In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and laid siege against it;

Now there were, among them, out of the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah;

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.

then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenances of the youths who have been eating the delicacies of the king, - and, as thou shalt see, deal thou with thy servants.

and, in any matter of wisdom and discernment as to which the king, enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the sacred scribes - the magicians, who were in all his realm.

Now Daniel continued, until the first year of Cyrus the king.

And, in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, - and his spirit, was troubled, and, his sleep, had gone from him.

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;

The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, There is not a man upon the earth, who can declare, the matter of the king, - although indeed, there is no king, chief ruler who, a thing like this, hath asked of any sacred scribe or magician or Chaldean;

And, he, changeth times and seasons, removeth kings, and setteth up kings, - giving wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them who are skilled in understanding:

Daniel answered before the king, and said, - The secret which the king hath asked, the wise men, the magicians, the sacred scribes, the astrologers, are not able to declare unto the king;

but there is a God in the heavens, who revealeth secrets, and hath made known to King Nebuchadnezzar, what shall come to pass, in the afterpart of the days: Thy dream and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are, these: -

As for this image, its head, was of fine gold, its breast and its arms, were of silver, - its belly and its thighs, of bronze;

Thou didst look, until that a stone tare itself away, not by the aid of hands, and smote the image upon its feet, which were of iron and clay, - and they were broken in pieces.

Then were broken in pieces at once, the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, and became like chaff out of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind, carried them away, and, no place, was found for them, - but, the stone that smote the image, became a mighty rock, and filled all the land.

The king answered Daniel, and said - Of a truth, your God, is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a Revealer of secrets, - seeing thou wast able to reveal this secret.

Then were gathered together, the satraps, the nobles and the pashas, the chief judges, the treasurers, the judges, the lawyers, and all the rulers of the province, to the dedication of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up, - and they stood before the image, which Nebuchadnezzar, had set up.

Wherefore, at the same time - when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery, and all kinds of instruments of music, they were falling down - even all the peoples, the races, and the tongues, - adoring the image of gold, which Nebuchadnezzar the king, had set up.

There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the business of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, - these men, have made thee, O king, of no account, thy god, they serve not, and, the image of gold which thou hast set up, do they not adore.

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?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered, and said to the king: O Nebuchadnezzar! we are not accounting it needful, concerning this, to answer thee.

If it is, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us, - out of the burning furnace of fire, and out of thy hand, O king, he will deliver.

and, to men, who were the mightiest men in his army, gave he word to bind fast Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, - to cast them into the burning furnace of fire.

Therefore, because the word of the king had raged forth, and the furnace was exceeding hot, those very men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, were slain by the flame of the fire;

Then, Nebuchadnezzar the king, was amazed, and rose up in haste: he spake and said to his nearest friends - Were there not three men, we cast into the midst of the fire, fast bound? They answered and said to the king, Surely, O king!

And - being gathered together - the satraps, the nobles, and the pashas and near friends of the king, saw these men, over whose bodies the fire had, no power, nor was, a hair of their head, singed, neither were, their trousers, disfigured, - nor had, the smell of fire, come upon them.

Therefore do I make a decree, that, whosoever of any people, race, or tongue it be that shall charge any error upon the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and, his house, into a dunghill, shall be changed; because there is no other God, who is able to deliver, like this!

Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all the peoples, the races and the tongues who are dwelling in all the earth, Let, your prosperity, abound!

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.

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.

That, thee, are they going to drive forth from among men, and, along with the wild beasts of the field, shall be thy dwelling, and, grass - like oxen, will they suffer, thee, to eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, will they suffer, thee, to be drenched, and, seven seasons, shall pass over thee, - until that thou come to know, that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaesth, he giveth it.

And, from among men, are they going to drive, thee, forth, and, with the wild beast of the field, shall be thy dwelling, grass - like oxen, will they suffer, thee, to eat, and, seven seasons, shall pass over thee, - until that thou come to know that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it.

And, all the inhabitants of the earth, as nothing, are accounted, and, according to his own pleasure, dealeth he - with the army of the heavens, and the inhabitants of the earth, - and none there is who can smite upon his hand, or say to him, What hast thou done?

Now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, am praising and extolling and honouring the King of the Heavens, all whose works, are truth, and, his ways, right; and, them who walk in pride, he is able to abase,

Then, as for the king, his bright looks, changed in him, and, his thoughts, terrified him, - and, the joints of his loins, were loosed, and, his knees, smote, one against another.

Then were coming in all the wise men of the king, - but, the writing, could they not read, nor, the interpretation, make known to the king.

Then, King Belshazzar, was greatly terrified, and, his bright looks, were changed upon him, - and, his nobles, were perplexed.

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 intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him, - and, King Nebuchadnezzar thy father, appointed him, chief of the sacred scribes, the magicians, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers, - thy father, O king!

Forasmuch as, a distinguished spirit, and knowledge and intelligence, ability to interpret dreams and solve riddles and unravel knotty points, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let, Daniel, be called, and, the interpretation, will he declare.

Then, I have heard concerning thee, that, the spirit of the gods, is in thee, - and, light and intelligence and distinguished wisdom, are found in thee.

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.

but, against the Lord of the heavens, hast uplifted thyself, and, the vessels of his house, have they brought before thee, and, thou, and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have been drinking, wine, therein, and, gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which see not nor hear nor know, hast thou praised, - whereas, God, in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways, him, hast thou not glorified.

Then, these men, were saying, We shall not find against this Daniel, any occasion; unless we find it against him in respect of the law of his God.

Then, these ministers and satraps, crowded together unto the king, - and, thus, were saying to him, O Darius the king! for ages, live!

All the ministers of the kingdom, the nobles and satraps, the near friends and the pashas, have consulted together, to establish a royal statute, and to confirm an interdict, - That, whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man, for thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

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 answered they and were saying before the king, Daniel, who is of the sons of the exile of Judah, hath made thee, O king, of none account, also the interdict which thou hast signed, - but, three times a day, is asking his petition.

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.

Then, Darius the king, wrote to all the peoples, the races, and the tongues who were dwelling in all the earth, Your prosperity abound!

In the first year of Belshazzar, king of Babylon, Daniel, beheld, a dream, and visions of his head upon his bed, - then, the dream, he wrote, the sum of the matters, he told.

The foremost, like a lion, having, the wings of an eagle, - I looked until the wings thereof, were torn out, and it was lifted up from the earth, and, upon its feet, like a man, was it caused to stand, and, the heart of a man, was given to it.

And, lo! another wild beast, a second, resembling a bear, and, on one side, was it raised up, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth, - and, thus, were they saying to it, Rise! devour much flesh.

After that, I was looking in the visions of the night, when lo! a fourth wild beast, terrible and well-hipped and exceeding strong, and it had, large teeth of iron, it devoured and brake in pieces, and, the residue - with its feet, it trampled down, - and, it, was diverse from all the wild beasts that were before it, and it had, ten horns.

I was considering the horns, when lo! another horn, a little one, came up among them, and, three of the former horns, were uprooted from before it, - and lo! eyes, like the eyes of a man, in this horn, and, a mouth, speaking great things.

I continued looking, until that, thrones, were placed, and, the Ancient of days, took his seat, - whose, garment, like snow, was white, and, the hair of his head, like pure wool, his throne, was flames of fire, his wheels, a burning fire.

A stream of fire, was flowing on and issuing forth from before him, a thousand thousand, waited upon him and, ten thousand times ten thousand, before him, stood up, - Judgment, took its seat, and, books, were opened.

and, unto him, were given dominion and dignity and kingship, that all peoples, races and tongues, unto him, should do service, - his dominion, was an age-abiding dominion, which should not pass away, and, his kingdom, that which should not be destroyed.

These great wild beasts, which are four, - are four kings who shall arise out of the earth;

Then desired I to be sure, concerning the fourth wild beast, which was diverse from all of them, - exceeding terrible, whose, teeth, were iron, and, his claws, of bronze, he devoured, brake in pieces, and, the residue - with his feet, he trampled down;

also concerning the ten horns, which were in his head, and the other, which came up, and there fell - from among them that were before it - three, - and this horn which had, eyes, and, a mouth, speaking great things, and, his look, was more proud than his fellows:

I continued looking, when, this horn, made war with the holy ones, - and prevailed against them:

And, the ten horns of that kingdom, are ten kings who will arise, - and, another, will arise after them, and, he, will be diverse from the former ones, and, three kings, will he cast down;

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.

So then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and lo! a ram, standing before the river, and, it, had two horns, - and, the two horns, were high, but, the one, was higher than the other, and, the higher, had come up, last.

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.

In the first year of Darius son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, - who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans:

in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived by the writings, - the number of the years, as to which the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah the prophet, to fulfil the desolations of Jerusalem, seventy years.

and have not hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, who spake in thy name, unto our kings, our rulers, and our fathers, - and unto all the people of the land.

O Yahweh, to us, belongeth the shame of faces, to our kings, to our rulers, and to our fathers, - in that we have sinned against thee.

To the Lord our God, belong compassions, and forgivenesses, - for we have rebelled against him;

and have not hearkened unto the voice of Yahweh our God, - to walk in his instructions which he set before us, through means of his servants the prophets;

yea, all Israel, have transgressed thy law, even going away, so as not to hearken unto thy voice, - therefore, were poured out upon us, the curse and the oath which had been written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we had sinned against him.

Thus hath he confirmed his words which he had spoken against us, and against our judges who had judged us, by bringing in upon us a great calamity, - as to which there had not been done, under all the heavens, as hath been done unto Jerusalem.

Even as written in the law of Moses, hath, all this calamity, come in upon us, - yet entreated we not the face of Yahweh our God, by turning away from our iniquities, and by getting intelligence in thy truth.

Therefore hath Yahweh, kept watch, for the calamity, and brought it in upon us, - for righteous is Yahweh our God concerning all his deeds which he hath done, seeing that we had not hearkened unto his voice.

Now, therefore, O Lord our God, who didst bring forth thy people out of the land of Egypt with a firm hand, and didst make for thyself a name, as at this day, - we have sinned, we have been guilty of lawlessness.

O Lord! according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thine indignation turn away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain, - for, by reason of our sins, and by reason of the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people, have become a reproach, to all who are round about us.

Now, therefore, hearken, O our God, unto the prayer of thy servant, and unto his supplications, and let thy face shine, upon thy sanctuary, that is desolate, - for the sake of thy servants, O Lord.

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.

And, after the sixty-two weeks, shall the Anointed One, be cut off, and have, nothing, - and, the city and the sanctuary, will one destroy with the Prince, and so will his own end come with an overwhelming flood, howbeit, up to the full end of the war, are decreed astounding things.

In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a matter, was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar; and faithful was the matter, but concerned a great warfare, and he marked the word, and had understanding in the revelation.

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.

then lifted I up mine eyes, and looked, and lo! a man, clothed in linen, - whose loins, were girded with the bright gold of Uphaz;

whose body, was like Tarshish-stone, and, his face, like the appearance of lightning, and, his eyes, were like torches of fire, and, his arms and his feet, like the look of bronze burnished, - and, the sound of his words, was like the sound of a multitude.

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.

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.

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, now, the truth, I will tell thee: - Lo! there are, yet three kings, to arise - belonging to Persia, and, the fourth, will amass greater riches than they all, and, when he hath strengthened himself in his riches, the whole, will stir up, the kingdom of Greece.

But, his sons, will rouse themselves to war, and gather together a multitude of large armies, but he will come on and on, and overflow and pass through, - and will return and wage war, up to his fortress.

Then will he stir up his strength and his heart, against the king of the south, with a great army, and, the king of the south, will wage war, with a great and exceedingly mighty army, - but will make no stand, for they will devise against him plots;

Then will come in against him the ships of Cyprus, and he will be disheartened, and again have indignation against a holy covenant, and will act with effect, - and again gain intelligence, concerning them who are forsaking a holy covenant.

And, them who are ready to deal lawlessly with a covenant, will he make impious by flatteries, - but, the people who know their God, will be strong and act with effect.

but, when they are brought low, they shall be helped with a little help, - and many, will join themselves unto them, by flatteries;

Then said he, Go thy way, Daniel; for closed up and sealed are the words, until the time of the end.