The king commanded Ashpenaz, who was in charge of his court officials, to choose some of the Israelites who were of royal and noble descent --

Children in whom was no blemish, but of good appearance, and skillful in all wisdom, and intelligent in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the language of the Chaldeans.

To whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave to Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego.

And the prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your provision and your drink: for why should he see your faces more meager than the children who are of your sort? then will ye make me endanger my head to the king.

Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

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 at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children who ate the portion of the king's provision.

And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters who were in all his realm.

Then the king gave orders that the wonder-workers, and the users of secret arts, and those who made use of evil powers, and the Chaldaeans, were to be sent for to make clear to the king his dreams. So they came and took their places before the king.

The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth who can show the king's matter. Inasmuch as no king, lord, or ruler, has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.

And it is a rare thing that the king requires, and there is no other who can show it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.

Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon:

And he changes the times and the seasons. He removes kings, and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who have understanding.

“It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;
He knows what is in the darkness,
And the light dwells with Him.

I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known to me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known to us the king's matter.

Therefore Daniel went into Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus to him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will show to the king the interpretation.

Then Arioch brought Daniel in before the king in haste, and said thus to him: I have found a man of the sons of the captivity of Judah, who will make known the interpretation to the king.

but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets. And he has made known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:

As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter. And he who reveals secrets has made known to thee what shall come to pass.

Thou, O king, are a king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the strength, and the glory.

And he who does not fall down and worship shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

Thou, O king, have made a decree, that every man who shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image.

And he who does not fall down and worship, shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

And he commanded certain mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, [and] to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace very hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

And the captains, the chiefs, and the rulers, and the king's wise men who had come together, saw these men, over whose bodies the fire had no power, and not a hair of their heads was burned, and their coats were not changed, and there was no smell of fire about them.

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

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, to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.

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.

So there came the soothsayers, charmers, Chaldeans and conjurers of devils: to whom I told the dream. But what it betokened, they could not show me:

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

saying, "Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, consider my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation!

by the decree of the sifters is the sentence, and by the saying of the holy ones the requirement, to the intent that the living may know that the Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and to whom He willeth He giveth it, and the lowest of men He doth raise up over it.

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.

Belteshazzar responded, "Your majesty, if only the dream were about your enemies and its meaning about those who oppose you! The tree that you saw, which grew large and strong until its top reached the sky and became visible to the whole earth

it is thou, O king, who have grown and become strong. For thy greatness has grown, and reaches to heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

And, whereas the king saw a watcher and holy one coming down out of the heavens, who said, Hew ye down the tree and despoil it, nevertheless, the stock of its roots - in the earth, leave ye, even in a bond of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, - and, with the dew of the heavens, let it he drenched, and, along with the wild beasts of the field, be its portion, until that, seven seasons, pass over it.

you will be driven away {from human society} and {you will dwell} with the animals of the field, and you will be caused to graze grass like the oxen {yourself}, and you will be watered with the dew of heaven, and seven [periods of] time will pass over you until that you have acknowledged that the Most High [is] sovereign over the kingdom of humankind, and {to whom he wills} he gives it.

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.'

And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me. And I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored him who lives forever. For his dominion is an everlasting domini

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, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are truth, and his ways justice. And he is able to abase those who walk in pride.

Call doth the king mightily, to bring up the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. Answered hath the king, and said to the wise men of Babylon, that, 'Any man who doth read this writing, and its interpretation doth shew me, purple he putteth on, and a bracelet of gold is on his neck, and third in the kingdom he doth rule.'

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 understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

and from the sons of men he is driven, and his heart with the beasts hath been like, and with the wild asses is his dwelling; the herb like oxen they cause him to eat, and by the dew of the heavens is his body wet, till that he hath known that God Most High is ruler in the kingdom of men, and whom He willeth He raiseth up over it.

But you have been lifting yourself up against the Lord of heaven, and they have put the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your women, have taken wine in them; and you have given praise to gods of silver and gold, of brass and iron and wood and stone, who are without the power of seeing or hearing, and without knowledge: and to the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not given glory;

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom,

and higher than they three presidents, of whom Daniel is first, that these satraps may give to them an account, and the king have no loss.

Taken counsel have all the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects, and the satraps, the counsellors, and the governors, to establish a royal statute, and to strengthen an interdict, that any who seeketh a petition from any god and man until thirty days, save of thee, O king, is cast into a den of lions.

Then those officials who had gone to the king came by collusion and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God.

then they have come near, yea, they are saying before the king concerning the king's interdict: 'Hast thou not signed an interdict, that any man who seeketh from any god and man until thirty days, save of thee, O king, is cast into a den of lions?' Answered hath the king, and said, 'The thing is certain as a law of Media and Persia, that doth not pass away.'

Then they have answered, yea, they are saying before the king, that, 'Daniel, who is of the sons of the Removed of Judah, hath not placed on thee, O king, any regard, nor on the interdict that thou hast signed, and three times in a day he is seeking his petition.'

But the men who had gone as a group to the king told him, "Remember, your majesty, that according to the laws of the Medes and Persians, any decree or edict that the king establishes cannot be repealed."

Then the king hath said, and they have brought Daniel, and have cast him into a den of lions. The king hath answered and said to Daniel, 'Thy God, whom thou art serving continually, Himself doth deliver thee.'

and at his coming near to the den, to Daniel, with a grieved voice, he crieth. The king hath answered and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, thy God, whom thou art serving continually, is He able to deliver thee from the lions?'

And the king hath said, and they have brought those men who had accused Daniel, and to the den of lions they have cast them, they, their sons, and their wives; and they have not come to the lower part of the den till that the lions have power over them, and all their bones they have broken small.

Then Darius the king hath written to all the peoples, nations, and languages, who are dwelling in all the land: 'Your peace be great!

"I hereby decree that in every area of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel. For he is the living God, who endures forever. His kingdom is one that will not be destroyed, and his dominion continues forever.

A deliverer, and rescuer, and doer of signs and wonders in the heavens and in earth is He who hath delivered Daniel from the paw of the lions.'

I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

I beheld till thrones were placed, and one who was ancient of days sat. His raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, [and] the wheels of it burning fire.

"{I continued watching} then because of the noise of the boastful words of the horn [who was] speaking; {I continued watching} until the beast was slain and its body was destroyed, and it was given [over] to burning with fire.

I saw in visions of the night, and there was coming with the clouds of heaven one like a man, and he came to the one who was very old, and they took him near before him.

I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth concerning all this. So he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things.

These great beasts, which are four, are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.

Then it was my desire to have certain knowledge about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, a cause of great fear, whose teeth were of iron and his nails of brass; who took his food, crushing some of it to bits and stamping on the rest with his feet;

And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

Till he came, who was very old, and the decision was made and the authority was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came when the saints took the kingdom.

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;

Then the kingdom, authority, and magnificence of all nations of the earth will be given to the people who are the saints of the Highest One. His kingdom will endure forever, and all authorities will serve him and obey him.'

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will, and became great.

And I have been considering, and lo, a young he-goat hath come from the west, over the face of the whole earth, whom none is touching in the earth; as to the young he-goat, a conspicuous horn is between its eyes.

and came unto the ram, that had the two horns, whom I had seen afore by the river side, and ran fiercely upon him with his might.

And I saw it approaching the ram and it was furious at it, and it struck the ram, and it broke its two horns, and {there was not strength in the ram to stand before him}, and he threw it down to the ground and trampled it, {and there was no one who could rescue the ram} from its power.

Then the male goat magnified himself exceedingly, and when he was [young and] strong, the great horn (Alexander) was [suddenly] broken; and in its place there came up four prominent horns [among whom the kingdom was divided, one] toward [each of] the four winds of heaven.

Yea it grew up unto the prince of the host, from whom the daily offering was taken, and the place of his Sanctuary casten down.

And I hear a certain holy one speaking, and a certain holy one saith to the wonderful numberer who is speaking: Till when is the vision of the continual sacrifice, and of the transgression, an astonishment, to make both sanctuary and host a treading down?

While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.

"The ram that you saw {who had two horns} [represents] the kings of Media and Persia.

The shaggy (rough-coated) male goat represents the kingdom of Greece, and the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

And his designs will be turned against the holy people, causing deceit to do well in his hand; in his heart he will make himself great, and send destruction on numbers who are living unconscious of their danger; and he will put himself up against the prince of princes; but he will be broken, though not by men's hands.

And I, Daniel, was exhausted and was sick for [several] days. Afterward I got up and continued with the king’s business; but I was astounded at the vision, and there was no one who could explain it.

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

And I prayed to LORD my God, and made confession, and said, Oh, LORD, the great and fearful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,

"Lord! Great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant and gracious love for those who love him and obey his commandments, we've sinned, we've practiced evil, we've acted wickedly, and we've rebelled, turning away from your commands and from your regulations.

nor have we hearkened to thy servants the prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, our rulers, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

O LORD, righteousness belongs to thee, but to us confusion of face, as at this day, to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where tho

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.

And he has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil, for under the whole heaven has not been done as has been done upon Jerusalem.

And now, O Lord our God, who broughtest thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and hast made thee a name, as it is this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

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.

whilst I was yet speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, flying swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

Have then the certain knowledge that from the going out of the word for the building again of Jerusalem till the coming of a prince, on whom the holy oil has been put, will be seven weeks: in sixty-two weeks its building will be complete, with square and earthwork.