1:1 In the third year of King Jehoiakim’s reign over Judah, Nebukad-nezzar, king of Babylon, came and laid siege to Jerusalem. 1:2 And the Lord delivered King Jehoiakim of Judah into his hands, and he took with him the golden vessels from the temple of God. These he carried back to Shinar, capital city of Babylon, placing them in the treasure house of his god. 1:3 Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his royal servants, to bring into his service chosen ones of the Israelites, from the royal family and the nobility. 1:4 They were to be young men, healthy and strong, handsome, quick-witted with an aptitude for learning, well informed, quick to understand, and who had in them the potential to serve in the king’s palace. They were to be taught the language and literature of the Babylonians, written in the tongue of the Chaldeans. 1:5 The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from his table. They were to be trained for three years before they were to stand before the king and enter into the king’s service.

1:6 Among those chosen were four from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 1:7 The chief servant Ashpenaz gave them new names: to Daniel, he gave the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. 

1:8 But Daniel had resolved in his heart not to defile himself with any portion of the king’s meat, nor of the king’s wine, and he requested of Ashpenaz to refuse his daily ration. 1:9 Now God had softened Ash’s heart, and so he showed favor and tender love for Daniel. 1:10 Ash told Daniel, "I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink. What if he should see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would have my head because of you."

1:11 Daniel then said to the guard who had been appointed over the four of them. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 1:12 "Test us! Test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but beans and lentils to eat and water to drink. 1:13 Then compare our appearance with the  young men who have taken the king’s meat and wine, and decide our worth in accordance with what you see." 1:14 To this, he agreed, and tested them for ten days. 1:15 And at the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 1:16 So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them beans and lentils as well.

1:17 To these four young men, God blessed them with knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning. And among them, Daniel showed an aptitude for understanding dreams and visions. 1:18 Three years passed and the time came to bring them into the king’s service, and so Ashpenaz brought them and presented them before king Nebukad-nezzar along with all of the other young men. 1:19 The king dined and spoke with the young men, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. 1:20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, the king found them ten times better than all the magicians and fortune-tellers in his whole kingdom. 1:21 And Daniel continued his service there unto the first year of King Cyrus.

2:1 In the second year of his reign, King Nebukad-nezzar began to have troublesome dreams; his spirit was tormented and he would wake in the night. 2:2 Then the king commanded to call  them! Call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the scholars who spoke the ancient tongue to rid the king of these dreams. And so they were brought to the king. 2:3 And the king said unto them "I have dreamed a terrible dream, and my spirit grows ill having dreamt it." 2:4 Then the scholars answered the king, "Long live the king! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it." 2:5 The king answered to them, "The thing is gone from me now. If you cannot tell me what my dream was and what it means, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble. 2:6 But if you can do this, and tell me the dream and explain it, from me you will receive gifts and rewards and great honor. Tell me the dream and its meaning." 2:7 Once more they said, "Pray the king tell his servants the dream, and we will interpret it." 2:8 The king replied, "I am certain that you are trying to buy time, You already know the thing is gone from me! 2:9 If you do not tell me the dream, there is only one thing to be done with you. For you have conspired to tell me lies and wicked things, hoping the situation will change. So then, tell me the dream, and then I will know that you can interpret it for me."

2:10 The scholars answered the king, "There is no one on earth who can do what the king asks! No king, however great or mighty, has ever asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or scholar. 2:11 What the king requires is impossible! None could reveal it to the king but the gods, who live in the skies above!" 2:12 This made the king so angry and furious that he ordered the execution of all of the Scholars of Babylon! 

2:13 So the decree was issued to put them to death, and men were also sent to look for Daniel and his friends to put them to death as well. 2:14 When Arioch, the Captain of the king’s guard, had found them, Daniel spoke with wisdom and tact. 2:15 He asked the king’s officer, "Why has the king issued such a harsh decree?" And so Ariok explained the matter to Daniel. 2:16 At this, Daniel went straight to the king and asked for time, that he would interpret the dream for him. 

2:17 Then Daniel returned to his quarters and explained the situation to his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 2:18 He urged them to pray for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery; that he and his friends might be spared the same fate as the other Scholars of Babylon. 2:19 During the night the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision. And Daniel thanked the God of heaven 2:20 and said:
"Praise be to the name of God forever and ever,
for he is powerful and wise.
2:21 It is He who changes the times and seasons;
He who slays kings and crowns others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the learned.
2:22 He reveals deep and secret things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
2:23 I thank thee! And praise thee! O thou God of my People:
who hath given me wisdom and power,
ye have made known unto me what was asked of thee:
for you have now made known to us the king’s dream."

2:24 Then Daniel went to Ariok, who the king had appointed to execute the Scholars of Babylon, and said to him, "Do not execute these Wise Men of Babylon. Take me before the king, and I will interpret his dream for him." 2:25 Ariok took Daniel to the king at once and said, "I have found a one among the young men taken from Judah who can tell the king the meaning of his dream." 2:26 The king asked Daniel, who he called Belteshazzar, "Are you able to make known to me what I saw in my dream, and what it means?" 2:27 Daniel answered to the king, "This secret that the king has demanded, none among the wise, the enchanters, the magicians, or diviners could make it known to thee. 2:28 But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has shown King Nebukad-nezzar what shall be in the End of Days. Your dream and the visions that have passed through your mind as you were lying in bed are thus: 2:29 As you, O king, were lying there, your mind turned to the future, and the revealer of mysteries showed you things yet to come. 2:30 But as for me, this mystery was not revealed because I have greater wisdom than any other man, but for the sake of all men that your Majesty may know the interpretation and that you may come to understand the thoughts of your heart."

2:31 You, O king, saw, and beheld a great image. This great thing, blindingly bright and enormous, stood before you; and its form was one of horror. 2:32 Its head of glittering gold, its chest and arms of silver, his belly and thighs of bronze, 2:33 his legs of black iron, and its feet partly of iron and partly of baked clay. 2:34 While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 2:35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were all broken to pieces and became like husks of wheat on the threshing room floors of summer. The wind swept them away without a trace. And the stone that struck the statue became a huge mountain, and filled the whole earth.

2:36 Thus was the dream, and now we will interpret it before the king. 2:37 You, O king! you are the king of kings! The God of heaven has given you dominion over this land, and power and might and glory. 2:38 Wherever there are children of Men, as well as the beasts of the field and birds in the sky above, He has made you the ruler over them all. You are the head of gold! 2:39 And after you, another kingdom will rise, though not as great as yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of brass, will rule over the whole earth. 2:40 Then a fourth kingdom shall reign, strong as iron—Iron that breaks and subjugates all others—and just as iron that breaks all things, so will it break apart and shatter into pieces. 2:41 Just as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, so shall this kingdom be divided. But even divided, it will still have some of the strength of iron in it, even if mixed with brittle clay. 2:42 As the toes were part iron and part clay, so shall the kingdom be partly strong and partly weak. 2:43 And just as you saw the iron mixed with dry clay, the people will intermingle but will not become united, any more than iron can be mixed with clay.

2:44 In the times of these kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it fall and be left to another people. It will crush and consume all others, and it will endure forever. 2:45 This is the meaning of the vision of the rock cut out of a mountain, but not by human hands—a stone that shattered the clay, the iron, the bronze, the silver, and the gold. The great God has shown the king events that will take place in the future. The dream is true, and the interpretation thereof sure.

2:46 Then the King Nebukad-nezzar fell upon his face before Daniel, and praised him as if in worship, and ordered that a gift offering and incense be presented to him. 2:47 The king said to Daniel, "Surely your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, as you have solved this mystery." 2:48 Then the king placed Daniel in a high position and lavished many gifts upon him. He made him ruler over the entire province and placed in his charge all the scholars of Babylon. 2:49 Then, at Daniel’s request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to handle the affairs of the province of Babylon, whilst Daniel sat in the king’s court.

3:1 King Nebukad-nezzar made a golden statue, ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He set it up in the square of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 3:2 Then King Nebukad-nezzar sent word to gather the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image. 3:3 Then the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, gathered themselves together unto the square of Dura, for the dedication of the image that King Nebukad-nezzar had set up, and they stood before it. 

3:4 Then a herald cried aloud, “To you it is commanded, O people, of all nations and languages: 3:5 At the moment you hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the lute, the psaltery, and the dulcimer, and every kind of music, you must fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebukad-nezzar has made. 3:6 Whosoever does not kneel down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace.”

3:7 Therefore at that time, as soon as they heard the sounds of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the lute, the psaltery, and the dulcimer, and every kind of music, all the people, of all nations and languages, fell upon their knees and worshiped the great statue of gold that King Nebukad-nezzar had made. 

3:8 But then some scholars came forward and accused the Jews. 3:9 They spoke and said to King Nebukad-nezzar, "My King, may you live forever! 3:10 Your Majesty has issued a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the trumpet, flute, lyre, lute, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music must fall down and worship the image of gold, 3:11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a blazing furnace. 3:12 But there are some Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—who pay no heed to you, Your Majesty. They neither serve your gods nor worship your image of gold."

3:13 Then Nebukad-nezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring forth Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. And so these men were brought before the king. 3:14 Nebukad-nezzar spoke and said to them, "Is it true, you Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods nor worship the image of gold I have made? 3:15 Now if you are ready at the time when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, lute, psaltery, and dulcimer, to kneel and to worship my image, very well then. But if ye do not bow to it, you will be thrown at once into the midst of a blazing furnace. And then who is your god that will be able to deliver you from my hands?"

3:16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied and said to the king, "O Nebukad-nezzar, we shall not defend ourselves to you in this matter. 3:17 If it shall be, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from thine own hand, O king. 3:18 However if he does not, be it known unto thee, Your Majesty, that we will never serve thy gods, nor worship that golden image of you."

3:19 Then was Nebukad-nezzar’s face twisted with anger against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and he was full of fury and malice. So he spoke, and commanded the furnace to be heated seven times more! 3:20 And he commanded the mightiest of his men in his army to bind them, and to cast them into the burning furnace. 3:21 So these men wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing fiery furnace. 3:22 But the king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. 3:23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, firmly tied, fell down themselves into the burning fiery furnace.

3:24 Then King Nebukad-nezzar leapt to his feet in astonishment, and he spoke and asked his advisers, "Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the burning fire?" They replied and said to the king, "It is true, Your Majesty." 3:25 He answered and said, "Lo! I see four men walking loose amidst the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of a God." 3:26 Then Nebukad-nezzar approached the mouth of the blazing furnace and spoke, and he said "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come forth! Come hither!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from amidst the fire. 3:27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors crowded around them, and saw these men, upon whose bodies fire had no power. Not a hair of their heads was singed, neither were their clothes scorched, and there was no smell of fire upon them.

3:28 Then Nebukad-nezzar spoke, and said "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who hath sent his angel and delivered his servants that trusted in him. They defied the king’s words, and yielded their bodies rather than serve or worship any god, except their own God. 3:29 Therefore I make this decree: that any people of any nation or language who speak amiss of the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego shall be cut down and their houses be turned into dunghills, for no other god can save in this way." 3:30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

4:1 King Nebukad-nezzar said unto all people, nations, and languages, who live over all the earth: "May peace be with you!
4:2 I wish to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the high God has wrought before me.
4:3 How great are his signs! How mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is eternal, and his dominion endures through the generations!"

4:4 I, Nebukad-nezzar, was at rest in my home, contented and prosperous in my palace. 4:5 I had a dream that made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me. 4:6 So I decreed to bring all the Wise Men of Babylon before me, that they might interpret the dream for me. 4:7 When the magicians, the astrologers, the scholars, and the soothsayers came, I recounted the dream to them, but they could not make sense of it. 4:8 But at last Daniel came into my presence. He is called Belteshazzar, according to the name of my God, and in him is the spirit of the Gods. Before him I told of my dream, 4:9 saying, "O Belteshazzar, chief amongst our scholars, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you, and no mystery is too great. Tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and what to make of it.

4:10 These are the visions I saw while lying in bed:
I looked, and beheld a tree in the middle of the land.
Its height was towering.
4:11 The tree grew, and was strong;

its heights reached into the heavens;
and the sight of it to the ends of the earth.
4:12 Its leaves were beautiful,
its fruit abundant,
and on it was food for all.
The beasts of the earth sheltered in its shadow,
and the fowls of heaven lived in its boughs.
And all life was fed from it.
4:13 In the visions of my head upon my bed, I looked, and behold. There before me was a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven.
4:14 He cried out and said thus:
"Hew down the tree and cut off his branches;
strip off its leaves and scatter his fruit.
Let the beasts flee from under it
and the birds from his branches.
4:15 Nevertheless let the stump and the roots rest in the earth,
even with a band of iron and bronze, let it remain in the tender grass of the field.
Let it be whet with the dew of heaven,
and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.
4:16 Let his heart be changed from that of a man’s,
and let the heart of a beast be given unto him
And let seven lifetimes pass over him."

4:17 "The matter is by decree of the watchers, and the verdict by word of the holy ones.
so that all the living may know
the most High God is sovereign in all kingdoms of men
and giveth it to whom he will
and sets over them the most humble of men."
4:18 This is the dream that I, King Nebukad-nezzar, have seen. Now, Belteshazzar, declare your interpretation, for none of the wise men in my kingdom can find its meaning for me. But you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.

4:19 Then Daniel (who was given the name Belteshazzar) was perplexed for a time, and was troubled by his thoughts. The king spoke, and said, "Belteshazzar, do not let the dream or its meaning trouble your heart." Daniel said, "My lord, let the dream be to your enemies, and its meaning to your adversaries!”
4:20 The tree you saw, which grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heavens, and the sight thereof to all earth, 4:21 with beautiful leaves and a great bounty of fruit, and from it was food for all. Under it the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon its branches the birds of heaven lay in their nests. 4:22 It is you, your Majesty, that have grown and become strong. Thy greatness has grown. It reaches to the heavens, and your dominion to all the earth. 4:23 The king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Hew down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump and roots in the earth, bound with a ring of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field. Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field ‘til seven times pass over him.’ 4:24 This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the decree the Most High has given upon my lord the king: 4:25 You will be driven away from the homes of men, and will live with the beasts of the field. you will eat grass like the ox, and feel the dew of morning upon your skin. Seven years will pass by for you, until you come to know that the Most High is sovereign over all the kingdoms of men, and gives them to whomever he wishes. 4:26 And their command to leave the stump of the tree with its roots means that your kingdom will be restored to thee once you come to know that Heaven rules. 4:27 Your Majesty, be pleased to accept my counsel: Renounce your sins through righteousness, and your wickedness by showing kindness to the oppressed. If then, it may then lengthen this period of tranquility."

4:28 All that was told came upon King Nebukad-nezzar. 

4:29 Twelve months later, the king walked in the palace of his kingdom of Babylon. 4:30 He spoke, and said, "Is this palace not great, that I have built as the seat of my kingdom, through the might of my own power, and for the glory of my majesty?" 4:31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, a voice fell from heaven, saying “O King Nebukad-nezzar, to thee it is spoken; Thy kingdom is departed from thee.
4:32 Ye shall be driven from the likes of men, and made to dwell as the beasts of the field. Ye shall be made to eat grass as the oxen does, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou knowst that the most High ruleth in the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whomsoever he will.
4:33 That same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebukad-nezzar. He was driven from men, and did eat grass as the oxen does. His body was wet with the dew of heaven, ‘til his hair had grown like the feathers of the eagle, and his nails like birds’ claws.

4:34 At the end of those days, I, Nebukad-nezzar, lifted my eyes unto heaven, and my mind was restored unto me. I blessed the Most High, and I honored and praised He who lives Forever. He whose dominion is everlasting, and whose kingdom shall last for all generations.
4:35 All the inhabitants of the earth are nothing compared to Him.
He does according to His own will with the armies of heaven,
and among the peoples of the earth.
None can stay His hand, nor question His will.
4:36 At the same time that my reason was returned to me, for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought unto me, and I was established again in my kingdom and made even greater than before.
4:37 Now I, Nebukad-nezzar, praise and exalt and honour the King of heaven, whose work is truth, and his ways judgment, and any that walk in pride he is able to humble.

5:1 Belshazzar the king gave a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the crowd.
5:2 Belshazzar, as he was tasting his wine, commanded to bring in the gold and silver that Nebukad-nezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his princes, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
5:3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his princes, his wives, and his concubines drank of them.
5:4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood and of stone.
5:5 Later in the hour, there appeared the fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote. The candlestick lifted and etched against the plaster of the wall of the palace. The king saw the pieces of the hand as it wrote.
5:6 Then the king’s face became twisted and pale. His thoughts troubled him so much so that he could hardly stand, and his knees knocked one against another.
5:7 The king cried out to summon the astrologers, the scholars, and soothsayers. Then the king spoke, and said to these wise men of Babylon, "Whosoever shall read this writing and tell me its meaning, will be clothed in scarlet and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom."
5:8 Then came in all the king’s wise men, but they could not read the writing, or make its meaning known to the king.
5:9 And so King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his face painfully contorted. His lords were at a loss.

5:10 Now the queen, having heard the voices of the king and his lords, came into the banquet hall. She spoke and said, "My king, may you live forever." she said. "Be not troubled by thy thoughts, and rest your weary face.”
5:11 There is a man in your kingdom, and in him is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like that of the gods, was found within him. Your father, the King Nebukad-nezzar, appointed him master of the magicians, the scholars, the astrologers, and diviners.
5:12 For in him was an excellent spirit, and great knowledge, and understanding; the ability to interpret dreams, and reveal hard truths, and dissolve the doubts of others. All were found in the same Daniel, named Belteshazzar by your father..Now let Daniel be called, and he will give us the interpretation you seek."
5:13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, "Are you Daniel, one of the children of captivity, who my father the king brought from Judah?
5:14 Even I have heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that there is light, and intelligence, and great wisdom found within you.
5:15  And now the wise men and enchanters have been brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not give an explanation of the thing.
5:16 Now I have heard of you, that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult things. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in scarlet and have a chain of gold placed around your neck, and shall be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom."

5:17 Then Daniel answered and said to the king, "Let your gifts be kept for yourself, and your rewards given to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and make known to him the interpretation. 

5:18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave Nebukad-nezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor. 5:19 And for the grace that God gave him, all the peoples, of every nation and language trembled and feared before him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he lifted up; and those he wanted to humble, he put down. 5:20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne, and his glory was taken from him. 5:21 He was driven away from the sons of men, and his mind was like that of an animal. He lived with the wild asses and ate grass like the ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he came to know that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them whoever he wishes. 5:22 But thou, his son Belshazzar, hath not humbled thine heart, though you already knew all this. 5:23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the golden goblets from his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see, nor hear, nor understand. Thy very breath is in our Lord’s hand, but thou hast not glorified Him 5:24 And so was the part of the hand sent from him, and this writing was written..

5:25 This is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN
5:26 Here is what these words mean:
MENE: God has numbered thy reign, and brought it to an end.
5:27 TEKEL: Thou art weighed on the scales, and found wanting.
5:28 PERES: Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

5:29 And so commanded Belshezzar, and Daniel was clothed in scarlet, and a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 5:30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 5:31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

6:1 It pleased Darius to appoint a hundred and twenty princes, who would rule throughout the kingdom, 6:2 And over these he set three presidents, the first of whom was Daniel. The princes were made accountable to them, so that the king might not suffer any losses. 6:3 Now Daniel was distinguished among the presidents and the princes by his exceptional spirit, that the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 6:4 At this, the presidents and the princes conspired to bring charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they found no occasion nor fault. He was faithful and righteous, and there was nary an error or fault found within him. 6:5 Finally these men said, "We will never find any basis against this man Daniel, unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

6:6 So the presidents and princes assembled before the king and said:
"King Darius! Long May He Reign!”
6:7 All the royal presidents, the prefects, the princes, the counsellors and captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that for the next thirty days, whosoever prays to any god or man, save to you, Our Majesty, they shall be thrown into the den of the lions. 6:8 Now, Your Majesty, issue the decree and sign it in writing so that it cannot be changed—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed." 6:9 And So King Darius signed the decree..

6:10 Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been signed, he went into his house, to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he kneeled upon his knees, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, just as he had always done. 6:11 Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and begging before his God. 6:12 So they gathered close, and spoke before the king about his royal decree: "Did you not sign a decree that for thirty days, every man who prays to any god or man, save to you, Your Majesty, they shall be thrown into the lion’s den?"
The king answered, and said "The thing is true—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed."
6:13 Then they said before the king, “That man, Daniel, one of the children of captivity from Judah, pays no regards to thee, Our King—nor to the decree which bears thy name. Still he prays three times each day."

6:14 Then the king, upon hearing these words, was greatly distressed and displeased with himself; and set his heart upon Daniel, determined to deliver him; and he labored through to dusk on the task of saving him. 6:15 Then these men assembled before the king, and said unto him, "Remember, Thy Majesty, that the law of the Medes and Persians states thus: No decree nor statute established by the king may be changed." 6:16 So the king gave his command, and Daniel was brought forth and cast into the den of lions. The king spoke and said to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve forever, He will deliver thee!" 6:17 A stone was brought out and laid at the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and the rings of his lords, to seal upon Daniel his unchangeable fate. 

6:18 Then the king returned to his palace, and fasted through the night. He would not have any musical instruments brought before him, and sleep eluded him.

6:19 The king arose at first light the next morning, and hurried unto the Den of Lions. 6:20 And when he came near to the den, he called upon Daniel with a lamentable voice. The King spoke and said: "O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you forever serve, has He been able to deliver thee from the lions?" 6:21 Daniel answered, "Long Live the King!” 

6:22 “My God has sent his angel, and hath shut the lions’ mouths. They have not hurt me, for I have been found to be innocent. And also before you, Your Majesty, I have done no wrong." 6:23 The king was overjoyed for him, and gave orders to lift Daniel up out of the den. And when Daniel was brought from the den, not a scratch was found upon him, because he had trusted and believed in his God.

6:24 At the king’s command, those men who had accused Daniel were brought before him, and they were cast themselves into the lion’s den. Them, their wives, and their children. The Lions had their way with the lot of them. All their bones were crushed to pieces before they could even fall to the ground of the den. 6:25 Then King Darius wrote to all the people, of all nations and languages that dwell upon the Earth: “Let Peace come upon you!” 6:26 “I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom, men shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
For he is the living God
and lives steadfast forever!
His kingdom that shall not be destroyed,
His dominion shall faire to the end!”
6:27 He is the one who delivers and rescues;
He works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth.
He has delivered Daniel from the powerful maw of the lions."
6:28 And so Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

7:1 In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his head as he laid upon his bed. Then he wrote of his dream, and told of the sum of its parts. 7:2 Daniel spoke and said:
"I saw in a vision by night, and lo, the four Winds of Heaven crashed over the great sea. 7:3 And four great beasts came up from its waters, each unlike the other. 7:4 The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched as its wings were plucked, and it was lifted from the earth, and made to stand upon its two feet like a man, and the heart of a man was given to it. 7:5 And behold, before me was another beast, which looked as a bear. It raised itself up on one side, and it carried three ribs between its teeth. The winds howled unto it: “Arise, and devour much flesh.” 7:6 After this I beheld yet another, like a leopard, which had upon its back four wings of a fowl. The beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7:7 After this I saw in my vision of the night, a fourth beast—dreadful and terrible, with immense power and strength. It had great iron teeth; it crushed, and devoured, and trampled the remains under its feet. It was different from all the beasts that came before, and it had ten horns. 7:8 I closely considered the horns, and then I saw it, among them there was a single smaller horn, around which there were three of the larger horns pulled up by the roots. And behold, This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth that spoke great and terrible things.

7:9 I watched and saw the thrones cast into place,
and the Ancient of Days took his rightful seat.
His clothing was white as snow;
the hair of his head bright like a pure wool.
He sat on a throne of flames,
and wheels about him appeared as burning fire.
7:10 A fiery stream was open beneath him,
flowing from before him.
A thousand thousands attended the man;
and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,

the judgement was set,
and the books were opened.
7:11 The voice of the beast’s horn spoke with boastful words, and I beheld it. I beheld even as the beast was slain and its body destroyed and given unto the blazing fire.
7:12 As for the other beasts, they had been stripped of their dominion, but were allowed to live for the moment and for a time.
7:13 I saw in the night visions and beheld,
one like the Son of man,
walked with the clouds of heaven.
He came to the Ancient of Days
and was brought close to him.
7:14 And before the Ancient of Days, he was given dominion, and glory, and a kingdom;
that all peoples, of all nations and languages should serve him.
His dominion is everlasting,
Never shall it pass away.
His kingdom shall naught be destroyed.

7:15 I, Daniel, felt my spirit disturbed in the midst of my body, and the visions troubled me. 7:16 [In the dream] I went to one of those that stood near, and asked him the truth of all this.
And so he told me, and made known to me the meaning of these things:
7:17 "These great and terrible beasts, the four of them, are four kings that will rise from the earth. 7:18 But the holiest people of our great God will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever. For ever and ever. Amen."
7:19 “Then I [Daniel] would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, more than terrifying, with its iron teeth and metal claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and ground what was left into the dirt. 7:20 And I would know of the ten horns on its head, and about the other fearsome horn that came up, the smaller one that had eyes and a mouth that spoke its terrible words, about which there were three horns that had already been plucked. 7:21 I watched as the horn made war against our saints, and defeated them, 7:22 that is to say, until the Ancient of Days came, and victory was given to the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when the saints held the kingdom.

7:23 And thus he said:
"The fourth beast shall be a fourth kingdom upon the earth.
It will be different from all that came before. It will cover the whole earth,
treading upon and crushing it, and its people.
7:24 And from this kingdom, the ten horns are ten kings that will come.
And after them, another man will rise,
different from the ten who came before;
he will subdue three.
7:25 He will whisper great and terrible words against the Most High
and oppress his holy people
and think to change the times and the laws.
The holy people will be delivered into his hands
for a time, and times, and half a time more.
7:26 But the judgement will come,
and they shall strip away its dominion, to consume and to destroy, forevermore.
7:27 And the kingdom, with all its power and greatness under all of heaven,
will be handed over to the people of the saints of the Most High.
whose kingdom is everlasting,
and all dominions will worship and obey him."

7:28 Thus the matter is ended.
As for me, Daniel, I was deeply troubled by these thoughts
till I turned blue in the face, yet still I chose to bear the matter upon my heart.

8:1 In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar, I Daniel had another vision, after the one that had already appeared to me. 8:2 I saw in my vision, which did come to pass, I saw myself in Shusa, in the castle, in the province of Elam; and in the vision I stood by the river Ulai. 8:3 I lifted my eyes and beheld, there before me stood a ram with two horns, standing beside the canal. The horns were long. One of the horns, the one farther from me, was longer than the other. 8:4 I saw the ram push westward, and northward, and southward. Charging so that no beast could stand against him, and none could rescue from his power. He did according to his will, and grew, and became great. 8:5 As I was considering the ram, behold, a male goat came from the west, crossing the face of the whole earth without touching the ground. It had a notable horn between its eyes. 8:6 It came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing by the river, and charged at him with all its might. 8:7 It closed the distance to the ram and moved with great anger and fury, attacking him and breaking his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand before him; the goat cast him down to the ground and stamped its hooves upon him, and there was none that could deliver the ram from his hand. 8:8 And so the goat grew to be even greater. But in its time of greatest strength, its great horn was broken off. And from its place sprouted four prominent horns that grew toward the four winds of heaven.

[8:9 to 8:27 under construction]

9:1 In the first year of Darius son of Khasharsah (Of Mede-ian descent), who was made ruler over the realm of the Scholars, 9:2 In the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that for Seventy years the desolation of Jerusalem would last. 9:3 And so I turned my face unto the Lord my God, to seek by prayer and petition, through fasting, and in sackcloth, and ashes. 9:4 And I prayed unto the Lord my God and made my confession, and said:
"O Lord, the great and fearsome God,
who keepeth his covenant and mercy to those that love him, and to those that keep his commandments,
9:5 we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled,
whereas we have departed from thy precepts and from thy judgments.
9:6 Neither have we heeded your servants the prophets,
which spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers,
and to all the people of the land.
9:7 O Lord, righteousness belongeth to thee, but unto us there is naught but shame on this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far, through all the countries our people have been driven, because of their trespass. That they have trespassed against thee.
9:8 O Lord, to us belongeth confusion and shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, for we have sinned against thee.
9:9 The Lord our God giveth mercies and forgivenesses, but though we have rebelled against him;
9:10 Neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God to walk in his Laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
9:11 Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law, and turned away, that they might not hear and obey thy voice. Therefore a curse is placed upon us, and upon the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against You.
9:12 And You have fulfilled the words which you spoke against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil. For under the whole of heaven, naught has ever been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
9:13 As was written in the Law of Moses, the shadow of this evil is upon us, yet we have not given our prayers unto the Lord our God, that we might turn away from our immoralities, and receive and understand your truth.
9:14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon this evil as it has befallen us, and brought it upon us. For the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he does; for we have not obeyed his voice.

9:15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made for thyself a name that endures: We have sinned. We have done wickedly. 9:16 O Lord, in all your righteousness, I beseech thee. Let thine anger and fury be wrested from thine Jerusalem, Your City. Thy holy mountain. Because for our sins, and for the sins of our ancestors, Jerusalem and thy people have been shunned by all those around us. 9:17 Now, O God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his petitions. Let thine face shine upon thy sanctuary, that has been made desolate. Look for thine own sake, my Lord.  9:18 O God, give thine ear, and hear; open your eyes and behold our destruction! And the city which bears thy Name. We do not make present our supplications before you for our righteousness, but for thy great mercy. 9:19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Defer not, for yourn own sake, my God. Do not delay; for thy city and thy people are called by thy name."

9:20 And whiles I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin, and the sin of my people Israel, and making my request to the Lord my God, for the holy Mountain of my great God Almighty. 9:21 Verily, whiles I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel I had seen at the beginning of the earlier vision, flying swiftly, came to me and touched me, about the time of the evening obligation. 9:22 He instructed me, and spoke with me, and said to me, "O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. 9:23 At the start of thine petitioning a commandment came forth, and I have come to tell thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore, understand the vision, and consider the matter:
9:24 "Seventy ‘sevens’ are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for wickedness, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy.
9:25 Know therefore and understand: That going forth from the commandment to restore and rebuild Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and threescore and two ‘sevens.’ The street shall be built anew, and the wall as well, even in troublous times.
9:26 And after Threescore and two ‘sevens,’ the messiah will be cut down, and will have nothing left. And a prince shall come, and his people shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come of a flood: and end unto the War, and desolations determined.
9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ And in the midst of the ‘seven’ he shall cause the sacrifice and the offerings to cease. And upon the wing of abominations shall come one that maketh desolation, even until the consummation, and that which is determined shall be poured upon the desolate"

10:1 In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a thing was revealed to Daniel in a vision (who was also given the name Belteshazzar). Its message was true, but the time about it was long. He understood the thing, and also understood the vision. 10:2 In those days I, Daniel, mourned for three full weeks. 10:3 I had no pleasant breads; neither meat nor wine came to my mouth, and neither did I anoint myself, until the whole three weeks were done. 10:4 On the twenty and fourth day of the first month, as I was standing by the side of the great river Hiddekel, 10:5 Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and beheld, there before me was a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold about his waist. 10:6 His body was like the beryl, and his face like lightning, his eyes like lamps of fire, his arms and legs were a colour like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the words of his voice like the voices of many. 10:7 I alone saw the vision; for the men with me saw it not, but a great quaking terror fell upon them, that they fled and hid themselves. 10:8 So I was left alone, and alone I saw this great vision; though I had no strength left, for my strength and color turned within me to weakness, and left me. 10:9 Yet I heard the voice of his words, and when I heard, I suddenly fell into a deep sleep, my face toward the ground.

10:10 And behold a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and the palms of my hands. 10:11 And he said, "O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words I speak unto thee, and stand upright, for unto thee I have been sent." And when he spoke those words to me, I stood, trembling. 10:12 Then he said unto me, "Fear not, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your heart to gain understanding and to humble thyself before thy God, your words were heard, and for thy words, I have come.” 10:13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom would resist me twenty-one days. Then one of the chief princes, Michael, came to my aid, because I had been  sequestered with the king of Persia. 10:14 “Now I have come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people at the end of days, for the vision will be for many days."

10:15 When he had spoken such words to me, I bowed with my face toward the ground, and could not find words. 10:16 And then one who looked like the spitting image of the Son of Man touched my lips, and I opened my mouth, spoke, and said unto the one that stood before me, "O my Lord, this vision, my anguish has turned upon me, and I am so weak, my Lord. 10:17 How can the servant of my Lord talk with you, my Lord? For as for me, almost instantly my strength was left me, and neither did I have breath within me” 10:18 Again the one who looked like a man touched me and he strengthened me. 10:19  And said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not. Peace be unto thee. Be strong, yea, be strong." And when he spoke those words to me, I was strengthened and said, "Let my lord speak, for thou hath strengthened me."

10:20 So he said, "Dost thou understand the reason I have come unto thee? Now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia, and when I have gone forth, lo, the prince of Grecia shall come; 10:21 But I will show thee that which is written in the scripture of truth. There are none who stand with me in these things, save Michael, your prince. 

11:1 And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I Daniel stood to support and to strengthen him.

11:2 And now I will tell thee the truth. Behold, there shall yet be three kings who will arise in Persia, and then a fourth who will be far richer than all the rest. And by his strength, through his riches, he will stir up everyone against the kingdom of Greece. 11:3 And then a mighty king will stand up, who shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will. 11:4 And once he has come to stand, his kingdom will be broken, and divided toward the four winds of heaven. Not will it go to his heirs, nor according to his will or dominion which he ruled. His kingdom shall be uprooted, and be split even further. 11:5 And the king of the South will be strong, and one of his princes will become yet stronger, and he will have dominion, which will be very great. 11:6 At the end of some years, they shall join themselves together. The king’s daughter of the South shall come to the king of the North to make an agreement, but she shall not keep the power of her birthright. And neither shall he stand, nor his. Regardless, she will be forsaken, and they that accompanied her, and her king father, and he that strengthened her in these times. 11:7 But from a branch of her roots one will stand up to claim his estate. He shall come with an army, and shall enter into the North King’s fortress, he shall engage with them and shall be victorious. 11:8 Into Egypt, he shall carry their gods as captives, along with their princes, and with their precious vessels of silver and gold, and he shall outlive the king of the north by years.

11:9 And so the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and then shall return to his own land. 11:10 But the sons of the South King will be stirred up, and assemble a great many forces, and of them one shall certainly come, and pass over the land like a flowing river. Then shall he return, and be embattled, even to his own fortress.11:11 And so the king of the South shall be consumed with rage, and shall come forth and fight against his son, even allying with the king of the North to do so, and he shall set forth a great multitude, but the army will be given into the son’s hand.11:12 And when the son hath taken the multitude from his father, his heart shall be lifted with pride, and he will cast down many ten thousands, but he will not be strengthened by it. 11:13 The king of the North will return, and will set forth a multitude greater than the one before, and he will certainly come after certain years with a great army and with his riches.11:14 And in those times there shall be many who stand up against the king of the South. The robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision, but they will fall.11:15 And so, the king of the North shall come, and cast up a mount, and take the most fenced cities. The arms of the South will not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall have any strength to withstand.

[11:16 to 11:45 under construction]

12:1 And at that time will he stand up, Michael, the great prince who shall stand for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble. One such as never was before, not from the time of the first nation to that time to come. But at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake: some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. 12:3 And those that are wise shall shine like the glow of the firmamental sky, as will those who turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever. 12:4 But you, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even through the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.

12:5 Then I, Daniel, looked, and beheld, there stood two others, one on this side of the bank of the river, and the other on that side of the bank of the river. 12:6 And one [I] said to the man clothed in linen, who stood upon the waters of the river, "How long will it be to the end of these wonders?" 12:7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who stood upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and lifted his left hand unto heaven, and swear by him that liveth for ever, that it will be for a time, times, and a half. And when he shall have succeeded to scatter the power of the holy people like seeds on the wind, all these things will be done.

12:8 And I heard, but understood not. Then I said, "O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?" 12:9 And he said, "Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.” 12:10 “Many will be purified, and made white, and tried, but the wicked shall still do wickedly. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. 12:11 And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that causes desolation set up, there will be One Thousand Two Hundred and Ninety days (1290). 12:12 Blessed is he who waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty five days (1,335). 12:13 But you, go ye your own way till the end, for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of days."