but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see, nor hear, nor know. And the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.

This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God has numbered your kingdom, and brought it to an end;

It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty satraps, who should be throughout the whole kingdom;

Then these men said, "We will not find any charge against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it not be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed."

Then these men assembled together to the king, and said to the king, "Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians, that no decree nor statute which the king establishes may be changed."

A stone was brought, and placed on the opening of the den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his lords; that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.

Then was the king exceedingly glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.

In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions in his mind on his bed. Then he wrote the dream and told the summary of it.

The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I saw until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand on two feet as a man; and a man's mind was given to it.

And behold, another animal, a second one, like a bear; and it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth. And they said this to it, 'Arise, devour much flesh.'

After this I saw, and behold, another one, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The animal also had four heads; and dominion was given to it.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth animal, awesome and powerful, and extremely strong. And it had great iron teeth. It devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet. And it was diverse from all the animals that were before it; and it had ten horns.

I saw until thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool. His throne was fiery flames, and its wheels burning fire.

I saw at that time because of the voice of the arrogant words which the horn spoke. I was watching until the animal was killed and its body destroyed and was given to be burned with fire.

As for the rest of the animals, their dominion was taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.

These great animals, which are four, are four kings, who shall arise out of the earth.

Then I desired to know the true meaning concerning the fourth animal, which was different from all of them, exceedingly terrible, whose teeth were of iron, and its claws of bronze; which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet.

This he said, 'The fourth animal shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces.

As for the ten horns, out of this kingdom shall ten kings arise, and another shall arise after them; and he shall be diverse from the former, and he shall put down three kings.

I saw the ram pushing westward, and northward, and southward; and no animals could stand before him, neither was there any who could deliver out of his hand. But he did according to his will, and became great.

He came to the ram that had the two horns, which I saw standing before the river, and rushed at him in the fury of his power.

The male goat became very strong. But when he was strong, the large horn was broken; and instead of it there came up four prominent horns toward the four winds of heaven.

Out of one of them came forth a little horn, which grew exceeding great, toward the south, and toward the east, and toward the beautiful land.

It grew so great that it reached to the host of heaven, and some of the host and of the stars it cast down to the ground, and trampled on them.

And it magnified itself, even against the Prince of the host; and it took away from him the daily sacrifice, and the place of his sanctuary was thrown down.

The host was given over to it together with the daily sacrifice because of transgression. And it cast down truth to the ground, and kept prospering.

It came about when I, Daniel, had seen the vision, that I sought to understand it. And behold, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man.

I heard a man's voice between the banks of the Ulai, and called out and said, "Gabriel, make this man understand the vision."

He said, "Behold, I will make you know what shall be in the latter time of wrath, for it belongs to the appointed time of the end.

As for that which was broken, in the place where four stood up, four kingdoms shall arise out of his nation, but not with his power.

The vision of the evenings and mornings which has been told is true; but seal up the vision because it refers to many days from now."

I, Daniel, was overcome, and was ill for days. Then I rose up, and carried out the king's business. And I was astonished by the vision, but there was no one to explain it.

We have sinned, and have done what is wrong and wicked, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your commandments and from your ordinances.

Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds that they have committed against you.

Yes, all Israel has transgressed your law, and turned away, refusing to obey your voice. Therefore has the curse been poured out on us, and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, for we have sinned against you.

As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come on us. Yet have we not tried to gain the favor of the LORD our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth.

Therefore has the LORD watched over the calamity, and brought it on us, for the LORD our God is just in all he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.

"And now, Lord our God, who has brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, even to this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, came to me in my weariness about the time of the evening sacrifice.

At the beginning of your petitions the commandment went forth, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.

Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until the time of an anointed prince, there shall be seven weeks, and sixty-two weeks. It shall be built again, with open spaces and a moat, but in times of distress.

He shall make a firm covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the offering to cease. And on the wing of abominations shall come one who destroys, and even until a complete destruction, until the decreed end is poured out on the one who destroys."

I had no pleasing food, neither meat nor wine came into my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, until three whole weeks were fulfilled.

Yet I heard the sound of his words, and when I heard the sound of his words, then I fell into a deep sleep on my face, with my face toward the ground.

Now I have come to make you understand what shall happen to your people in the latter days; for the vision refers to future days."

And behold, one in the likeness of a human touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke and said to him who stood before me, "My lord, it is because of the vision anguish has come upon me, and I have no strength.

And now what I show you is true. Behold, there shall arise three more kings in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than all of them; and when he has grown strong through his riches, he shall stir up all against the kingdom of Greece.

At the end of years they shall join themselves together; and the daughter of the king of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain her power; neither shall his strength endure; but she shall be surrendered, and her attendants, and he who became the father of her, and he who supported her in those times.

But out of a shoot from her roots shall arise in his place, who shall come against the army, and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them, and shall prevail.

He shall set his face to come with the strength of his whole kingdom, and will reach an agreement with him which he shall put into effect. And he shall give him a daughter of women to send destruction on him; but it will not last or be to his advantage.

Yes, those who eat of his royal food shall seek to destroy him, and his army shall be swept away; and many shall fall slain.

As for both these kings, their minds shall be fixed on evil, and they shall speak lies at the table; but it shall not succeed; for still the end shall be at the appointed time.

At the appointed time he shall return, and come into the south; but this time the outcome shall not be as it was before.

Forces shall come at his order, and they shall profane the sanctuary and the fortress, and shall take away the daily burnt offering, and they shall set up the abomination that causes desolation.

And those who are wise among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity and by plunder for some time.

And at the time of the end shall the king of the south attack him. And the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall invade countries, and pass through like a flood.

He shall enter also into the beautiful land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall be delivered out of his hand: Edom, and Moab, and the foremost of the sons of Ammon.

He shall reach out his hand also on other countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

But he shall have control over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the riches of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his feet.

But news out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him; and he shall go out with tremendous rage to destroy and utterly sweep away many.

And he shall pitch his royal tents between the sea and the beautiful holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, with no one to help him.

"At that time shall Michael arise, the great prince who watches over the children of your people. And there shall be a time of distress unparalleled since the beginning of the nation until that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone who shall be found written in the book.

And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long shall it be till these wonders take place?"

I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him who lives forever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

And I heard, but I did not understand. Then I said, "My lord, what shall be the outcome of these things?"

But go your way until the end. For you shall rest, and shall rise to receive your reward at the end of the days.

When the LORD spoke at the first by Hosea, the LORD said to Hosea, "Go, take for yourself a wife of prostitution and children of unfaithfulness; for the land commits great adultery, forsaking the LORD."

The LORD said to him, "Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel on the house of Jehu, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease.

It will happen in that day that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel."

Yet the number of the children of Israel will be as the sand of the sea, which can't be measured nor numbered; and it will come to pass that, in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'

She will follow after her lovers, but she won't overtake them; and she will seek them, but won't find them. Then she will say, 'I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now.'

Now I will uncover her lewdness in the sight of her lovers, and no one will deliver her out of my hand.

I will lay waste her vines and her fig trees, about which she has said, 'These are my wages that my lovers have given me; and I will make them a forest,' and the animals of the field shall eat them.

I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

It will be in that day," says the LORD, "that you will call me 'my husband,' and no longer call me 'my master.'

For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no longer be mentioned by name.

In that day I will make a covenant for them with the animals of the field, and with the birds of the sky, and with the creeping things of the ground. I will break the bow, the sword, and the battle out of the land, and will make them lie down safely.

It will happen in that day, I will respond," says the LORD, "I will respond to the heavens, and they will respond to the earth;

"Yet let no man bring a charge, neither let any man accuse; For your people are like those who bring charges against a priest.

It will be, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and will repay them for their deeds.

They will eat, and not have enough. They will play the prostitute, and will not increase; because they have abandoned giving to the LORD.

My people consult with their wooden idol, and answer to a stick of wood. Indeed the spirit of prostitution has led them astray, and they have been unfaithful to their God.

"Though you, Israel, play the prostitute, yet do not let Judah offend; and do not come to Gilgal, neither go up to Beth Aven, nor swear, 'As the LORD lives.'

"Listen to this, you priests. Listen, house of Israel, and give ear, house of the king. For the judgment is against you; for you have been a snare at Mizpah, and a net spread on Tabor.

"Blow the cornet in Gibeah, and the trumpet in Ramah. Sound a battle cry at Beth Aven, behind you, Benjamin.

The princes of Judah are like those who remove a landmark. I will pour out my wrath on them like water.

"Ephraim, what shall I do to you? Judah, what shall I do to you? For your love is like a morning cloud, and like the dew that disappears early.

Gilead is a city of those who work iniquity; it is stained with blood.

As gangs of robbers wait to ambush a man, so the company of priests murder in the way toward Shechem, committing shameful crimes.

They are all adulterers. They are burning like an oven that the baker stops stirring, from the kneading of the dough, until it is leavened.

For they have made ready their heart like an oven, while they lie in wait. Their baker sleeps all the night. In the morning it burns as a flaming fire.

Strangers have devoured his strength, and he doesn't realize it. Indeed, gray hairs are here and there on him, and he doesn't realize it.

The pride of Israel testifies to his face; yet they haven't returned to the LORD their God, nor sought him, for all this.

Woe to them. For they have wandered from me. Destruction to them. For they have trespassed against me. Though I would redeem them, yet they have spoken lies against me.

Though I have taught and strengthened their arms, yet they plot evil against me.

Let Samaria throw out his calf idol. My anger burns against them. How long will it be until they are capable of purity?

For this is even from Israel. The workman made it, and it is no God; indeed, the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces.

For they sow the wind, and they will reap the whirlwind. He has no standing grain. The stalk will yield no head. If it does yield, strangers will swallow it up.

As for the sacrifices of my offerings, they sacrifice flesh and eat it; But the LORD doesn't accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity, and punish their sins. They will return to Egypt.