Shadrach, &c. delivered.

B. C. about 580.

e ch. 2. 49.

† Chald. have

set no regard upon thee.

|| Or, of purpose, as Ex. 21. 13.

e

12 There are certain Jews whom thou | hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

13 T Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego? do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship fA Ex. 32. 32. the image which I have made; fwell: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Luke 13. 9.

g Ex. 5. 2.

2 Kin. 18. 35.

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuh Matt. 10.19. chadnezzar, hwe are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Nebuchadnezzar's dream.

B. C. about 580.

gathered together, saw these men, lupon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire ¦ / Heb. 11. 34. had passed on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his 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.

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 bet 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.

CHAPTER IV.

1 Nebuchadnezzar confesseth God's kingdom, 4 maketh relation of his dreams, which the magicians could not interpret. 8 Daniel heareth the dream. 19 He interpreteth it. 28 The story of the event.

EBUCHADNEZZAR the king, "unto all people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.

2 + I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders b that the high God hath wrought toward me.

с

3 How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders! his kingdom is dan everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is from generation to generation.

4 ¶ I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and flourishing in my palace:

5 I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head f troubled me.

6 Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

79 Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and told the dream before them; but they did not make known unto me the inter

|

8 But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,

90 Belteshazzar, kmaster of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation thereof.

10 Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

11 The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:

12 The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all the beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed of it.

13 I saw in the visions of my head upon

Daniel interpreteth it.

B. C. about 570.

n Pз. 103. 20. ver, 17, 23.

o Deut. 33. 2. ch. 8. 13. Zech, 14. 5. Jude 14, + Chald, with might.

p Matt. 3. 10. 9 Ez. 31. 12.

rch. 11. 13. & 12. 7.

$ Pa. 9. 16.

t ch. 2. 21. & 5. 21.

ver, 25, 32.

u Gen. 41. 8, 15

ch. 5. 8, 15. 2 ver. 8.

y ver, 8,

z See 2 Sam. 18. 32. Jer. 29. 7. a ver. 10, 11, 12.

b ch, 2, 38.

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 brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth:

16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven "times pass over him.

17 This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.

have seen.

n

The dream fulfilled. if it may

by shewing mercy to the poor; be a lengthening of thy tranquillity. 28 All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.

B. C. about 570.

29 At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30 The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31 While the word was in the king's Or, upon. mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from pch. 5. 5, thee.

32 And "they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

19 Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My lord, *the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

20 The tree that thou sawest, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven, and the sight thereof to all the earth;

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, Jer. 27. 6,7, and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

34 And at the end of the days I Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heav. en, and mine understanding returned unto me, and I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honoured him that liveth for ch. 12. 7. ever, whose dominion is "an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom is from generation to generation:

35 And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, "What doest thou?

36 At the same time my reason returned unto me; band for the glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was c added unto me.

37 Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, dall whose works are truth, and his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.

this is the decree of the Most High, which is come upon my lord the king:

25 That they shall ƒ drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the. beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

26 And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known that the & heavens do rule. 27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities

feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

Rev. 4. 10. u Ps. 10. 16. ch. 44. & 7. 14. Mic. 4. 7. Luke 1. 33. Is. 40.15, 17. y Ps. 115, 3, & 135. 6.

z Job 34. 29. a Job 9. 12. Is. 45. 9. Rom. 9. 20. b ver. 26.

c Job 42. 12. Prov. 22. 4. Matt. 6. 33. d Ps. 33. 4. Rev. 15. 3. & 16. 7.

e Ex. 18. 11. ch, 5, 20.

about 538. a Esth. 1. 3.

2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar b Jer. 52. 19. had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his princes, | || Or, grandhis wives and his concubines, might drink therein.

3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines, drank in them.

4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

ch. 1. 2.

father: As Jer. 27. 7. 2 Sam. 9. 7. 2 Chr. 15. 16. ver. 11, 13. + Chald. brought forth.

c Rev. 9. 20.

The handwriting on the wall.

B. C. about 538.

dch, 4, 31.

+ Chald.
brightnesses,
ver, 9.

+ Chald.
changed it.
Or, girdles,
Is. 5. 27.
+Chald. bind-
ings, or,
knots.

e Nah. 2. 10. fch. 2. 2. & 4. 6.

† Chald, with
might.

g Is. 47. 13.
|| Or, purple.
h ch. 6. 2.

4 ch. 2; 27, &
4.7.

k ch. 2. 1.
+ Chald.
brightnesses,

ver. 6.

5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. 7 The king cried † aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall 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 the third ruler in the kingdom.

8 Then came in all the king's wise men: i but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly & troub-| led, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

10 ¶ Now the queen, 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 7 ch. 2. 4. & 3. thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

9.

m ch. 2. 48. &
4. 8, 9, 18.
|| Or, grand-
father,
ver, 2.

|| Or, grand-
father,
ver, 2.

n ch. 4. 9.
a ch. 6. 3.
Or, of an in-
terpreter, fc.
Or, of a
dissolver.
† Chald.
knots.

p ch. 1. 7.

|| Or, grandfather.

q ver. 11, 12,

rver. 7, 8.

† Chald. interpret. s ver. 7.

|| Or, fee, as ch. 2, 6,

{ ch. 2. 37, 38. & 4. 17, 22, 25.

u Jer. 27. 7. ch. 3. 4.

11 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 magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12 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 interpretation. 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? 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.

15 And now "the wise men, the astrologers, 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 interpretation of the thing:

16 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 thercof, thou shalt bo clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom. 17 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.

18 0 thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

19 And for the majesty that he gave him, "all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would

Daniel interpreteth it.

he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

up,

20 But when his heart was lifted and his mind hardened in pride, he was † deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him :

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 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 appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

a

B. C. about 538.

≈ ch. 4. 30, 37. || Or, to deal proudly, Ex. 18. 11. † Chald, made to come down.

y ch.4.32, &c. || Or, he made his heart equal, fc.

z ch. 4. 17, 25.

a 2 Chr.33. 23. & 36. 12.

1 Daniel is made chief of the presidents. 4 They

conspiring against him obtain an idolatrous decree. 10 Daniel, accused of the breach thereof, 1* cast into the lions' den. 18 Daniel is raved. 24 His adversaries devoured, 25 and God magnified by a decree,

ITple hundred and twenty princes, pleased Darius to set over the king

which should be over the whole kingdom; 2 And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage.

3 Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against 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.

5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except wo find it against him concerning the law of his God.

¡Or, now.

about 538.

a Esth. 1. 1.

bch. 5. 12.

about 537. c Ecc. 4. 4.

whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, Pand his wheels as burning fire.

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: "thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 11 I beheld then, because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: *I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame.

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet † their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, น one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.

14 3 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all * people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is "an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

15 ¶ I Daniel 6 was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my † body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

16 I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

17 These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.

18 But d the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 19 Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse † from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

20 And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

21 I beheld, ƒ and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22 Until the Ancient of days came, hand judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Vision of the ram and he goat.

27 And the "kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. 28 Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me Daniel, "my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me: but I kept the matter in my heart. CHAPTER VIII.

1 Daniel's vision of the ram and he goat. 13 The two thousand three hundred days of sacrifice. 15 Gabriel comforteth Daniel, and interpreteth the vision.

B. C. about 555.

"ver. 14, 18, 22.

s cli. 2. 44. Luke 1. 33. Jolrn 12. 34. Rev, 11. 15.

t Is. 60. 12.

Or, rulers. u ver. 15. ch. 8. 27. & 10. 8, 16. Luke 2, 19, 51.

about 553.

a ch. 7. 1.

IN the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me Daniel, after that which appeared Esth. 1. 2. unto me "at the first.

2 And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was at 6 Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.

3 Then I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns: and the two horns were high; but one was higher than † the other, and the higher came up last. 4 I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will, and became great.

5 And as I was considering, behold, a he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground: and the goat had †d a notable horn between his eyes.

6 And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

7 And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with choler against him, and smote the ram, and brake his two horns and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground, and stamped upon him: and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

8 Therefore the he goat waxed very great: and when he was strong, the great horn was broken; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

e

9 f And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the h pleasant land.

+Heb. the second.

c ch. 5. 19. & 11. 3, 16.

|| Or, none touched him in the earth. † Heb, a horn of sight.

d ver. 21.
e ch. 7. 6. &
11. 4.
ver, 22,

fch. 7. 8. &

11. 21.

g ch. 11. 25.

h Ps. 48. 2.

Ez. 20. 6, 15. ch.11. 16, 41, 45.

i ch. 11. 28. || Or, against the host,

So Is. 14. 13. Rev. 12. 4.

m Jer. 48. 26, 42.

ch. 11. 36. ver. 25.

|| Or, against. n Josh. 5. 14. o ch, 11, 31, 12. 11.

|| Or, from him.

p Ex. 29. 38. Num. 28. 3. Ez. 46. 13.

1 Or, the host was given over for the transgression against the daily sacrifice.

ch. 11. 31.

10 And it waxed great, even to kthe host of heaven; and lit cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground, Ps. 119. 43, and stamped upon them.

25 And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and "think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand Puntil a time and times and the dividing of time.

26 2 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

12 And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practised, and prospered. 13

142. Is. 59. 14. & ver. 4, ch.11. 28, 36. tch. 4. 13. & 12. 6.

1 Pet. 1. 12.

or, thenumberer of secrets, or, the wonderful numberer.

Heb. Pal-
moni.

Then I heard tone saint speaking, and another saint said unto " + that certain saint which spake, How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, and the transgression of desolation, to give both, making the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?

desolate, ch. 11, 31, &

12. 11.