And the king assigned to them {his daily portion} from the fine food of the king, and from {the wine that he drank}, and [instructed that] {they were to be educated for three years}. And at the end [of] their [training], {they were to be stationed} {before} the king.

And at the end of ten days their appearances appeared better and [they were] healthier of body than all the young men who were eating the fine food of the king.

And the king spoke with them, {and among all of them no one was found like} Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; then they stood {before} the king.

So the king said to call the magicians and the conjurers and the sorcerers and the {astrologers} to tell to the king his dreams. And they came in and they stood {before} the king.

They answered once more and said, "Let the king tell the dream to his servants and we will make the explanation known."

And the decree was issued, and the wise men {were on the verge of being executed}, and they searched for Daniel and his companions to be executed.

Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold {all at once} broke into pieces and they became like chaff from the summer threshing floor, and the wind carried them away and any trace of them could not be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and it filled the whole earth.

and [also] {human beings wherever they dwell}, the animals of the field and the birds of heaven--he has given into your hand and made you ruler over all of them--you are the head of gold.

And [in] that you saw the iron was mixed with wet clay, [so] {they will mix in marriage} and they will not cling {to one another}, just as iron [does] not mix with clay.

{Therefore} {at this time} [some] {astrologers} came forward and {they denounced the Jews}.

{They responded and said} to Nebuchadnezzar the king, "O king, may [you] live {forever}!

[However] there are Judean men whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon--Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego--these men, O king, {pay you no heed} [and] [were] not serving your god, and the statue of gold that you set up they are not worshiping."

Then Nebuchadnezzar said in rage and anger to bring in Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; then they brought in these men before the king.

Then these men were bound with their garments, their trousers and their turbans and their [other] clothing, and they were thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

But these men, the three of them, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell down into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire, [and they] were bound.

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and he rose up in haste [and] he asked, saying to his advisers, "[Did] we not throw three men, bound, into the midst of the fire? They answered, saying to the king, "Certainly, O king!"

And the satraps, the prefects, the governors and the advisors of the king [were] assembling, [and] they saw these men, that the fire had no power over their bodies, and the hair of their heads was not singed, and their garments were not harmed, and the smell of fire did not come from them.

Nebuchadnezzar {responded}, saying, "Blessed be their God, [the God] of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who sent his angel and rescued his servants who trusted in him, and the command of the king they disobeyed, and they gave their bodies so that they [did] not serve and [did] not worship any god except their God.

And a decree was {sent out}, [ordering that] all [the] wise men of Babylon [were] to be brought in before me [so] that they may make known to me [the] explanation of the dream.

Then the magicians, the conjurers, the {astrologers} and the diviners came in and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its explanation.

{And in that} they said to leave alone the stump of the tree's root, so your kingdom [will be] restored for you {when} you acknowledge that heaven [is] sovereign.

and you will be driven away from {human society} and your dwelling [will be] with the animals of the field and they will cause you to graze [the] grass like oxen, and seven times will pass over you, until you acknowledge that the Most High [is] sovereign over the kingdom of humankind and that he gives it to whom he wills.'

{When he tasted the wine}, Belshazzar commanded [that they] bring [the] vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his {predecessor} had taken from the temple that [was] in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines may drink from them.

Then they brought in the vessels of gold that they took from the temple, the house of God that [was] in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives and his concubines drank from them.

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

{Immediately} {human fingers} appeared and they wrote {opposite} the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, and the king was watching the palm of the hand that was writing.

Then all the wise men of the king came in, but they were not able to read the writing or to make known its explanation.

And now the wise men [and] the conjurers were brought in before me [so] that they could read this writing [in order to] make its explanation known to me, but they were not able to disclose the explanation of the matter.

Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel [with] purple and [placed] a necklace of gold around his neck, and they made a proclamation concerning him that he would be [the] third ruler [in authority] in the kingdom.

{It pleased Darius}, and he set up one hundred and twenty satraps over the kingdom, that they were {throughout the whole kingdom},

Then the [other] administrators and satraps {began to seek} to find pretext against Daniel {in connection with the kingdom}, but they were not able to find any pretext and {corruption} {because} he was trustworthy, and no negligence or {corruption} {could be found in him}.

So the administrators and the satraps conspired {with respect to} the king and so they said to him, "Darius, O king, live {forever}!

Then these men came as a group and they found Daniel praying and pleading for mercy before his God.

Then they approached {and spoke with the king} concerning the edict of the king, "{Did you not sign an edict} that any person who would seek [anything] from any God or human within thirty days except from you, O king, would be thrown into {the lion pit}?" The king answered and said, "The matter [as you have just stated] is certain according to [the] law of [the] Medes and Persians which cannot be revoked."

Then {they responded} and said before the king, "Daniel, who [is] from {the exiles} of Judah, {is not paying any attention} to you, O king, or to the decree that you have signed, {and three times daily} he says his prayer."

Then the king gave the command, and Daniel was brought in and they threw [him] into {the lion pit}. {The king said} to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve {faithfully}, may he rescue you!"

My God sent his angel and he shut the mouth of the lions and they did not hurt me, {because} before him {I was found} blameless, and also before you, O king, I have not done [any] wrong."

The king then commanded, and these men were brought {who had accused Daniel}, and they threw them and their children and their wives into {the lion pit}, and they had not reached the floor of the pit {before} the lions had overpowered them and they had crushed all of their bones.

But the holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and they will take possession of the kingdom forever, {forever and ever}.'

And he will speak words against the Most High, and he will wear out [the] holy ones of the Most High, and he will attempt to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand for a time and two times and half a time.

"{Righteousness belongs to you, O Lord}, and on us [is] open shame, [just] as [it is] this day to the people of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to all Israel, {those who are near and those who are far off} in all the lands [to] which you have driven them, because of their infidelity which they displayed against you.

And I saw, I, Daniel {alone}, the vision; and the people who were with me {did not see} the vision; nevertheless, a great trembling fell upon them and they fled [in order] to hide themselves.

And at [the] end of [some] years they will make an alliance, and the daughter of the king of the south will come to the king of the north to make a peace treaty, but {she will not retain her position of power}, and his offspring will not endure, and she will be given up, she and her attendants and her child supporting her, in those times.

"But his sons will wage war and they will gather a multitude of great forces and {he will advance with great force}, and he will overflow [like a flood] and he will pass through and he will return, and they will wage war up to his fortress.

"And in these times many will rise [up] against the king of the south, and {the violent ones of your people} will lift themselves {to fulfill} [the] vision, but they will fall.

And in his place a despicable person will arise on whom they have not conferred the majesty of [the] kingdom, and he will come in {without warning} and he will seize [the] kingdom by deceit.

And {before him} {mighty military forces} will be utterly swept away, and they will be broken, and also [the] leader of [the] covenant.

And he will stir up his power and his heart against the king of the south and {with a much greater and stronger army}; but he will not succeed, for they will devise plans against him.

{And two of the kings} {will bend their hearts} to evil. And at the {same table} they will speak lies, but [what is discussed] will not succeed, for still an end [is coming] at the appointed time.

And military forces from him {will occupy} and will profane the {sanctuary stronghold}, and they will abolish the regular burnt offering, and they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

And those who have insight {will instruct} the many, but they will fall by sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder {for some time}.

And {when they fall} they will receive little help, and many will join with them [in] hypocrisy.