yet said the ruler of the eunuchs unto Daniel, I do fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink, - for why should he see your faces more sad than those of the youths of your own age? so should ye bring me under the penalty of mine own head unto the king.

I pray thee - prove thy servants, ten days, - and let them give us vegetable food, that we may eat, and water that we may drink:

And the king, said to them, A dream, have I dreamed, - and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.

The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The word from me, is unalterable: If ye shall not make known to me the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and, your houses, into a dunghill, shall be turned;

but, if, the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye will declare, gifts and a present and great dignity, shall ye receive from before me, - therefore, the dream and the interpretation thereof, declare ye unto me.

The king answered and said, Of a certainty, I know, that, time, ye, would gain, - merely because ye see that, unalterable, from me, is the word:

That, if, the dream, ye shall not make known to me, one and the same, is the decree, and, a lying and wicked word, have ye agreed to speak before me, that meanwhile the time may be changed, - therefore, the dream, tell ye me, so shall I know that, the interpretation thereof, ye can declare for me.

Unto the, O God of my fathers, do I render thanks and praise, in that, wisdom and might, thou hast given unto me, - yea, already, hast thou made known to me that which we desired of thee, for, the matter of the king, hast thou made known unto us.

Therefore, Daniel entered in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon, - he went in, and, thus, he said unto him, The wise men of Babylon, do not thou destroy, bring me in before the king, and, the interpretation - unto the king, will I declare.

The king answered and said unto Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, - Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?

But, as for me - not for any wisdom that is in me, more than any of the living, is, this secret, revealed to me, - therefore, it is in order that, the interpretation - unto the king, they should make known, and that, the thoughts of thy heart, thou shouldst get to know.

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it, with design, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, - that, my god, ye are not serving, and, the image which I have set up, are not adoring?

Now, if ye be ready, at what time ye shall hear the sound of the cornet, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery and the bagpipes, and all the instruments of music, ye shall fall down and adore the image which I have made, but, if ye shall not adore, instantly, shall ye be cast into the midst of the burning furnace of fire, - and who is the god that shall deliver you out of my hands?

The signs, and the wonders, which the most high God, hath wrought with me, it is pleasing before me to declare.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at peace in mine own house, and was prosperous in my palace.

A dream, I saw, and it made me afraid, - and, fancies upon my bed, and visions of my head, terrified me.

Therefore made I a decree, to bring in before me, all the wise men of Babylon, - who, the interpretation of the dream, should make known to me.

Then came in the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers, - and, the dream, told I before them, but, the interpretation, could they not make known to me.

Howbeit, at last, came before me - Daniel, whose, name, was Belteshazzar, after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and, the dream - before him, I told saying :

O Belteshazzar, chief of the sacred scribes, because I know that, the spirit of the holy gods, is in thee, - and no secret giveth thee trouble, therefore , the visions of my dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof, do thou tell.

The visions then of my head upon my bed were these , - I was looking, when lo! a tree in the midst of the land, and, the height thereof, was great.

I was looking, in the visions of my head, upon my bed, when lo! a watcher and holy one, outer the heavens, coming down.

By the decree of the watchers, is the thing, and by the mandate of the holy ones, the matter: to the intent that the living, may get to know, that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it, and, one low among men, he setteth up over it.

This dream, have, I, King Nebuchadnezzar, seen. Thou, therefore, O Belteshazzar, the interpretation, do thou tell, forasmuch as, all the wise men of my kingdom, are unable, the interpretation, to make known to me, but, thou, art able, because, the spirit of the holy gods, is in thee.

Then, Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was astonished for about one moment, and, his thoughts, troubled him. The king spake and said, O Belteshazzar, let neither, the dream, nor the interpretation, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and said, My Lord, The dream, be for them who hate thee, and, the interpretation, for them who are thy foes.

This, is the interpretation, O king, - and, the decree of the Most High, it is, which hath come upon my lord the king:

Wherefore, O king, let, my counsel, be pleasing unto thee, thy sin, then, - by righteousness, break thou off, and, thine iniquities, by shewing favour to the oppressed, - if so be it may become the lengthening out of thy security.

the king spake and said, Is not, this, Babylon the great, - which, I myself, have built as the home of the kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the dignity of my majesty?

And, at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, mine eyes unto the heavens, did uplift, and, mine understanding, unto me, returned, and, the Most High, I blessed, and, to him that liveth age-abidingly, I rendered praise and honour, - whose dominion, is an age-abiding dominion, and, his kingdom, lasteth from generation to generation;

At the same time, mine understanding, returned unto me, and, for the dignity of my kingdom, my majesty and my brightness, returned unto me, and, unto me, my nearest friends and my nobles, did seek, - and, over my kingdom, was I restored, and, surpassing greatness, was added unto me.

The king began crying out again, to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans and the astrologers, - the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever it is that shall read this writing, and, the interpretation thereof, shall declare unto me, with purple, shall he be clothed, and have a chain of gold upon his neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shall he have dominion.

Then, Daniel, was brought in before the king, - the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art, thou, that Daniel, that is of the sons of the exile of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?

Now, therefore, have been brought in before me, the wise men, the magicians, that, this writing, they might read, and, the interpretation thereof, might make known unto me, - but they were not able, the interpretation of the thing, to declare.

I, however, have heard concerning thee, that thou art able, interpretations, to unfold, and, knotty points, to unravel, - Now, if thou be able, the writing, to read, and, the interpretation thereof, to make known unto me, with purple, shalt thou be clothed, and, a chain of gold, shalt thou have upon thy neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shalt thou have dominion.

And this is the writing which was inscribed, M'ne, M'ne, T'kel, u-Pharsin.

This, is the interpretation of the thing, - M'ne, God hath reckoned up thy reign, and ended it:

Now, O king! wilt thou establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it may not be changed - according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be abolished,

Then drew they near, and began to speak before the king, concerning the royal interdict, Didst thou not sign, an interdict, that, any man who should petition of any God or man, for thirty days, save of thee, O king, should be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, Certain is the thing - according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be abolished.

Then, these men, crowded unto the king, - and were saying to the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that, no interdict nor statute which the king establisheth, may be changed.

My God, hath sent his messenger, and hath shut the mouth of the lions, and they have not hurt me; forasmuch as, before him, rectitude was found in me, moreover also, before thee, O king, no, crime, had I committed.

From before me, is appointed a decree that, throughout every dominion of my kingdom, men tremble and withdraw falteringly from before the God of Daniel, - for that, he, is the Living God, and abiding for ages, and, his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed, and, his dominion, is unto the end:

Daniel spake and said, I was looking, in my vision which came with the night, - when, lo! the four winds of the heavens, bursting forth upon the great sea;

The spirit of, me, Daniel, was grieved in the midst of the sheath, - and, the visions of my head, terrified me.

I drew near unto one of them who stood by, and made exact enquiry of him, concerning all this, - so he told me, and, the interpretation of the things, made he known unto me.

Hitherto is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, greatly did my thoughts terrify me, and, my bright looks, were changed upon me, but, the matter - in mine own heart, I kept.

In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision, appeared unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the beginning.

And it came to pass, when, I Daniel, had seen the vision, - and had sought discernment, that lo! there was standing before me, as the appearance of a man.

So he came near where I stood, and, when he came, I was terrified, and fell upon my face, - but he said unto me, Understand, O son of man, that, to the time of the end, belongeth the vision.

And, when he spake with me, I fell stunned upon my face, to the earth, - but he touched me, and caused me to stand up where I was.

Then said he, Behold me! causing thee to know, that which shall come to pass in the afterpart of the indignation, - for, at an appointed time, shall be an end.

Now, as for me Daniel, then was I sick for days, but I arose and did the business of the king, - and, though I was confounded concerning the revelation, yet could no one discern it.

So I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek him by prayer, and supplication, - with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes;

yea I prayed unto Yahweh my God, and made confession, - and said - I beseech thee, O Lord, the GOD great and to be revered, keeping the covenant and the lovingkindness, to them who love him, and to them who keep his commandments.

Incline, O my God, thine ear, and hearken, open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city on which hath been called thy name; for, not on the ground of our own righteousnesses, are we causing our supplications to fall down before thee, but on the ground of thine abounding compassions.

O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hearken and perform! Do not delay! For thine own sake, O my God, because, thine own name, hath been called, upon thy city, and upon thy people.

And, while yet I was speaking, and praying, and confessing mine own sin, and the sin of my people Israel, - and causing my supplication to fall down before Yahweh my God, concerning the holy mountain of my God;

while yet I was speaking in prayer, then, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in vision at the beginning, wearied with rapid flight, touched me, about the time of the evening present.

Yea he came, and spake with me, - and said - O Daniel! now, have I come forth, to teach thee understanding.

food to delight in, did I not eat, neither flesh nor wine, came into my mouth, nor did I so much as, anoint, myself, - until were fulfilled three sevens of days.

And, I, Daniel, alone, beheld the revelation, and, the men who were with me, beheld not the revelation, - in truth, a great terror, had fallen upon them, and they had fled while hiding themselves.

I, therefore, was left alone, and beheld this great revelation, and there remained in me no strength, - but, my freshness, was turned upon me into disfigurement, and I retained no strength.

So then I heard the sound of his words, - and, when I heard the sound of his words, then, I myself, came to be in a deep sleep upon my face, with, my face, to the earth.

And lo! a hand, touched me; and roused me up on my knees and the palms of my hands.

Then said he unto me, O Daniel! man greatly delighted in! have understanding in the words which, I, am about to speak unto thee, and stand up where thou art, for, now, have I been sent unto thee. And, when he had spoken with me this word, I stood up trembling.

Then said he unto me, Do not fear, Daniel, for, from the first day that thou didst set thy heart to understand and to humble thyself before thy God, thy words were heard; and, I, am come, by reason of thy words.

But, the ruler of the kingdom of Persia, withstood me twenty-one days, but lo! Michael, one of the chief rulers, came in to help me, - and, I, left him there, beside the kings of Persia.

And, when he had spoken with me such words as these, - I set my face towards the earth, and was dumb.

Then lo! like the similitude of the sons of men, one was touching my lips, - so I opened my mouth, and spake, and said unto him who was standing before me, O my lord! By the revelation, my pains have seized me, and I retain no strength.

How then can the servant of this my lord speak with this my lord, - seeing that, as for me - henceforth, there remaineth in me no strength, and no, spirit, is left in me?

Then again there touched me one like in appearance to a son of earth, and he strengthened me.

And he said, Do not fear, O man greatly delighted in! peace to thee, be strong, yea be strong! And, as he spake with me, I gained strength, and said, Let my lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me.

Howbeit I will tell thee that which is inscribed in the writing of truth, - but there is no one who holdeth strongly with me concerning these things, save Michael your ruler.

I, therefore, in the first year of Darius the Mede, was at my station to strengthen and embolden him;

And, I, heard, but could not understand, - so I said, O my lord! what shall be the issue of these things?