"O prove but ten days with thy servants, and let us have pottage to eat, and water to drink:

Then look upon our faces, and theirs that eat of the king's meat. And as thou seest, so deal with thy servants."

Upon this the Chaldeans answered the king in the Syrians' speech, "O king, God save thy life forever. Show thy servants the dream, and we shall show thee, what it meaneth."

Only God in heaven can open secrets; and he it is, that showeth the king Nebuchadnezzar what is for to come in the latter days. Thy dream, and that which thou hast seen in thine head upon thy bed, is this:

O king, thou didst cast in thy mind, what should come hereafter: So he that is the opener of mysteries, telleth thee what is for to come.

and said unto the king Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, God save thy life forever.

Now are there certain Jews, whom thou hast set over the offices of the land of Babylon: namely, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, regard not thy commandment; yea they will not serve thy gods, nor bow themselves to the golden Image, that thou hast set up."

Our God whom we serve, is able to keep us from the hot burning oven, O king, and can right well deliver us out of thy hands:

And if he will not, yet shalt thou know, O king, that we will not serve thy Gods, nor do reverence to the Image which thou hast set up."

Even thou, O king, art the tree: great and strong. Thy greatness increaseth, and reacheth unto the heaven, so doth thy power to the ends of the earth.

Thou shalt be cast out from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field: with grass shalt thou be fed like an ox. Thou must be wet with the dew of the heaven: yea, seven years shall come and go upon thee, till thou know that the highest hath power upon the kingdoms of men, and giveth them to whom he list.

Moreover, whereas it was said that the root of the tree should be left still in the ground: it betokeneth that thy kingdom shall remain whole unto thee, after thou hast learned to know that the power cometh from heaven.

Wherefore, O king, be content with my counsel, that thou mayest lose thy sins with righteousness, and thine offenses with mercy to poor people: for such things shall prolong thy peace."

While these words were yet in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, "O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee be it spoken, 'Thy kingdom is departed from thee.

Thou shalt be cast out of men's company: thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, so that thou shalt eat grass like as an ox, till seven years be come and gone over thee: even until thou knowest, that the highest hath power upon the kingdoms of men, and that he may give them, unto whom it pleaseth him.'"

So by reason of this matter, that had happened to the king and his lords, the queen went up herself into the banquet house, and spake unto the king, saying, "O king, God save thy life forever: Let not the thoughts trouble thee, and let not thy countenance be changed.

For why? There is a man in thy kingdom, that hath the spirit of the holy gods within him, as it was seen in thy father's days. He hath understanding and wisdom like the gods; Yea, the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father made this man chief of the soothsayers, charmers, Chaldeans and devil conjurers:

Then heard I say, that thou can expound dark things, and declare hard doubts. Well then, if thou can read this writing, and show me the meaning thereof: thou shalt be clothed with purple, have a chain of gold about thy neck, and rule the third part of my kingdom."

Daniel answered, and said before the king, "As for thy rewards, keep them to thyself, or give thy rich gifts to another: yet not the less, I will read the writing unto the king, and show him the interpretation thereof.

O king, God the highest gave unto Nebuchadnezzar, thy father, the dignity of a king, with worship and honor:

but hast magnified thyself above the LORD of heaven, so that the vessels of his house were brought before thee: that thou, and thy lords, with thy queen and concubines, might drink wine thereout: and hast praised the Idols of silver and gold, copper and iron, of wood and stone. As for the God in whose hand consisteth thy breath and all thy ways: thou hast not loved him.

Now the interpretation of the thing is this: Mene, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and brought it to an end.

Phares, thy kingdom is dealt in parts, and given to the Medes and Persians."

Upon this, went the princes and lords together unto the king, and said thus unto him, "King Darius, God save thy life forever.

Then answered they, and said unto the king, "Daniel one of the prisoners of Judah, O king, regardeth neither thee nor thy statute that thou hast made, but maketh his petition three times a day."

Then the king had them bring Daniel, and cast him into the Lions' den. The king also spake unto Daniel, and said, "Thy God whom thou always servest, even he shall defend thee."

Now as he came nigh unto the den, he cried with a piteous voice unto Daniel: Yea, the king spake, and said to Daniel, "O Daniel, thou servant of the living God, is not thy God, whom thou alway servest, able to deliver thee from the lions?"

Daniel said unto the king, "O king, God save thy life for ever.

I prayed before the LORD my God, and knowledged, saying, "O LORD, thou great and fearful God, thou that keepest covenant and mercy with them which love thee, and do thy commandments:

We have sinned, we have offended, we have been disobedient and gone back: yea, we have departed from all thy precepts and judgments.

We would never follow thy servants the Prophets, that spake in thy name to our kings and princes, to our forefathers, and to all the people of the land.

Yea, all Israel have transgressed, and gone back from thy law, so that they have not hearkened unto thy voice. Wherefore the curse and oath, that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, against whom we have offended, is poured upon us.

Yea, all this plague, as it is written in the law of Moses, is come upon us. Yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn again from our wickedness, and to be learned in thy verity.

And now, O LORD our God, thou that with a mighty hand hast brought thy people out of Egypt, to get thyself a name, which remaineth this day: we have sinned,

O LORD, and done wickedly against all thy righteousness: Yet let thy wrathful displeasure be turned away, I beseech thee, from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy hill. And why? For our sins' sake, and for the wickedness of our forefathers is Jerusalem and thy people abhorred, of all them that are about us.

Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his intercession. O let thy face shine over thy Sanctuary, that lieth waste.

O my God, incline thine ear, and hearken; at the least for thine own sake, open thine eyes. Behold how we be desolated: yea, and the city also, which is called after thy name. For we do not cast our prayers before thee in our own righteousnesses, no, but only in thy great mercies.

O Lord, hear; O forgive Lord; O Lord consider, tarry not over long: but for thine own sake do it. O my God: for thy city and thy people is called after thy name."

For as soon as thou begannest to make thy prayer, it was so devised, and therefore am I come to show thee. And why? For thou art a man greatly beloved. Wherefore, ponder the matter well, that thou mayest learn to understand the vision.

Seventy weeks are determined over thy people, and over the holy city: that the wickedness may be consumed, that the sin may have an end, that the offense may be reconciled, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, to fulfill the visions and the Prophets, and to anoint the most holy one.

Then said he unto me, "Fear not, Daniel: for why? Since the first day that thou set thine heart to understand, and didst chasten thyself before thy God: thy words have been heard. And I had come unto thee, when thou begannest to speak,

and am come to show thee what shall happen unto thy people in the latter days: For it will be long yet before the vision be fulfilled."

At the same time there shall many stand up against the king of the south, so that the wicked children of thy people also shall exalt themselves, to fulfill the vision, and then fall.

The time will come also, that the great prince Michael, which standeth on thy people side, shall arise up, for there shall come a time of trouble, such as never was, since there began to be any people, unto that same time. Then shall thy people be delivered, yea all those that be found written in the book.

He answered, "Go thy way Daniel, for the words shall be closed up and sealed, till the last time:

Go thou thy way now, till it be ended: take thy rest, and bide in thy lot, till the days have an end."