Wherefore, O king, confirm thou this statute, and make a writing: that the thing which the Medes and Persians have ordained be not altered nor broken."

For this reason King Darius put his name on the writing and the order.

And Daniel, when he hath known that the writing is signed, hath gone up to his house, and the window being opened for him, in his upper chamber, over-against Jerusalem, three times in a day he is kneeling on his knees, and praying, and confessing before his God, because that he was doing it before this.

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

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."

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."

And there was brought a stone, and laid upon the hole of the den: this the king sealed with his own ring, and with the signet of his princes: that the king's commandment concerning Daniel, should not be broken.

After this, wrote king Darius, "Unto all people kindreds and tongues, that dwelt in all lands, peace be multiplied with you.

And this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

In the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel dreamed a dream, receiving visions in his mind while in bed, after which he recorded the dream, relating this summary of events.

And four great beasts went up from the sea, different this from this.

And behold another beast, a second, like a bear. And it raised itself up on one side, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said this to it: Arise, eat up much flesh.

After this I saw, and behold, another, like a leopard, and it had four wings of a bird upon its back; and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and exceeding strong; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the rest with its feet; and it was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another, a little horn, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots; and behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.

As for me, Daniel, my spirit was pained because of this, and the visions of my head were troubling me.

I came near unto one of them that stood by, and asked him the certainty of all this. And he told me, and made me know the interpretation of the things:

After this, I required diligently to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was so far unlike the other beasts, and so horrible: whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass: which devoured and destroyed, and stamped the residue under his feet.

I also wanted to know the meaning of the ten horns on its head, and of that other horn which came up and before which three others fell. This was the horn that had eyes and a mouth speaking arrogant things, whose appearance was more formidable than the others.

'I was seeing, and this horn is making war with the saints, and hath prevailed over them,

"This is what he told me: 'The fourth beast means that there will be a fourth kingdom on earth that will differ from all the other kingdoms. It will devour all the earth and will trample and crush it.

And as to the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall arise ten kings; and another shall arise after them; and he shall be different from the former, and he shall subdue three kings.

"At this point the vision ended. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts continued to alarm me, and I lost my natural color, but I kept quiet about the matter."

In this vision I saw myself in Susa the citadel, which is located in the province of Elam. In the vision I saw myself at the Ulai Canal.

I saw that this ram pushed with his horns, against the west, against the north and against the south: so that no beasts might stand before him, nor defend them from his power: but he did as him listed, and waxed great.

While I was contemplating all this, a male goat was coming from the west over the surface of all the land without touching the ground. This goat had a conspicuous horn between its eyes.

And [in my vision] this horn grew up to the host of heaven, and caused some of the host and some of the stars to fall to the earth, and it trampled on them.

Indeed, it magnified itself to be equal with the Commander of the host [of heaven]; and it took away from Him the daily sacrifice (burnt offering), and the place of His sanctuary was thrown down (profaned).

Because of the transgression [of God’s people—their irreverence and ungodliness] the host will be given over to the wicked horn, along with the regular sacrifice; and righteousness and truth will be flung to the ground, and the horn will do as it pleases [by divine permission] and prosper.

Then I heard a holy one speaking. Another holy one said to the one who was speaking, "To what period of time does the vision pertain -- this vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the destructive act of rebellion and the giving over of both the sanctuary and army to be trampled?"

And it came about that when I, Daniel, had seen this vision, I had a desire for the sense of it to be unfolded; and I saw one before me in the form 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.

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."

But whereas it brake, and four others rose up in the stead: it signifieth that out of this people shall stand up four kingdoms, but not so mighty as it.

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."

Upon this was I, Daniel, very faint, so that I lay sick certain days: but when I rose up, I went about the king's business, and marveled at the vision. Nevertheless, no man knew of it.

I prayed to the LORD my God, confessing in this way: "O Lord, great and awesome God who is faithful to his covenant with those who love him and keep his commandments,

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.

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.

So the Lord has been watching over this evil and has made it come on us: for the Lord our God is upright in all his acts which he has done, and we have not given ear to 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.

He gave instructions, and this is what he spoke to me:

Understand this then, and mark it well: That from the time it shall be concluded to go and repair Jerusalem again, unto Christ, the anointed Prince: there shall be seven weeks.Then shall the streets and walls be builded again sixty two weeks, but with hard troublous time.

In the third year of King Cyrus of Persia a message was revealed to Daniel (who was also called Belteshazzar). This message was true and concerned a great war. He understood the message and gained insight by the vision.

And in the twenty and fourth day to the first month, and I was upon the hand of the great river, this is Hiddekel;

And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision [of this heavenly being], for the men who were with me did not see the vision; nevertheless, a great panic overwhelmed them, so they ran away to hide themselves.

I, therefore, was left alone, and beheld this great revelation, and there remained in me no strength, - but, my freshness, was turned upon me into disfigurement, and I retained no strength.

Then said he unto me, O Daniel! man greatly delighted in! have understanding in the words which, I, am about to speak unto thee, and stand up where thou art, for, now, have I been sent unto thee. And, when he had spoken with me this word, I stood up trembling.

Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words.

"After he had spoken to me like this, I bowed my face to the ground, unable to speak.

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.

How then can the servant of this my lord speak with this my lord, - seeing that, as for me - henceforth, there remaineth in me no strength, and no, spirit, is left in me?

"Then this person who looked like a man touched me again and strengthened me

And the king of the south will be moved with wrath, and will come out and make war on him, on this same king of the north: and he will get together a great army, but the army will be given into his hand.

""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.

And it will be his purpose to come with the strength of all his kingdom, but in place of this he will make an agreement with him; and he will give him the daughter of women to send destruction on it; but this will not take place or come about.

After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many: but a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach he shall cause it to turn upon him.

"In his stead there shall arise a vile person, not holden worthy of a king's dignity: this shall come in craftily, and obtain the kingdom with fair words.

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.

At an appointed time he will again invade the south, but this latter visit will not turn out the way the former one did.

But in place of this he will give honour to the god of armed places, and to a god of whom his fathers had no knowledge he will give honour with gold and silver and jewels and things to be desired.

This shall he do, seeking help and succor at the mighty Idols and strange gods. Such as receive him, and take him for God, he shall give them great worship and power: yea and make them lords of the multitude, and give them the land with rewards.

Then, I, Daniel, looked, and lo! two others, standing, - one on this side of the bank of the river, and one on that side of the bank of the river.

This is the word of the Lord which was revealed to Hosea son of Beeri during the time when Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah ruled Judah, and during the time when Jeroboam son of Joash ruled Israel.

When the Lord first spoke to Hosea, He said this to him:

Go and marry a promiscuous wife
and have children of promiscuity,
for the land is committing blatant acts of promiscuity
by abandoning the Lord.

Despite this, the number of the people of Israel will be like ocean sand, which can neither be measured nor counted. And the time will come when instead of it being said, "You are not my people,' it will be said, "You are children of the living God.'

For this cause I will put thorns in her road, building up a wall round her so that she may not go on her way.

For this I will turn back and take away my grain in its time, and my new wine in its appointment, and I took away my wool and my linen to cover her nakedness.

And I will punish her for the days of the Baals
when she burned incense to them,
put on her rings and jewelry,
and went after her lovers,
but forgot Me.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

For this cause I will make her come into the waste land and will say words of comfort to her.

"Hear this message from the LORD, people of Israel. Indeed, the LORD brings a charge against the people who live in the land for there is no truth and no gracious love or knowledge of God in the land.

For this cause, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwelleth therein shall languish, with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens, - moreover also, the fishes of the sea, shall be withdrawn.

On the headlands of the mountains, they sacrifice, and, on the hills, burn they incense, under oak and poplar and terebinth, because, pleasant, is the shade thereof: For this cause, do your daughters, become unchaste, and, your brides, commit adultery.

Hear ye this - O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, and ye, House of the King, give ear, for, to you, pertaineth the sentence, - for, a snare, have ye been to Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.

For this cause, have I hewn them in pieces by the prophets, I have slain them by the sayings of my mouth, - and, my justice, as a light goeth forth.

"But like Adam, they broke the covenant; in this they have acted deceitfully against me.

Even so goeth it this day with our kings and princes, for they begin to be wood drunken through wine: they use familiarity with such as deceive them.

Therefore doth the Excellency of Israel, answer, to his face; yet have they not returned unto Yahweh their God, nor have they sought him, in spite of all this!

They would return - not to him who is on high! They have become like a deceitful bow, their rulers, shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue, this, shall be their derision in the land of Egypt.

For even this [loathsome calf] is from Israel.
A craftsman made it, so it is not God;
Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to pieces and go up in flames.

The days of punishment have come,
The days of retribution have come;
Let Israel know this!
The prophet is a fool,
The inspired man is demented,
Because of the grossness of your iniquity,
And because your hostility is so great.

They will be roused like birds from Egypt
and like doves from the land of Assyria.
Then I will settle them in their homes.
This is the Lord’s declaration.

For this they shall be as the cloud of the morning, and as the early dew going way; as the chaff will be driven from the threshing-floor on the wind, and as the smoke from the chimney.

Whenever they were pastured, then were they satisfied, They were satisfied, and their heart, was lifted up, - because of this, they forgat me.

The pains of a woman in childbirth will come on him: he is an unwise son, for at this time it is not right for him to keep his place when children come to birth.

This message from the LORD came to Pethuel's son Joel.

Hear this, ye elders, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land, - hath this ever happened in your days? or in the days of your fathers?

Alas, alas for this day. And why? the day of the LORD is at hand, and cometh as a destroyer from the Almighty.

a dark and gloomy day, a cloudy and black day. As the morning is spread over the mountains, so it this populous and strong people: such as have not been since the beginning, neither shall be after them for evermore.

The LORD shall show his voice before his host, for his host is great, strong and mighty to fulfill his commandment. This is that great and marvelous fearful day of the LORD: And who is able to abide it?

Even now—
this is the Lord’s declaration—
turn to Me with all your heart,
with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

Tear your hearts, not your garments; and turn back to the LORD your God. For he is gracious and compassionate, slow to become angry, overflowing in gracious love, and grieves about this evil.

After all of this I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions.

Proclaim ye this among nations, Sanctify a war, stir up the mighty ones, Come nigh, come up, let all the men of war.

This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Damascus and now for a fourth I will not turn away; because they have trampled down Gilead with ironclad threshing sleds.

This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Gaza and now for a fourth I will not turn away; because they exiled the entire population, delivering them to Edom.

This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Tyre and now for a fourth I will not turn away; because they delivered the entire population to Edom, and did not remember their covenant with their relatives.

This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Edom and now for a fourth I will not turn away; because he pursued his brother with a sword, refusing to be compassionate. His anger was raging continuously; he kept up his unending wrath.

This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of the Ammonites and now for a fourth I will not turn away; because they ripped open the pregnant women of Gilead in order to enlarge their national borders.

This is what the LORD says: "For three transgressions of Moab because they cremated the bones of the king of Edom, burning them to lime.