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret. hast set over the affairs of the province of 12 There are certain Jews whom thou Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods,nor worship 48 Then the king made Daniel a great the golden image which thou hast set up. man, and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, 13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage of Babylon, and chief of the governors Meshach, and Abed-nego. over all the wise men of Babylon. brought these men before the king. Then they 49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king. CHAP. III. them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and 14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? TEBUCHADNEZZAR the king made Ν' an image of gold, whose height was ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all six cubits he set it up in the plain of Dura, kinds of music, ye fall down and worship in the province of Babylon. the image which I have made; well: but 2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same to gather together the princes, the govern-hour into the midst of a burning fiery furors, and the captains, the judges, the trea-nace; and who is that God that shall desurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all liver you out of my hands? the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchad-answered and said to the king, O Nebu16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, nezzar the king had set up. chadnezzar, we are not careful to answer 3 Then the princes, the governors, and thee in this matter. captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers is able to deliver us from the burning fiery 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve of the provinces, were gathered together furnace, and he will deliver us out of thy unto the dedication of the image that Ne- hand, O king. buchadnezzar the king had set up; and 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, they stood before the image that Nebu-O king, that we will not serve thy gods, chadnezzar had set up. nor worship the golden image which thou Then a herald cried aloud, To you hast set up. it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages, 19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed 5 That at what time ye hear the sound against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abedof the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, nego: therefore he spake, and commanded dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall that they should heat the furnace one seven down and worship the golden image that times more than it was wont to be heated. Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up. 6 And whoso falleth not down and warshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. men that were in his army to bind Sha- 7 Therefore, at that time, when all the Nebuchadnezzar's dream. 4 TI Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in are cast into the furnace. CHAP. IV. coats, their hosen, and their hats, and] their other garments, and were cast into my the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 22 Therefore because the king's com- and the thoughts upon my bed and the 6 Therefore made I a decree to bring mandment was urgent, and the furnace ex-visions of my head troubled me. ceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Me-in all the wise men of Babylon before me that they might make known unto me the shach, and Abed-nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, interpretation of the dream. 7 Then came in the magicians, the Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the sooth24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was sayers: and I told the dream before them; astonished,and rose up in haste, and spake, but they did not make known unto me the and said unto his counsellors, Did not we interpretation thereof. cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in 1 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt: and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. before him I told the dream, saying, 9 O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the 26 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, thee, tell me the visions of my dream that and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, I have seen, and the interpretation thereof. 10 Thus were the visions of my head and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great. came forth of the midst of the fire. 11 The tree grew, and was strong, and 27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being the height thereof reached unto heaven, gathered together, saw these men, upon and the sight thereof to the end of all the whose bodies the fire had no power, nor earth: was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and under it, and the fowls of the heaven said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Me-dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh shach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his was fed of it. angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 13 I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven; 14 He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves, and scatter his fruit : let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches. 15 Nevertheless, leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. CHAP. IV. 16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; NEBUCHADNEZZAR the king, unto and let seven times, pass over him. 17 This matter is by the decree of the all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be mul-watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living 15lied unto you. 2 I thought it good to shew the signs may know that the Most High ruleth in and wonders that the high God hath the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over wrought toward me. 3 How great are his signs! and how it the basest of men. 12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the all: the beasts of the field had shadow fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for 29 Therefore, I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other god that can deliver after this sort. 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon. 18 This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, foras 661 Daniel interprets the dream. DANIEL. much as all the wise men of my kingdom mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, sayBelshazzar's impious feast. are not able to make known unto me the ing, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is interpretation but thou art able; for the spoken; The kingdom is departed from spirit of the holy gods is in thee. thee: 19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for one hour, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts 32 And they shall drive thee from men, and his thoughts troubled him. The king of the field: they shall make thee to eat spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble over thee, until thou know that the lost thee. Belteshazzar answered, and said, High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and My lord, the dream be to them that hate giveth it to whomsoever he will. thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies. 33 The same hour was the thing fulfill20 The tree that thou sawest, which driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, ed upon Nebuchadnezzar: and he was grew, and was strong, whose height reach- and his body was wet with the dew of heaed unto the heaven, and the sight thereof ven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' to all the earth; feathers, and his nails like birds' clates. chadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto bea34 And at the end of the days I Nebuven, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I ever, whose dominion is an everlasting praised and honoured him that liveth for dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation: are reputed as nothing: and he doeth ac35 And all the inhabitants of the earth cording to his will in the army of heaven, 23 And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the tree down, and de- and among the inhabitants of the earth: stroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots and none can stay his hand, or say unto thereof in the earth, even with a band of him, What doest thou? iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of hea- unto me: and for the glory of my king36 At the same time my reason returned ven, and let his portion be with the beasts dom, mine honour and brightness returned of the field, till seven times pass over him; unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me. 24 This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king: 25 That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts extol and honour the King of heaven, all 37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and of the field, and they shall make thee to whose works are truth, and his ways judgeat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee ment: and those that walk in pride he is with the dew of heaven, and seven times able to abase. the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of BESst to a thousand of his lords, and shall pass over thee, till thou know that men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will. CHAP. V. made a 26 And whereas they commanded to drank wine before the thousand. leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou commanded to bring the golden and silver 2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, shalt have known that the heavens do rule. vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar 21 Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation : 22 It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong for thy greatness is grown, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth. 27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel had taken out of the temple which was in be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities his wives, and his concubines might drink by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may therein. be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels 29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 28 All this came upon the king Ne- that were taken out of the temple of the buchadnezzar. and the king, and his princes, his wives, house of God which was at Jerusalem; and his concubines, drank in them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, great Babylon, that I have built for the of wood, and of stone. house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? of a man's hand, and wrote over against 5 In the same hour came forth fingers 31 While the word was in the king's, the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall 662 A hand writing on the wall. Daniel interprets the writing. CHAP. VI. 17¶ Then Daniel answered and said beof the king's palace: and the king saw the| fore the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king's countenance was and give thy rewards to another; yet changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so will read the writing unto the king, and that the joints of his loins were loosed, and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O thou king, the most high God gave his knees smote one against another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdon, 19 And for the majesty that he gave him, astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the sooth- and majesty, and glory, and honour: sayers. And the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read all people, nations, and languages, tremthis writing, and shew me the interpreta- bled and feared before him: whom he tion thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, would he slew; and whom he would he and have a chain of gold about his neck, kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. and whom he would he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, 8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor and his mind hardened in pride, he was make known to the king the interpretation deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: thereof. 9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonished. 21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts', and his dwelling was with the wild 10 Now,the queen by reason of the asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and words of the king and his lords came into his body was wet with the dew of heaven the banquet-house: and the queen spake till he knew that the most high God ruled and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy in the kingdom of men, and that he ap22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy counte-pointeth over it whomsoever he will. nance be changed: 11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in not humbled thy heart, though thou 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in knewest all this; the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the Lord of heaven; and they have brought gods, was found in him; whom the king Ne- the vessels of his house before thee, and buchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy thou, and thy lords, thy wives and thy confather, made master of the magicians, astro-cubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and logers, Chaldeans, and sooth-sayers: 12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which knowledge, and understanding, interpret- see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God ing of dreams, and shewing of hard sen-in whose hand thy breath is, and whose 24 Then was the part of the hand sent tences, and dissolving of doubts, were found are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified. in the same Daniel, whom the king named 25 And this is the writing that was writBelteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, from him; and this writing was written. and he will shew the interpretation. 13 Then was Daniel brought in before ten, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHAR26 This is the interpretation of the the king. And the king spake and said SIN. unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Ju- thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy dah, whom the king my father brought out kingdom, and finished it. of Jewry? 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and 15 And now the wise men, the astrolo- they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a that chain of gold about his neck, and made a gers, have been brought in before me, they should read this writing, and make proclamation concerning him, that he known unto me the interpretation thereof: should be the third ruler in the kingdom. but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: 31 And Darius the Median took the king16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve dom, being about threescore and two years doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, old. and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, an have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 T In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. CHAP. VI. Tpleased Darius to set over the kingdo whic a hundred and twenty princes, should be over the whole kingdom; 663 |