At the end of ten days their appearance was better and their faces were well-nourished compared to the young men who ate the king's rich food.

so Daniel went to ask Nebuchadnezzar for an appointment to see him, and it was granted him so that he could reveal the meaning to the king.

Daniel was seeking mercy, in order to ask about this mystery in the presence of the God of heaven, so that Daniel and his friends might not be executed along with the rest of the advisors of Babylon.

When the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision later that night, Daniel blessed the God of heaven

As for me, this secret was made known to me, not because my own wisdom is greater than anyone else alive, but in order that the meaning may be made known to the king, and that you might understand the thoughts of your heart.

"Your majesty, while you were watching, you observed an enormous statue. This magnificent statue stood before you with extraordinary brilliance. Its appearance was terrifying.

"As you were watching, a rock was quarried but not with human hands and it struck the iron and clay feet of the statue, breaking them to pieces.

"This was the dream, and we'll now relate its meaning to the king.

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."

"People of all nations, and languages are commanded: Whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, the lyre, the four-stringed lyre, and the harp, playing together along with various instruments, you are to fall down and worship the golden statue that was set up by King Nebuchadnezzar.

because the king's command was so drastic. Since the furnace was blazing hot, its flames killed those who threw Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego into the blazing fire.

The regional authorities, viceroys, governors, and royal advisors gazed at those men and saw that the fire had no effect on their bodies not a hair on their head was singed, their clothes were not burned, and they did not smell of fire.

I, Nebuchadnezzar, was resting in my home and prospering in my palace.

This is what I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed: I was looking and listen carefully! I saw a tree in the middle of the earth, the height of which was very great.

Its foliage was beautiful, its fruit bountiful, and its food sufficient for everyone. The animals of the field found shade under it, the birds of the sky lived in its branches, and every creature was fed from it.

"Then I saw in the visions of my head while I was in bed and take careful notice! I saw a holy observer descend from heaven.

Then Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar) was greatly troubled for a while and was terrified by his thoughts. The king said, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream or its meaning terrify you."

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.

About a year later, as the king was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,

The decree was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar immediately. He was driven away from people to eat grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky, until his hair grew like eagles' feathers and his nails like birds' claws.

"When that period of time was over, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven and my sanity returned to me. I blessed the Most High, praising and honoring the one who lives forever: For his sovereignty is eternal, and his kingdom continues from generation to generation.

At that moment I recovered my sanity, and my honor and majesty returned to me, for the sake of my kingdom. My advisors and officials sought me out, my throne was restored, and even more greatness than I had before was added to me.

While the king watched the back of the hand as it was writing, his facial expression changed. Utterly frightened, he lost control of his own bowels and his knees knocked together.

There's a man in your kingdom in whom dwells the spirit of the holy gods. During your grandfather's reign, he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom, like that of the gods. Your grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar your kingly predecessor appointed him to be chief administrator over the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,

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."

Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king spoke up and told Daniel, "So you are Daniel, one of the Judean exiles whom my grandfather the king brought from Judah!

But when he became arrogant and his spirit hardened, he was removed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.

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.

"Therefore, the hand that wrote this inscription was sent from his presence.

That night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was killed,

along with three chief administrators from them, one of which was Daniel. The regional authorities reported to these three administrators, so that the king would experience no losses.

Daniel distinguished himself among all the administrators and regional authorities, because he was of an extraordinary spirit. Therefore the king planned to appoint him over the whole kingdom.

Because of this, the administrators and regional authorities tried to bring allegations of dereliction of duty in government affairs against Daniel, but they were unable to find any charges of corruption. Daniel was trustworthy, and no evidence of negligence or corruption could be found against him.

When the king heard this, he was greatly upset, because he was determined to make every effort to save Daniel before the sun set.

A stone was brought and placed over the opening to the pit, and the king affixed a seal to it with his personal signet ring and with the signet rings of his officials so that no one would interfere with Daniel's situation.

As he approached where Daniel was in the pit, he cried out to him in a voice filled with anguish, "Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve constantly, been able to deliver you from the lions?"

The king was ecstatic, so he gave orders for Daniel to be released from the pit. Daniel was taken up from the pit, and no injury was found to have been inflicted on him, because he had believed in his God.

The first resembled a lion, but it had eagles' wings. I continued to watch until its wings were plucked off, it was lifted up off the ground, and it was forced to stand on two feet like a man. A human soul was imparted to it.

"Then look! a second animal resembling a bear followed it. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs held between the teeth in its mouth. Therefore people kept telling it, "Get up and devour lots of meat!'

"After this, I continued to watch and look! there was another one, resembling a leopard with four birds' wings on its back. The animal also had four heads, and authority was imparted to it.

"After this, I continued to observe the night visions. And look! there was a fourth awe-inspiring, terrifying, and viciously strong animal! It had large, iron teeth. It devoured and crushed things, and trampled under its feet whatever remained. Different from all of the other previous animals, it had ten horns.

"While I was thinking about the horns look another horn, this time a little one, grew up among them. Three of the first horns were yanked up by their roots right in front of it. Look! It had eyes like those of a human being and a mouth that boasted with audacious claims."

"I kept on watching until the Ancient of Days was seated. His clothes were white, like snow, and the hair on his head was like pure wool. His throne burned with flaming fire, and its wheels burned with fire.

"I continued watching because of the audacious words that the horn was speaking. I kept observing until the animal was killed and its body destroyed and given over to burning fire.

Now as to the other animals, their authority was removed, but they were granted a reprieve from execution for an appointed period of time."

"I continued to observe the night vision and look! someone like the Son of Man was coming, accompanied by heavenly clouds. He approached the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

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."

"Now as for me, Daniel, I was emotionally troubled, and what I had seen in the visions kept alarming me.

So I approached one of those who was standing nearby and began to ask the meaning of all of this. He spoke to me and caused me to understand the interpretation of these things.

"I wanted to learn the precise significance of the fourth animal that was different from all the others, extremely awe-inspiring, with iron teeth and bronze claws, and that had devoured and crushed things, trampling under its feet whatever remained.

Also, I wanted to learn the significance of the ten horns on its head and the other horn that had arisen, before which three of them had fallen that is, the horn with eyes and a mouth that uttered magnificent things and which was greater in appearance than its fellows.

"As I continued to watch, that same horn waged war against the saints, and was prevailing against them

"Then I turned my head to look, and to my surprise, a two-horned ram was standing beside the canal. The two horns grew long, the first one growing longer than the second, with the longer one springing up last.

I watched the ram charging westward, northward, and southward. No animal could stand before him, nor was there anyone who could deliver from his control. He did as he pleased and exalted himself.

"As I watched and wondered, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a distinctive horn between its eyes.

Then the goat grew extremely great, but when it was strong, its great horn was shattered. In its place, four distinctive horns grew out in all directions."

Then it set itself in arrogant opposition to the Prince of the Heavenly Army, from whom the regular burnt offering was taken away, in order to overthrow his sanctuary.

"Then I heard one holy person speaking, and another holy person addressed the one who was speaking: "In the vision about the regular burnt offering, how much time elapses while the desecration terrifies and both the Holy Place and the Heavenly Army are trampled?'

"After I, Daniel, had seen the vision, I tried to understand it. All of a sudden, there was standing in front of me one who appeared to be valiant.

"As he approached where I was standing, I became terrified and fell on my face. But he told me, "Son of man, understand that the vision pertains to the time of the end.'

Then I, Daniel, was exhausted and ill for days, but afterward I got up and went about the king's business. Nevertheless, I was astonished by the vision, and could not understand it."

"In the first year of the reign of Darius son of Ahasuerus, a descendant of the Medes, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans

"While I was still speaking in prayer, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and placing my request in the presence of the LORD my God on behalf of the holy mountain of God

while I was still speaking, Gabriel, the man of God whom I had seen in the previous vision, appeared to me about the time of the evening offering.

"Daniel, I've now come to give you insight and understanding. Because you're highly regarded, the answer was issued when you began your prayer, and I've come to tell you. Pay attention to my message and you'll understand the vision.

In the third year of Cyrus, king of Persia, a message was revealed to Daniel (also known as Belteshazzar). The message was trustworthy and concerned a great conflict. He understood it and had insight concerning the vision.

On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, while I was beside the bank of the great Tigris River,

I lifted up my eyes to look, and to my surprise, there was a certain man dressed in linen, whose waist was encircled with gold from Uphaz!

His body was like beryl, his face flashed like lightning, his eyes were like flaming torches, his arms and legs were like polished bronze, and his speech roared like that of a crowd.

"Now I, Daniel, was the only one to receive the vision the men who were with me didn't see it. However, an enormous fear overwhelmed them, so they ran away to hide,

and I was left alone to observe this magnificent vision. Nevertheless, no strength remained in me my face lost its color, and I became weak.

But suddenly someone who resembled a human being touched my lips, so addressing the one who was standing in front of me, I opened my mouth and said, "Sir, I'm overwhelmed with anguish by this vision. I have no strength left.

One asked the man dressed in linen clothes, who was standing above the waters of the river, "How long until the fulfillment of the wonders?'

"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."