And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the chief chamberlain, that he should bring him certain of the children of Israel, that were come of the king's seed and of princes,

that he said unto him, "I am afraid of my lord the king, which hath appointed you your meat and drink: lest he spy your faces to be worse liking than the other springaldes of your age, and so ye shall make me lose my head unto the king."

Then Daniel answered Melzar, whom the chief chamberlain had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and said,

And the king said unto them, "I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was so troubled therewith, that I have clean forgotten what I dreamed."

The king gave the Chaldeans their answer, and said, "It is gone from me: If ye will not make me understand the dream with the interpretation thereof, ye shall die, and your houses shall be prised.

They answered again, and said, "The king must show his servants the dream, and so shall we declare what it meaneth."

Upon this, the Chaldeans gave answer before the king, and said, "There is no man upon earth that can tell the thing, which the king speaketh of: Yea, there is neither king, prince, nor lord that ever asked such things at a soothsayer, charmer, or Chaldean:

He answered, and said to Arioch, being then the king's deputy, "Why hath the king proclaimed so cruel a sentence?" So Arioch told Daniel the matter.

Daniel also cried aloud, and said, "O that the name of God might be praised for ever and ever, for wisdom and strength are his own!

Upon this went Daniel in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained to destroy the wise at Babylon: he went unto him, and said, "Destroy not such as are wise in Babylon, but bring me in unto the king, and I shall show the king the interpretation."

Then Arioch brought Daniel into the king in all the haste, and said unto him, "I have found a man among the prisoners of Judah, that shall show the king the interpretation."

Then answered the king, and said unto Daniel, whose name was Balteshazzar, "Art thou he, that canst show me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?"

Daniel answered the king to his face, and said, "As for this secret, for the which the king maketh inquisition: it is neither the wise, the sorcerer, the charmer nor the devil conjurer, that can certify the king of it:

And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with clay: they shall mingle themselves with the seed of simple people: and yet not continue one with another, like as iron will not be soldered with a potsherd.

In the days of these kings, shall the God of heaven set up an everlasting kingdom, which shall not perish, and his kingdom shall not be given over to another people. Yea, the same shall break and destroy all these kingdoms, but it shall endure forever.

Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell down upon his face, and bowed himself unto Daniel, and commanded that they should offer meat offerings and sweet odours unto him.

The king answered Daniel, and said, "Yea, of a truth your God is a God above all gods, and LORD above all kings, and an opener of secrets: seeing thou canst discover this mystery."

Nebuchadnezzar the king caused a golden Image to be made, which was sixty cubits high, and six cubits thick. This he made to be set up in the field of Dura, in the land of Babylon

and sent out to gather together the dukes, lords and nobles, the judges and officers, the deputies and sheriffs, with all the rulers of the land: that they might come to the dedication of the Image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

So the dukes, lords and nobles, the judges and officers, deputies and sheriffs, with all the rulers of the land gathered them together, and came unto the dedicating of the Image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Now when they stood before the Image, which Nebuchadnezzar had set up,

the herald cried out with all his might, "O ye people, kindreds and tongues: to you be it said,

that when ye hear the noise of the trumpets, which shall be blown, with harps, shawmes, Psalteries, Symphonies and all manner of Music: ye fall down and worship the golden Image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up.

Therefore, when all the folk heard the noise of the trumpets, that were blown, with the harps, shawmes, Psalteries, Symphonies and all kind of Melody: then all the people, kindreds and nations fell down, and bowed themselves unto the golden Image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

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."

Then Nebuchadnezzar spake unto them, and said, "What? O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: will not ye serve my gods? Nor bow yourselves to the golden Image, that I have set up?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, an said, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we ought not to consent unto thee in this matter. For why?

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."

Then Nebuchadnezzar the king marveled, and stood up in all haste: he spake unto his counsel and said, "Did not ye cast these three men bound into the fire?" They answered, and said unto the king, "Yea O king."

He answered and said, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt. And the form of the fourth is like the Son of God."

Upon this went Nebuchadnezzar unto the mouth of the hot burning oven: he spake also, and said, "O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the high God: go forth, and come hither." And so Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego went out of the fire.

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.

Then Daniel, whose name was Balteshazzar, held his peace by the space of a hour and his thoughts troubled him. So the king spake, and said, "O Balteshazzar, let neither the dream nor the interpretation thereof fear thee." Balteshazzar answered saying, "O my lord, this dream happen to thine enemies, and the interpretation to thine adversaries!

whose leaves were fair, and the fruit much; under the which the beasts of the field had their habitation, and upon whose branches the fowls of the air did sit.

But whereas the king saw a watcher, even a holy angel, that came down from heaven, and said, 'Hew down the tree, and destroy it: yet leave the ground of the root in the earth, and bind him upon the plain field with chains of iron and steel: He shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and his part shall be with the beasts of the field, till seven years be come and gone upon him.'

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.

and said, "This is the great city of Babylon, which I myself, with my power and strength, have made a king's court, for the honour of my majesty."

At the same time was mine understanding given me again, and I was restored to the honour of my kingdom, to my dignity, and to my own shape again. My great estates and princes sought unto me, and I was set in my kingdom again, so that I had yet greater worship.

Wherefore the king cried mightily, that they should bring him the charmers, Chaldeans, and the conjurers of devils. The king spake also to the wise men of Babylon, and said, "Whoso can read this writing, and show me the plain meaning thereof: shall be clothed with purple, have a chain of gold about his neck, and rule the third part of my kingdom."

Then was Daniel brought before the king. So the king spake unto Daniel, and said, "Art thou that Daniel, one of the prisoners of Judah whom my father the king brought out of Jewry?

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.

So that all people, kindreds and tongues stood in awe and fear of him, by reason of the high estate that he had sent him. For why? He slew whom he would; he smote, whom it pleased him. Again: whom he would, he set up; and whom he list, he put down.

But because his heart was so proud, and his stomach set so fast unto wilfulness: he was deposed from his kingly throne, and his majesty was taken from him.

It pleased Darius to set over his kingdom a hundred and twenty lords, which should be in all his kingdom about.

Above these he set three princes - of whom Daniel was one - that the lords might give accounts unto them, and the king to be undiseased.

But Daniel exceeded all these princes and lords, for the spirit of God was plenteous in him: so that the king was minded to set him over the whole realm.

Then said these men, "We will get no quarrel against this Daniel, except it be in the law of his God."

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

So they came to the king, and spake before him concerning his commandment, saying, "O king, hast thou not subscribed the statute, that within thirty days whoso requireth his petition of any god or man, but only of thyself, O king, he shall be cast into the den of the lions?" The king answered, and said, "It is true. It must be as a law of the Medes and Persians, that may not be broken."

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."

These men, perceiving the king's mind, said unto him, "Know this, O king: that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that the commandment and statute which the king maketh, may not be altered."

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.

Daniel spake and said, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the sea,

Behold, the second beast was like a Bear, and stood upon the one side. Among his teeth in his mouth he had three great long teeth, and it was said unto him, 'Arise, eat up, much flesh.'

"I looked till the seats were prepared, and till the Ancient of Days sat him down. His clothing was white as snow, and the hairs of his head like the pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as the burning fire.

There drew forth a fiery stream, and went out from him. A thousand times a thousand served him. Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. The judgment was set, and the books opened.

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.

Upon this I heard one of the saints speaking, which saint said unto one that asked this question, "How long shall this vision of the daily sacrifice and of the wasting abomination endure: that the Sanctuary and the power shall so be trodden under foot?"

And I heard a man's voice in the river of Ulai, which cried, and said, "O Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

So he came, and stood by me. But I was afraid at his coming, and fell down upon my face. Then said he unto me, "O thou son of man, mark well, for in the last time shall this vision be fulfilled."

Now as he was speaking unto me, I waxed faint, so that I sunk down to the ground. But he took hold upon me, and set me up again,

And this vision that is showed unto thee, is as sure as the evening and the morning. Therefore write thou upon this sight, for it will be long before it come to pass."

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

He informed me, and spake unto me, "O Daniel," said he, "I am now come, to make thee understand it:

And behold a hand touched me, which set me up upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands,

saying unto me, "O Daniel, thou well beloved man: take good heed of the words, that I shall say unto thee, and stand right up, for unto thee am I now sent." And when he had said these words, I stood up trembling.

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,

Behold, there touched my lips one very like unto a man. Then opened I my mouth, and said unto him, that stood before me, "O my lord, my joints are loosed in the vision, and there is no more strength within me:

saying, "O thou man so well beloved, fear not: be content, take a good heart unto thee, and be strong." So when he had spoken unto me, I recovered, and said, "Speak on, my lord, for thou hast refreshed me."

Then said he, "Knowest thou wherefore I am come unto thee? Now will I go again to fight with the prince of the Persians: As soon as I go forth, lo, the prince of Greekland shall come.

He shall set his face with all his power to obtain his kingdom, and to be like it. Yea, that shall he do, and give him unto the daughters among women, to destroy him. But he shall fail, neither shall he obtain his purpose.

After this shall he set his face unto the Isles, and take many of them. A prince shall stop him, to do him a shame, beside the confusion that else shall come unto him.

Then shall he go home again into his own land with great good, and set his heart against the holy covenant. He shall be busy against it, and then return home.

He shall set mighty men to unhallow the Sanctuary of strength, and to put down the daily offering, and to set up the abominable desolation.

Now when they fall, they shall be set up with a little help: but many shall cleave unto them fainedly.

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.

So I, Daniel, looked, and behold, there stood other two: one upon this shore of the water, the other upon yonder side.

And one of them said, unto him which was clothed in linen and stood above upon the waters of the flood, "How long shall it be to the end of these wondrous works?"

I heard it well, but I understood it not. Then said I, "O my Lord, what shall happen after that?"

And from the time forth that the daily offering shall be put down and the abominable desolation set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.