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20 read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be one of the three rulers. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was 25 king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. Now the queen

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by reason of the words of the king and his lords came into the banquet house and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance 30 be changed there is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the lettered men, en35 chanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers; forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the 40 interpretation.

5.13. Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, 45 that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpreta50 tion of the thing: and I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be one of the three rulers. 55 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and

honour and for the majesty that he gave him, all people, 60 nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took 65 his glory from him: and he was driven from the sons of men ; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: 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 ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he 70 appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven ; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk 75 wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 80 And this is the writing that was written, 1 Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 85 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be one of the three rulers. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about 90 threescore and two years old.

Tekel ;

Thou 2 Peres;

6.1. It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty satraps, which should be over the whole kingdom; and over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was one: that the satraps might give accounts unto them, and the king 95 should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in 1 i.e. Numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided.

2 i.c. Divided,

him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and satraps sought to find occasion against 100 Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. Then these 105 presidents and satraps assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever. All the presidents of the kingdom, the deputies, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a 110 petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O

king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 115 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying 120 and making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered 125 and said, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three 130 times a day. Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him. Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes 135 and Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king

establisheth may be changed. Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now

the king spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king 140 sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel. Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him. Then the king arose very early in 145 the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? Then said Daniel 150 unto the king, O king, live for ever. My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. Then was the king exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take 155 Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God. And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their 160 wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

6.25. Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied 165 unto you. I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end. He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh 170 signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions. So this Daniel prospered

in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

LESSON XC

ZERUBBABEL

EZRA 1 to 5.5

1.1. Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of Jehovah by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, Jehovah stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also 5 in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, Jehovah the God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem, which is 10 in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah the God of Israel; he is the God, which is in Jerusalem. And whosoever remaineth in any place where he sojourneth, let the men of his place help him with silver, and with gold, and with goods, and with beasts, beside the freewill offering for the house of God that is in 15 Jerusalem. Then rose up the chief of the fathers of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests, and the Levites, with all them whose spirit God had raised, to go up to build the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem. And all they that were about them strengthened their hands with vessels of silver, with gold, with 20 goods, and with beasts, and with precious things, beside all that was willingly offered. Also Cyrus the king brought forth the vessels of the house of Jehovah, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought forth out of Jerusalem, and had put them in the house of his gods; even those did Cyrus king of Persia bring forth by 25 the hand of Mithredath the treasurer, and numbered them unto 1 Sheshbazzar, the prince of Judah. And this is the number of them thirty chargers of gold, a thousand chargers of silver, nine and twenty knives, thirty basons of gold, silver basons of a second sort four hundred and ten, and other vessels a thousand. 30 All the vessels of gold and of silver were five thousand and four hundred. All these did Sheshbazzar bring up with them of the captivity that were brought up from Babylon unto Jerusalem. 1 Sheshbazzar is the Persian name of Zerubbabel.

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