The king assigned them fine food and choice wine on a daily basis, ordering them to be trained for three years, at the end of which time they would enter the king's service.

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's food, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

And the ruler of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who has appointed your food and your drink. For why should he see your faces worse looking than the youths that are of your own age? So ye would endanger my head

And at the end of the days that the king had said he would bring them in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.

That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

"[As for you], king, your thoughts on your bed {turned to} what [it was] that would be {in the future}, and the revealer of mysteries has made known to you what that would be.

Then spake Nebuchadnezzar, and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: which hath sent his angel, and defended his servants that put their trust in him: that have altered the king's commandment, and jeopardized their bodies thereupon, rather than they would serve or worship any other god except their own God only.

So I gave an order to bring in all of the advisors of Babylon so they would tell me the interpretation of the dream.

Immediately the word concerning Nebuchadnezzar was fulfilled. He was driven away from mankind and began eating grass like cattle, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven until his hair had grown like eagles’ feathers and his nails were like birds’ claws.

The king called out loudly to summon the astrologers, wise men, and diviners. The king proclaimed to the wise men of Babylon that anyone who could read this inscription and disclose its interpretation would be clothed in purple and have a golden collar placed on his neck and be third ruler in the kingdom.

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.

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 seemed good to Darius to appoint 120 satraps over the kingdom, that they would be in charge of the whole kingdom,

and over them three administrators, including Daniel. These satraps would be accountable to them so that the king would not be defrauded.

When Daniel learned that the written document had been signed, he went to an upstairs room in his house that had windows opened facing Jerusalem. Three times a day he would kneel down, pray, and give thanks to his God, just as he had previously done.

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."

When the king heard these words, he was sore grieved, and would have excused Daniel, to deliver him, and put off the matter until the sun went down, to the intent that he might save him.

And a stone was brought and it was put on the entrance of the pit, and the king sealed it with his signet [ring] and with the signet [rings] of his lords, so that nothing would be changed concerning Daniel.

And to him was given dominion and glory and kingship that all the peoples, the nations, and languages [would] serve him; his dominion [is] a dominion {without end} that will not cease, and his kingdom [is one] that will not be destroyed.

I came near to one of those who were waiting there, questioning him about what all this was. And he said to me that he would make clear to me the sense of these things.

Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

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.

Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this tragedy has come on us. Yet we have not wholeheartedly begged for forgiveness and sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our wickedness and paying attention to and placing value in Your truth.

Therefore hath the LORD made haste, to bring this plague upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doth. For why? We would not hearken unto his voice.

Then in my hearing the man clothed in linen, who was over the river, lifting up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, took an oath by him who is living for ever that it would be a time, times, and a half; and when the power of the crusher of the holy people comes to an end, all these things will be ended.