DANIEL. 3 CHAPTER I. VERSES 1-18. 9 + 1. IN the third year of the reign of of the eunuchs that he might not deJoakim king of Juda came Nabu- file himself. Now God had brought chodonosor king of Babylon to Jeru- Daniel into favour and compassion salem, and besieged it. 2 And the with the chief of the eunuchs. 10And Lord gave into his hand Joakim king the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, of Juda, and part of the vessels of the I fear my lord the king, who has house of God: and he brought them appointed your meat and your drink, + Gr. of. into the land of Sennaar 'to lest he see your countenances gloomy the house of his god; and he brought in comparison of the young men your the vessels into the treasure-house of equals; so shall ye endanger my head his god. And the king told Aspha-to the king. And Daniel said to nez his chief eunuch, to bring in some Amelsad, whom the chief of the of the captive children of Israel, and eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, of the seed of the kingdom, and of the Ananias, Misael, and Azarias, 12 Prove + Heb. word. princes; young men in now thy servants ten days; and let whom was no blemish, and beautiful them give us pulse, and +Gr. lit. of in appearance, and skilled in all wis- let us eat, and let us drink seeds. dom, and possessing knowledge, and water. 13 And let our countenances acquainted with prudence, and who be seen by thee, and the countenances had ability to stand in the house before of the children that eat at the king's the king, and the king gave command- table: and deal with thy servants acment to teach them the learning and cording as thou shalt see. 14 And he language of the Chaldeans. And the hearkened to them, and proved them king appointed them a daily portion ten days. 15 And at the end of the ten from the king's table, and from the days their countenances appeared fairer wine which he drank; and gave orders and stouter in flesh than the children to nourish them three years, and that that fed at the king's table. 16 So afterwards they should stand before the Amelsad took away their + Gr. seeds. king. Now these were among them supper and the wine of their drink, of the children of Juda, Daniel, and and gave them 'pulse. Ananias, and Azarias, and Misael. And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: to Daniel, Baltasar; and to Ananias, Sedrach; and to Misael, Misach; and to Azarias, Abdenago. And Daniel purposed in his heart, that he would not defile himself with the king's table, nor with the wine of his drink: and he entreated the chief + 17 And as for these four children, God gave them understand-Alex. to these ing and prudence in all four children. learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 And at the end of the days, after which the king had given orders to bring them in, then the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Na 2 buchodonosor. 19 And the king spoke | shall have past: tell me my dream, with them; and there were not found and I shall know that ye will also deout of them all any like Daniel, and clare to me the interpretation thereof. Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias: and 10 The Chaldeans answered before the they stood before the king. 20 And in king, and said, There is no man upon every matter of wisdom and know- the earth, who shall be able to make ledge wherein the king questioned known the king's matter: forasmuch them, he found them ten times wiser as no great king or ruler asks such a than all the enchanters and sorcerers question of an enchanter, magician, or that were in all his kingdom. "And Chaldean. For the question which Daniel continued till the first year of the king asks is difficult, and there is king Cyrus. no one else who shall answer it before the king, but the gods, whose dwelling is not with any flesh. 12 Then the king in rage and anger commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the decree went forth, and they began to slay the wise men; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to slay them. 14Then Daniel answered with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the royal guard, +See note on who was gone forth to kill Gen. 39. 1. the wise men of Babylon; saying, 15 Chief magistrate of the king, wherefore has the peremptory command proceeded from the king? So Arioch made known the matter to Daniel. 16 And Daniel entreated the king to give him time and that he might thus declare to the king the interpretation of it. 17 So Daniel went into his house, and made known the matter to Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias, his 3 + 2. In the second year of his reign Nabuchodonosor dreamed a dream, and his spirit was amazed, and his sleep departed from him. And the king gave orders to call the enchanters, and the magicians, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, to declare to the king his dreams. And they came and stood before the king. And the king said to them, I have dreamed, and my +Gr. amazed. spirit was 'troubled to know the dream. And the Chaldeans spoke to the king in the Syrian language, saying, O king, live for ever: do thou tell the dream to thy servants, and we will declare the interpretation. 5 The king answered the Chaldeans, The thing has departed from me: if ye do not make known to me the dream and the interpretation, ye shall be destroyed, and your houses shall be spoiled. But if ye make known to friends. 6 me the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and presents and much honour: only tell me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered the second time, and said, Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation. And Gr. redeem the king answered and said, ing time; or, I verily know that ye are buy it. See trying to gain time, because ye see that the thing has gone from me. 9 If then ye do not tell me the dream, I know that ye have concerted to utter before me a false and corrupt tale, until the time Eph. 5. 16. to + 18 And they sought mercies from the God of heaven concerning this mystery; that Daniel and his friends might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night: and Daniel blessed the God of heaven, 20 and said, May the name of God be blessed from everlasting and to everlasting: for wisdom and understanding are his. 21 And he changes times and seasons: he appoints kings, and removes them, giving wisdom to the wise, and prudence to them that have understanding: 22 he reveals deep and secret matters; knowing what is in 23 + a cloud of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given a powerful and strong and honourable kingdom, 38 in every place where the children of men dwell: and he has given into thine hand the wild beasts of the field, and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and he has darkness, and the light is with him. I was of fine gold, its hands and breast I give thanks to thee, and praise and arms of silver, its belly and thighs thee, O God of my fathers, for thou of brass, 33 its legs of iron, its feet, part hast given me wisdom and power, and of iron and part of earthenware. 34 Thou hast made known to me the things sawest until a stone was cut out of a which we asked of thee; and thou mountain without hands, and it smote hast made known to me the king's the image upon its feet of iron and vision. 24 And Daniel came to Arioch, earthenware, and utterly reduced them whom the king had appointed to de- to powder. 35 Then once for all the stroy the wise men of Babylon, and earthenware, the iron, the brass, the said to him; Destroy not the wise men silver, the gold, were ground to powof Babylon, but bring me in before der, and became as chaff +Or, dust, or, the king, and I will declare the inter- from the summer threshing- dust. pretation to the king. 25 Then Arioch floor; and the violence of the wind in haste brought in Daniel before the carried them away and no place was king, and said to him, I have found a found for them: and the stone which man of the children of the captivity of had smitten the image became a great Judea, who will declare the interpre- mountain, and filled all the earth. tation to the king. 26 And the king 36 This is the dream; and we will tell answered and said to Daniel, whose the interpretation thereof before the name was Baltasar, Canst thou declare king. 37 Thou, O king, art a king of to me the dream which I saw, and the interpretation thereof? 27 And Daniel answered before the king, and said, The mystery which the king asks the explanation of is not in the power of the wise men, magicians, enchanters, or soothsayers to declare to the king. 28 But there is a God in heaven reveal-made thee lord of all. 39 Thou art the ing mysteries, and he has made known head of gold. And after thee shall to king Nabuchodonosor what things arise another kingdom inferior to thee, must come to pass in the last days. and a third kingdom which is the brass, Thy dream, and the visions of thy which shall have dominion over all the head upon thy bed, are as follows, Ŏ earth; 40 and a fourth kingdom, which king: 29 thy thoughts upon thy bed shall be strong as iron: as iron beats arose as to what must come to pass to powder and subdues all things, so hereafter: and he that reveals mys- shall it beat to powder and subdue. teries has made known to thee what "And whereas thou sawest the feet must come to pass. 30 Moreover, this and the toes, part of earthenware, and mystery has not been revealed to me part of iron, the kingdom shall be diby reason of wisdom which is in me vided; yet there shall be in it * of the beyond all others living, but for the strength of iron, as thou Gr. of the sake of making known the interpreta-sawest the iron mixed with iron root. tion to the king, that thou mightest earthenware. 42 And whereas the toes know the thoughts of thine heart. of the feet were part of iron and part 31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold of earthenware, part of the kingdom + Lit. one an image: that image was shall be strong, and part of it shall be image. great, and the appearance broken. 43 Whereas thou sawest the of it excellent, standing before thy iron mixed with earthenware, they face; and the form of it was terrible. shall be mingled with the seed of men: 32 It was an image, the head of which but they shall not cleave together, as + the iron does not mix itself with image which king Nabuchodonosor earthenware. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed: and his kingdom shall not be left to another people, but it shall beat to pieces and grind to powder all other kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45 Whereas thou sawest that a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands, and it beat to pieces the earthenware, the iron, the brass, the silver, the gold; the great God has made known to the king what must happen hereafter: and the dream is true and the interpretation thereof sure. 46 Then king Nabuchodonosor fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and gave orders to offer to him gifts and incense. 47 And the king answered and said to Daniel, Of a truth your God is a God of gods, and Lord of kings, who reveals mysteries; for thou hast been able to reveal this mystery: 48 And the king promoted Daniel, and gave him great and abundant gifts, and set him over the whole province of Babylon, and made him chief satrap over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 And Daniel asked of the king, and he appointed Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel was in the king's palace. 2 3. In his eighteenth year Nabuchodonosor the king made a golden image, its height was sixty cubits, its breadth six cubits: and he set it up in the plain of Deira, in the province of Babylon. And he sent forth to gather the governors, and the captains, and the heads of provinces, chiefs, and princes, and those who were in authority, and all the rulers of districts, to come to the dedication of the image. 3 So the heads of provinces, the governors, the captains, the chiefs, the great princes, those who were in authority, and all the rulers of districts, were gathered to the dedication of the had set up; and they stood before the image. Then a herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, ye peoples, tribes, and languages, 5 at what hour ye shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and psaltery, and all kind of music, ye shall fall down and worship the golden image which king Nabuchodonosor has set up. 6And whosoever shall not fall down and worship, in the same hour he shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace. And it came to pass when the nations heard the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the nations, tribes, and languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image which king Nabuchodonosor had set up. 8Then came near certain Chaldeans, and accused the Jews to the king, saying, O king, live for ever. 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man who shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, sackbut, and psaltery, and all kinds of music, and shall not fall down and worship the golden image, shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who have not obeyed thy decree, O king: they serve not thy gods, and worship not the golden image which thou hast set up. 9 13 Then Nabuchodonosor in wrath and anger commanded to bring Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago: and they were brought before the king. 4And Nabuchodonosor answered and said to them, Is it true, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, that ye serve not my gods, and worship not the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now then if ye be ready, whensoever ye shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and pipe, and harp, and sackbut, and psaltery, and harmony and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the golden image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, in the same hour ye shall be cast into the burning fiery furnace; and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hand? 16 Then answered Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and said to king Nabuchodonosor, We have no need to answer thee concerning this matter. 17 For our God whom we serve is in the heavens, able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will rescue us from thy hands, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the image which thou hast set up. word. 19 Then Nabuchodonosor was filled with wrath and the form of his countenance was changed toward Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago: and he gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than usual, until it should burn to the uttermost. 20 And he commanded mighty men to bind Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then those men were bound with + Chaldee their coats, and caps, and hose, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace, 22 forasmuch as the king's word prevailed; and the furnace was made exceeding hot. 23 Then these three men, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell bound into the midst of the burning furnace, and walked in the midst of the flame, singing praise to God, and blessing the Lord. 24 And Nabuchodonosor heard them singing praises; and he wondered, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles, Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? and they said to the king, Yes, O king. 25 And the king said, + Gr. loosed. But I see four men loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, + Lit. there is and there has no harm in them. happened to them; and the appearance of the fourth is like the Son no destruction + + comp. 1 Cor. of God. 26 Then Nabuchodonosor drew near to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and said, Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, ye servants of the most high God, proceed forth, and come hither. So Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, came forth out of the midst of the fire. 27 Then were assembled the satraps, and captains, and heads of provinces, and the royal princes; and they saw the men, and perceived that the fire had not had power against their bodies, and the hair + Gr. sing. of their head was not burnt, 6. 19. and their coats were not scorched, nor was the smell of fire +Gr. changed. upon them. 28 And king Nabuchodonosor answered, and said, Blessed be the God of Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who has sent his angel, and delivered his servants, because they trusted in him; and they have changed the king's word, and delivered their bodies to be burnt, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 29 Wherefore I publish a decree: Every people, tribe, or language, that shall speak reproachfully against the God of Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, shall be destroyed, and their houses shall be plundered: because there is no other God who shall be able to deliver thus. 30 Then the king promoted Sedrach, Misach, and Abdenago, in the province of Babylon, and advanced Or, made, or, them, pronounced and + gave them them worthy. authority to rule over all the Jews who were in his kingdom. 31 King Nabuchodonosor to all nations, tribes, and tongues, who dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied to you. 32 It seemed good to me to declare to you the signs and wonders which the most high God has wrought with me, 33 how great and mighty they are: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power to all generations. 4. I Nabuchodonosor was thriving |