The chief officer told Daniel, "I fear his majesty the king, who has determined what you eat and drink. If he notices that your faces are more pale than the other young men in your group, I will forfeit my head to the king."

the king told them, "I have dreamed a dream and I will remain troubled until I can understand it."

In reply the king told the Chaldeans, "Here is what I have commanded: If you don't tell me both the dream and its meaning, you'll be destroyed and your houses will be reduced to rubble.

So if you don't disclose the dream to me, there will be only one sentence for all of you. You have conspired together to present lies and corrupt interpretations until the situation changes. Now tell me the dream and I'll know that you can reveal its true meaning."

Then Arioch quickly brought Daniel into the king's presence and informed him: "I've found a man from the Judean captives who will make known the meaning to the king."

"None of the advisors, enchanters, diviners, or astrologers can explain the secret that the king has requested to be made known. But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and he is making known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will happen in the latter days.

"While you were in bed, the dream and the visions that came to your head were as follows: Your majesty, when you were in bed, thoughts came to your mind about what would happen in the future, and the Revealer of Secrets has made known to you what will take place.

so that wherever people, wild animals, or birds of the sky live, he has placed them under your control, giving you dominion over them all you're that head of gold.

"After you, another kingdom will arise that is inferior to yours, and then a third kingdom of bronze will arise to rule all the earth.

Then there will be a fourth kingdom, as strong as iron. Just as all things are broken to pieces and shattered by iron, so it will shatter and crush everything.

"The feet and toes that you saw, made partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, represent a divided kingdom. It will still have the strength of iron, in that you saw iron mixed with clay.

Just as their toes and feet are part iron and part clay, so will the kingdom be both strong and brittle.

Just as you saw iron mixed with clay, so they will mix themselves with human offspring. Furthermore, they won't remain together, just as iron doesn't mix with clay.

"During the reigns of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor its sovereignty left in the hands of another people. It will shatter and crush all of these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

Now, just as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without human hands and that it crushed the iron, bronze, clay, silver, and gold to pieces so also the great God has revealed to the king what will take place after this. Your dream will come true, and its meaning will prove trustworthy."

Now, if you are ready at this very moment to obey "the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp,' and worship the image that I have made" If you do not so worship, you will immediately have cast yourselves into the middle of the blazing fire, and what god is there who can deliver you from my power?"

Your majesty, if it be his will, our God whom we serve can deliver us from the blazing fire furnace, and he will deliver us from you.

"Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego! He sent his angel to deliver his servants who trusted in him. They disobeyed the king's command and were willing to risk their lives in order not to serve or worship any god except their own God. So I decree that people from any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will be destroyed and their house reduced to rubble, because there is no other god who can save like this."

with beautiful leaves and abundant fruit enough food for everyone and under which wild animals of the field found shelter and the birds of the air had nests in its branches

"Your majesty saw a holy observer descending from heaven and saying, "Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump in the ground, along with its roots, bound with iron and bronze in the field grass. Let him be soaked with the dew of the sky and live with the wild animals of the field until seven seasons pass over him.'

You'll be driven from people, and you'll live among wild animals of the field. You'll eat grass like cattle and be soaked with the dew of the sky while seven years pass you by until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.

Just as it was ordered to leave the stump of the tree in the ground along with its roots, so your kingdom will be restored to you when you realize that Heaven rules over everything.

Therefore, your majesty, may my advice be acceptable to you: Stop your sinning, do what's right, and put a stop to your wickedness by showing kindness to the oppressed. Perhaps your tranquility will continue."

"The kingdom has been taken from you! You're to be driven away from people. You're to live with the wild animals of the field. You are to be made to eat grass like cattle, and seven years will pass you by until you realize that the Most High is sovereign over human kingdoms and grants them to whomever he desires.'"

The king cried out to bring in enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers. He announced to the advisors of Babylon, "Whoever can read this writing and tell me its meaning will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain placed around his neck, and will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom."

because he was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and understanding, along with an ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. His name is Daniel, whom the king renamed Belteshazzar. Call for Daniel, and he will reveal the meaning of the writing."

However, I've heard that you can provide meaning and interpretation, and that you can solve difficult problems. If you are able to read the writing and report its meaning, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom."

He was driven away from human society and given the mind of an animal. He lived with wild donkeys, ate grass like cattle, and his body was soaked with dew from the sky until he realized that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingdoms and places over them whomever he desires.

PERES: Your kingdom has been divided and will be given to the Medes and Persians."

At this point, the king ordered Daniel brought in and thrown into the lions' pit. The king spoke to Daniel, "Your God, whom you serve constantly, will deliver you himself."

"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.

To him dominion was bestowed, along with glory and a kingdom, so that all nations, nations, and languages are to serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion it will never pass away and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed."

He said, "These four great animals are four kings who will rise to power from the earth.

But the saints of the Highest will receive the kingdom forever, inheriting it forever and ever.'

"The fourth animal will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the kingdoms. It will devour the entire earth, trampling it down and crushing it. Now as to the ten horns, ten kings will rise to power from this kingdom, and another king will rise to power after them. He will be different from the previous kings, and will defeat three kings.

Nevertheless, the court will convene, and his authority will be removed, annulled, and destroyed forever.

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.'

Because of the transgression, the Heavenly Army will be given over, along with the regular burnt offering, and in that rebellion truth will be cast to the ground, while he continues to prosper and to act."

"He told me, "For 2,300 days. Then the Holy Place will be restored.'"

"Pay attention! I'm going to brief you about what will happen at the end of the period of wrath, because its end is appointed. The ram that you saw with a pair of horns are the kings of Media and Persia.

The shattered horn and the four that took its place are four kingdoms that will come from his nation, but they will not have his strength.

"Toward the end of their rule, as the desecrations proceed, an insolent king will arise, proficient at deception.

Mighty will be his skills, but not from his own abilities. He'll be remarkably destructive, will succeed, and will do whatever he wants, destroying mighty men and the holy people.

Through his skill he'll cause deceit to prosper under his leadership. He'll promote himself and will destroy many while they are secure. He'll take a stand against the Prince of Princes, yet he'll be crushed without human help.

So be informed and discern that seven weeks and 62 weeks will elapse from the issuance of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed Commander. The plaza and moat will be rebuilt, though in troubled times.

Then after the 62 weeks, the anointed one will be cut down (but not for himself). Then the people of the Coming Commander will destroy both the city and the Sanctuary. Its ending will come like a flood, and until the end there will be war, with desolations having been decreed.

He will make a binding covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he will suspend both the sacrifice and grain offerings. Destructive people will cause desolation on the pinnacle until it is complete and what has been decreed is poured out on the desolator.'"

Now I've come to help you understand what will happen to your people in the days to come, because the vision pertains to those days.'

""Now I'll tell you the truth: Pay attention! Three more kings will arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain more than them all. As soon as he gains power by means of his wealth, he'll stir up everyone against the Grecian kingdoms.

""A mighty king will come to power, and he'll rule with awesome energy, doing whatever he pleases.

However, after he has come to power, his kingdom will be broken and parceled out in all directions. It won't go to his succeeding descendants, nor will its power match how he ruled, because his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to successors besides them.

""The southern king will become strong, along with one of his officials, who will become stronger than he and rule over his own realm with great power.

After a number of years, they'll become allies and the daughter of the southern king will go to the northern king in order to craft alliances. But she won't remain in power, nor will he retain his power. Instead, she'll be surrendered, along with her entourage, the one who fathered her, and the one who supported her at that time.

""One of her family line will replace him. He'll come against the army and enter the fortress of the northern king, conquering them and becoming victorious.

His sons will prepare for war, assembling an army of considerable force. One of them will come on forcefully, overflowing, passing through, and waging war up to his own fortress.

""The southern king will fly into a rage and march out to fight the northern king. He'll gather a large army, but that army will be handed over to him.

The northern king will return and raise a greater army than before. After a few years, he'll advance with a great force and with a vast amount of armaments.'"

""During those years, many will rebel against the southern king. The more violent ones among your people will rebel in order to fulfill this vision, but they will fail.

Then the northern king will come, erect a siege ramp, and capture a fortified city. The southern forces won't prevail not even with their best troops and they'll have no strength to take a stand.

""However, the one who invades him will do whatever he wants to do. No one will oppose him. He'll establish himself in the Beautiful Land, wielding devastating power.

Then he'll turn his attention to the coastal lands and will capture many. But a commander will put an end to his insolence, repaying him for his scorn.

His successor will send out a tax collector for royal splendor, but in a short period of time he'll be shattered, though neither in anger nor in battle.'"

""In his place there will arise a despicable person, upon whom no royal authority has been conferred, but he'll invade in a time of tranquility, taking over the kingdom through deception.

Overwhelming forces will be carried away before him, along with the Commander-in-Chief of the covenant.

From the time that an alliance is made with him, he'll act deceitfully, and he will go up and take power with only a small group of nations.

He'll encourage himself against the southern king by raising a large army. As a result, the southern king will mobilize for war with a large and powerful army, but he won't succeed because they will devise elaborate schemes against him.

His own security detail will undermine him, his army will be swept away, and many will fall and be killed in battle.

Now as for the two kings, their intentions will be evil, and they'll promote deception at their dinner table, but none of this will succeed, because the end won't have come yet.

Then he'll return to his homeland with great wealth, will focus his attention against the holy covenant, and will take action as he returns to his land.'"

because ships will come against him from the Mediterranean islands. Disheartened, he'll return, incited to vehemence against the holy covenant, and he'll take action. As he returns, he'll show deference to those who abandon the holy covenant.

Armed forces will arise from his midst, and they'll desecrate the fortified Sanctuary, abolish the daily sacrifice, and establish the destructive desecration.

Through flattery he'll corrupt those who act wickedly toward the covenant, but people who know their God will be strong and take action.

Insightful people will impart understanding to many, though they'll fall by sword, by fire, by captivity, and as war booty for a while.

When they fall, they'll be given some relief, but many will join them by pretending to be sympathetic to their cause.

Some of the insightful will fall so they may be refined, purged, and purified until the time of the end, since it will surely come about.'"

""The king will do as he pleases. He'll exalt and magnify himself above every god, speaking amazing things against the God of Gods. He'll succeed until the indignation is completed, because what has been determined must be carried out.

""At the time of the end, the southern king will oppose him, and the northern king will overrun him with chariots, cavalry, and many ships. He'll invade countries, moving swiftly and sweeping through.

He'll enter the Beautiful Land, and many will fall, even though these will escape his control: Edom, Moab, and certain Ammonite officials.

However, reports from the east and the north will alarm him, and he'll march out in great anger, intending to destroy and to desolate many.

When he pitches his royal pavilions between the seas facing the mountain of holy Glory, he'll come to his end, and no one will help him.'"

""At that time, Michael will arise, the great prince who will stand up on behalf of your people, and a time of trouble will come like there has never been since nations began until that time. Also at that time, your people will be delivered everyone who will have been written in the book.

Many of those who are sleeping in the dust of the earth will awaken some to life everlasting, and some to disgrace and everlasting contempt.

Those who manifest wisdom will shine like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who turn many to righteousness will shine like the stars for ever and ever.

Now as for you, Daniel, roll up your scroll and seal your words until the time of the end. Many will rush around, while knowledge increases.'"

"I heard the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river as he lifted his right and left hands to heaven and swore by the one who lives forever that it would be for a time, times, and a half. When the shattering of the power of the holy people has occurred, all these things will conclude."

Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined, though the wicked will continue to act wickedly, and none of the wicked will understand. Nevertheless, the insightful will understand.

There will be 1,290 days from the time the regular burnt offering is rescinded and the destructive desolation established.