In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and laid siege against it;

And the king appointed them the provision of each day upon its day, out of the delicacies of the king and out of the wine which he drank, and so to let them grow three years, - and, at the end thereof, that they should stand before the king.

Now there were, among them, out of the sons of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah;

But Daniel laid it upon his heart, that he would not defile himself with the delicacies of the king, nor with the wine which he drank, - therefore sought he of the ruler of the eunuchs, that he might not defile himself.

yet said the ruler of the eunuchs unto Daniel, I do fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink, - for why should he see your faces more sad than those of the youths of your own age? so should ye bring me under the penalty of mine own head unto the king.

I pray thee - prove thy servants, ten days, - and let them give us vegetable food, that we may eat, and water that we may drink:

and, at the end of ten days, their countenances appeared more comely, and fatter in flesh, - than any of the youths who had been eating the delicacies of the king.

Thus it came about that the overseer continued taking away their delicacies, and the wine appointed them to drink, - and kept on giving them vegetable food.

Now, at the end of the days after which the king had given word to bring them in, then did the ruler of the eunuchs bring them in, before Nebuchadnezzar.

and, the thing which the king hath asked, is difficult, and, none other, is there, who can declare it before the king, - saving the gods whose dwelling is, not with flesh.

he began to speak and said to Arioch the king's captain, - For what cause, is the decree raging forth from before the king? Then did Arioch make the matter known unto Daniel.

He, revealeth the deep things, and the hidden, - knoweth what is in the darkness, and, light, with him, doth dwell.

but there is a God in the heavens, who revealeth secrets, and hath made known to King Nebuchadnezzar, what shall come to pass, in the afterpart of the days: Thy dream and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are, these: -

As for thee, O king, thy thoughts upon thy bed, arose regarding what should come to pass hereafter; and, he that revealeth secrets, made known to thee what shall come to pass.

But, as for me - not for any wisdom that is in me, more than any of the living, is, this secret, revealed to me, - therefore, it is in order that, the interpretation - unto the king, they should make known, and that, the thoughts of thy heart, thou shouldst get to know.

Thou didst look, until that a stone tare itself away, not by the aid of hands, and smote the image upon its feet, which were of iron and clay, - and they were broken in pieces.

Then were broken in pieces at once, the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, and became like chaff out of the summer threshing-floors, and the wind, carried them away, and, no place, was found for them, - but, the stone that smote the image, became a mighty rock, and filled all the land.

And, the fourth kingdom, shall be hard as iron, - in like manner as iron breaketh in pieces and crusheth all things, - even as iron which bringeth to ruins all these, shall it break in pieces and bring to ruins.

And, whereas thou sawest the feet and the toes, part of them of potter's clay, and part of them of iron, the kingdom, shall be, divided, and, of the hardness of the iron, shall there be in it, - forasmuch as thou sawest, the iron, combined with the miry clay;

And, in the days of those kings, shall the God of the heavens, set up, a kingdom which, to the ages, shall not be destroyed, and, the kingdom, to another people, shall not be left, - it shall break in pieces and make an end of all these kingdoms, but, itself, shall stand to the ages.

Forasmuch as thou sawest that, out of the rock, a stone tare itself away, but not with hands, and brake in pieces the clay, the iron, the bronze, the silver and the gold, the mighty God, hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter. Exact then is the dream, and trusty its interpretation.

Then, King Nebuchadnezzar, fell upon his face, and, unto Daniel, paid adoration; and, a present and sweet odours, gave he word to pour out unto him.

Nebuchadnezzar the king, made an image of gold, the height thereof, sixty cubits, the breadth thereof, six cubits, - he set it up in the valley of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

At what time ye shall hear the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery, the bagpipes, and all kinds of instruments of music, ye shall fall down and adore the image of gold, which Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up;

Wherefore, at the same time - when all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery, and all kinds of instruments of music, they were falling down - even all the peoples, the races, and the tongues, - adoring the image of gold, which Nebuchadnezzar the king, had set up.

Wherefore, at the same time, drew near certain Chaldeans, - and accused the Jews:

Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it, with design, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, - that, my god, ye are not serving, and, the image which I have set up, are not adoring?

Now, if ye be ready, at what time ye shall hear the sound of the cornet, the pipe, the lyre, the harp, the psaltery and the bagpipes, and all the instruments of music, ye shall fall down and adore the image which I have made, but, if ye shall not adore, instantly, shall ye be cast into the midst of the burning furnace of fire, - and who is the god that shall deliver you out of my hands?

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered, and said to the king: O Nebuchadnezzar! we are not accounting it needful, concerning this, to answer thee.

If it is, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us, - out of the burning furnace of fire, and out of thy hand, O king, he will deliver.

But, if not, be it known to thee, O king, - that, thy god, will we not serve, and, the image of gold which thou hast set up, will we not adore.

Then, Nebuchadnezzar, was filled with wrath, and, the likeness of his countenance, was changed, against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, - he spake and gave word to heat the furnace seven times hotter than it was ever seen heated;

Then did Nebuchadnezzar, draw near, to the door of the burning furnace of fire, he spake and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, step forth and come hither. Then stepped forth Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, out of the midst of the fire.

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!

The signs, and the wonders, which the most high God, hath wrought with me, it is pleasing before me to declare.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at peace in mine own house, and was prosperous in my palace.

A dream, I saw, and it made me afraid, - and, fancies upon my bed, and visions of my head, terrified me.

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

The foliage thereof, was beautiful, and, the fruit thereof, abundant, and there was food for all therein, - under it, the wild beast of the field found shade, and, among its branches, dwelt the birds of the heavens, and, therefrom, was well fed, all flesh.

He cried aloud, and, thus, he said - Hew ye down the tree, and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves, and scatter its fruit, - let the wild beasts flee from under it, and the birds, out of its branches;

Nevertheless, the stock of its roots in the earth, leave ye, yea in a bond of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and, with the dew of the heavens, let it be drenched, and, with the wild beasts, be its portion, amongst, the herbage of the earth;

Let, its heart, from a man's, be changed, and, the heart of a wild beast, be given to it, - and let seven seasons pass over it.

By the decree of the watchers, is the thing, and by the mandate of the holy ones, the matter: to the intent that the living, may get to know, that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it, and, one low among men, he setteth up over it.

Whose, foliage, was beautiful, and whose, fruit, abundant, and, food for all, was in it, - under it, dwelt the wild beasts of the field, and, in the branches thereof, nestled the birds of the heavens:

Thyself, it is, O king, in that thou art grown, and become strong, - and, thy greatness hath grown, and reached to the heavens, 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.

This, is the interpretation, O king, - and, the decree of the Most High, it is, which hath come upon my lord the king:

That, thee, are they going to drive forth from among men, and, along with the wild beasts of the field, shall be thy dwelling, and, grass - like oxen, will they suffer, thee, to eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, will they suffer, thee, to be drenched, and, seven seasons, shall pass over thee, - until that thou come to know, that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaesth, he giveth it.

Wherefore, O king, let, my counsel, be pleasing unto thee, thy sin, then, - by righteousness, break thou off, and, thine iniquities, by shewing favour to the oppressed, - if so be it may become the lengthening out of thy security.

At the end of twelve months, over the palace of the kingdom of Babylon, was he walking:

While yet the word was in the mouth of the king, a voice, out of the heavens, fell, - Unto thee, is it said, O Nebuchadnezzar the king, The kingdom, hath departed from thee;

And, from among men, are they going to drive, thee, forth, and, with the wild beast of the field, shall be thy dwelling, grass - like oxen, will they suffer, thee, to eat, and, seven seasons, shall pass over thee, - until that thou come to know that the Most High, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, to whomsoever he pleaseth, he giveth it.

Immediately, the word, was fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and, from among men, was he driven forth, and, grass - like oxen, did he eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, his body was drenched, - until that, his hair, like to eagles' feathers, was grown, and his nails, like birds' claws.

And, at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, mine eyes unto the heavens, did uplift, and, mine understanding, unto me, returned, and, the Most High, I blessed, and, to him that liveth age-abidingly, I rendered praise and honour, - whose dominion, is an age-abiding dominion, and, his kingdom, lasteth from generation to generation;

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?

At the same time, mine understanding, returned unto me, and, for the dignity of my kingdom, my majesty and my brightness, returned unto me, and, unto me, my nearest friends and my nobles, did seek, - and, over my kingdom, was I restored, and, surpassing greatness, was added unto me.

Belshazzar, gave word, at the flavour of the wine, to bring the vessels of gold and silver, which Nebuchadnezzar his father, had brought forth, out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, - that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines, might drink therein.

Then brought they the vessels of gold which had been taken out of the temple of the house of God, which was in Jerusalem, - and the king and his nobles, his wives and, his concubines, drank therein:

they drank wine, - and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.

The king began crying out again, to bring in the magicians, the Chaldeans and the astrologers, - the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever it is that shall read this writing, and, the interpretation thereof, shall declare unto me, with purple, shall he be clothed, and have a chain of gold upon his neck, and, as the third in the kingdom, shall he have dominion.

Then, Daniel, was brought in before the king, - the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art, thou, that Daniel, that is of the sons of the exile of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?

And, from among the sons of men, was he driven, and, his heart, to a wild beast's, became equal, and, with the wild asses, was his dwelling, and, grass - like oxen, they suffered him to eat, and, with the dew of the heavens, his body, was drenched - until that he came to know that the Most High God, hath dominion, over the kingdom of men, and, whomsoever he pleaseth, he setteth up over it.

And yet, thou, his son, O Belshazzar! hast not humbled thy heart, though, all this, thou knewest;

but, against the Lord of the heavens, hast uplifted thyself, and, the vessels of his house, have they brought before thee, and, thou, and thy nobles, thy wives and thy concubines, have been drinking, wine, therein, and, gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which see not nor hear nor know, hast thou praised, - whereas, God, in whose hand thy breath is and whose are all thy ways, him, hast thou not glorified.

This, is the interpretation of the thing, - M'ne, God hath reckoned up thy reign, and ended it:

It was pleasing before Darius, that he should set up over the kingdom, a hundred and twenty satraps, - that they should be over all the kingdom;

Then, these men, were saying, We shall not find against this Daniel, any occasion; unless we find it against him in respect of the law of his God.

Now, O king! wilt thou establish the interdict, and sign the writing, that it may not be changed - according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which may not be abolished,

And there was brought a certain stone, and laid upon the mouth of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet-ring, and with the signet-ring of his nobles, that nothing might be changed, as to Daniel.

Then, the king, was exceedingly glad concerning him, and gave word to take up, Daniel, out of the den. So Daniel, was taken up, out of the den, and, no manner of hurt, was found in him, for that he had trusted in his God.

who delivereth and rescueth and worketh signs and wonders, in the heavens, and in the earth, - for that he hath delivered Daniel out of the power of the lions.

and four large wild beasts, coming up out of the sea, - diverse, one from another: -

The foremost, like a lion, having, the wings of an eagle, - I looked until the wings thereof, were torn out, and it was lifted up from the earth, and, upon its feet, like a man, was it caused to stand, and, the heart of a man, was given to it.

And, lo! another wild beast, a second, resembling a bear, and, on one side, was it raised up, with three ribs in its mouth, between its teeth, - and, thus, were they saying to it, Rise! devour much flesh.

After that, I was looking, and lo! another like a leopard, and it, had four wings of a bird upon its back, - and four heads, had the wild beast, and dominion, was given to it,

After that, I was looking in the visions of the night, when lo! a fourth wild beast, terrible and well-hipped and exceeding strong, and it had, large teeth of iron, it devoured and brake in pieces, and, the residue - with its feet, it trampled down, - and, it, was diverse from all the wild beasts that were before it, and it had, ten horns.

I was considering the horns, when lo! another horn, a little one, came up among them, and, three of the former horns, were uprooted from before it, - and lo! eyes, like the eyes of a man, in this horn, and, a mouth, speaking great things.

I continued looking, until that, thrones, were placed, and, the Ancient of days, took his seat, - whose, garment, like snow, was white, and, the hair of his head, like pure wool, his throne, was flames of fire, his wheels, a burning fire.

These great wild beasts, which are four, - are four kings who shall arise out of the earth;

also concerning the ten horns, which were in his head, and the other, which came up, and there fell - from among them that were before it - three, - and this horn which had, eyes, and, a mouth, speaking great things, and, his look, was more proud than his fellows:

Thus, he said, The fourth wild beast, is a fourth kingdom which shall be in the earth, which shall be diverse from all the kingdoms, - and shall devour all the earth, and shall trample it down, and break it in pieces.

In the third year of the reign of Belshazzar the king, a vision, appeared unto me Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the beginning.

So then I saw, in the vision, and it came to pass, when I saw, that I was in Shusan the fortress, which is in Persia the province, - yea I saw it in a vision, when, I, was by the river Ulai.

So then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and lo! a ram, standing before the river, and, it, had two horns, - and, the two horns, were high, but, the one, was higher than the other, and, the higher, had come up, last.

I saw the ram, pushing strongly westward and northward and southward, so that no wild beast could stand before him, and none could deliver out of his hand, - but he did according to his own pleasure, and shewed himself great.

Now, I, was observing, when lo! a he-goat, coming in out of the west, over the face of all the earth, but it meddled not with the earth, - and, the goat, had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

Yea I saw him coming close upon the ram, and he was enraged at him, and smote the ram, and brake in pieces both his horns, and there was no strength in the ram to stand before him, - but he cast him down to the ground, and trampled him underfoot, and there was none could deliver the ram out of his power.

and, out of the first of them, came forth a little horn, - which became exceedingly great, against the south and against the east, and against the beautiful land ;

yea it became great as far as the host of the heavens, - and caused to fall, to the earth, some of the host and some of the stars, and trampled them underfoot;

And it came to pass, when, I Daniel, had seen the vision, - and had sought discernment, that lo! there was standing before me, as the appearance of a man.

Then heard I a human voice, between the banks of the Ulai, - which cried out, and said, Gabriel! cause this man to understand the revelation.

Then said he, Behold me! causing thee to know, that which shall come to pass in the afterpart of the indignation, - for, at an appointed time, shall be an end.

Now, as for its being broken in pieces, whereupon there stood up four in its stead, four kingdoms, out of his nation, shall stand up, but not with his strength;

Now, the revelation of the evening and the morning which hath been told, faithful, indeed it is, - but, thou, close up the vision, because it is for many days.

Now, as for me Daniel, then was I sick for days, but I arose and did the business of the king, - and, though I was confounded concerning the revelation, yet could no one discern it.

To thee, O Lord, belongeth righteousness, but, to us, the shame of faces, as at this day, - to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, the near and the far off, throughout all the lands whither thou hast driven them, in their treachery, wherewith they had been treacherous against thee.

yea, all Israel, have transgressed thy law, even going away, so as not to hearken unto thy voice, - therefore, were poured out upon us, the curse and the oath which had been written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we had sinned against him.

Even as written in the law of Moses, hath, all this calamity, come in upon us, - yet entreated we not the face of Yahweh our God, by turning away from our iniquities, and by getting intelligence in thy truth.

Therefore hath Yahweh, kept watch, for the calamity, and brought it in upon us, - for righteous is Yahweh our God concerning all his deeds which he hath done, seeing that we had not hearkened unto his voice.

Now, therefore, O Lord our God, who didst bring forth thy people out of the land of Egypt with a firm hand, and didst make for thyself a name, as at this day, - we have sinned, we have been guilty of lawlessness.