THE BOOK OF DANIEL
King James Version
1 ¶ In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of
Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem,
and besieged it.
2
And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand,
with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of
Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure
house of his god.
3
And the king spake unto Ashpenaz
the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of
the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;
4
Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all
wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had
ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the
learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
5 And the king appointed them a
daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they
might stand before the king.
6
Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel,
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:
7 Unto whom the prince of the
eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to
Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abednego.
8 ¶ But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not
defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he
drank: therefore he requested of
the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9
Now God had brought Daniel into favour
and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.
10
And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my
lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he
see your faces worse liking than the children which are of
your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11
Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs
had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,
12
Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them
give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.
13
Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and
the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and
as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14
So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them
ten days.
15 And at the end of ten days
their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children
which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
16
Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the
wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
17 ¶ As for these four children, God gave them knowledge
and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had
understanding in all visions and dreams.
18
Now at the end of the days that the king had said he
should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before
Nebuchadnezzar.
19
And the king communed with them; and among them all was
found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore
stood they before the king.
20 And in all matters of wisdom
and understanding, that the king enquired of them, he found them ten times
better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
21
And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king
Cyrus.
1 ¶ And in the second year of the
reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed
dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from him.
2
Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the
astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his
dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I
have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream.
4
Then spake the Chaldeans to the
king in Syriack, O king, live for
ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation.
5
The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will
not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be
cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
6
But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof,
ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour:
therefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation
thereof.
7 They answered again and said,
Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation
of it.
8
The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye
would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
9
But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is
but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and
corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore
tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation
thereof.
10
The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's
matter: therefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or
Chaldean.
11
And it is a rare thing that the king requireth,
and there is none other that can shew it before the
king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.
12
For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and
commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that
the wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be
slain.
14 ¶ Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to
Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise
men of Babylon:
15
He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the
king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.
16
Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would
give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
17
Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
18 That they would desire mercies
of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his fellows should
not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
19
Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night
vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
20
Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for
ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his:
21
And he changeth the times and
the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and
knowledge to them that know understanding:
22
He revealeth the deep and secret
things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
23
I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers,
who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known
unto us the king's matter.
24 ¶ Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king
had ordained to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went
and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before
the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
25
Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste,
and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will
make known unto the king the interpretation.
26
The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was
Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen,
and the interpretation thereof?
27
Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded
cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto
the king;
28
But there is a God in heaven that revealeth
secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the
latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;
29 As for thee, O king, thy
thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter:
and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee
what shall come to pass.
30
But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any
wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make
known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.
31 ¶ Thou, O king, sawest, and
behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood
before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
32
This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his
arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part
of iron and part of clay.
34
Thou sawest till that a stone
was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of
iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
35
Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and
the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried
them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image
became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
36
This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation
thereof before the king.
37
Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven
hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of
men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given
into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of
gold.
39
And after thee shall arise
another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which
shall bear rule over all the earth.
40 And the fourth kingdom shall be
strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces
and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
41
And whereas thou sawest the feet
and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be
divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch
as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
42
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of
clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
43
And whereas thou sawest iron
mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but
they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not
mixed with clay.
44
And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set
up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left
to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
and it shall stand for ever.
45
Forasmuch as thou sawest that
the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and
that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay,
the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall
come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation
thereof sure.
46 ¶ Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and
worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel,
and said, Of a truth it is, that your God is a God of
gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
48
Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many
great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief
of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
49
Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel
sat in the gate of the king.
1 ¶ Nebuchadnezzar the king made an
image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six
cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the
princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the
counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king
had set up.
3
Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges,
the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before
the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4
Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5
That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute,
harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick,
ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar
the king hath set up:
6
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth
shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
7
Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the
sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 ¶ Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near,
and accused the Jews.
9
They spake and said to the king
Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
10
Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that
shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick,
shall fall down and worship the golden image:
11
And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth,
that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.
12
There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs
of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods,
nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
13
Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to
bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the
king.
14
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said
unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden
image which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be
ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye
fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not,
ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning
fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the
king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.
17
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us
from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out
of thine hand, O king.
18
But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will
not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.
19 ¶ Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form
of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it
was wont to be heated.
20
And he commanded the most mighty
men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast
them into the burning fiery furnace.
21
Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and
their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into
the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22
Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and
the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23
And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell
down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24
Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in
haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?
They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25
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.
26
Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning
fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high
God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came
forth of the midst of the fire.
27 And the princes, governors, and
captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men,
upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an
hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of
fire had passed on them.
28 ¶ Then Nebuchadnezzar spake,
and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in
him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they
might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.
29
Therefore I make a decree, That
every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing
amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill:
because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
30
Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in
the province of Babylon.
1 ¶ Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all
people, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be
multiplied unto you.
2
I thought it good to shew the signs and wonders that the
high God hath wrought toward me.
3
How great are his signs! and how mighty are his wonders!
his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his dominion is
from generation to generation.
4 ¶ I Nebuchadnezzar was at rest in mine house, and
flourishing in my palace:
5
I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon
my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.
6
Therefore made I a decree to
bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they
might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.
7
Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers: and I told the dream before them; but they did
not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.
8
But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was
Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom
is the spirit of the holy gods: and before him I told the dream, saying,
9
O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know
that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee, and no secret troubleth
thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen, and the interpretation
thereof.
10 Thus were the visions of mine
head in my bed; I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the
height thereof was great.
11
The tree grew, and was strong, and the height thereof
reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth:
12
The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much,
and in it was meat for all: the beasts of the field had
shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and
all flesh was fed of it.
13
I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and, behold,
a watcher and an holy one came down from heaven;
14
He cried aloud, and said thus, Hew
down the tree, and cut off his branches, shake off his
leaves, and scatter his fruit: let the beasts get away from under it, and the
fowls from his branches:
15
Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth,
even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let
it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the
grass of the earth:
16 Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let
seven times pass over him.
17
This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the
demand by the word of the holy ones: to the intent that the living may know
that the most High ruleth in
the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men.
18
This dream I king Nebuchadnezzar have seen. Now thou, O
Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, forasmuch as all the wise men
of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation: but thou
art able; for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
19 ¶ Then Daniel, whose name was
Belteshazzar, was astonied for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The
king spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the
dream, or the interpretation thereof, trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered and
said, My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee,
and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.
20
The tree that thou sawest, which
grew, and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven,
and the sight thereof to all the earth;
21
Whose leaves were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in
it was meat for all; under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and upon whose
branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation:
22
It is thou, O king, that art grown and become strong: for
thy greatness is grown, and reacheth
unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.
23 And whereas the
king saw a watcher and an holy one coming down from heaven, and saying, Hew the
tree down, and destroy it; yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the
earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field;
and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the
beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him;
24
This is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree
of the most High, which is come upon my lord the king:
25
That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling
shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as
oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and
seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most
High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth
it to whomsoever he will.
26
And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree
roots; thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee, after that thou shalt have known
that the heavens do rule.
27
Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee,
and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine
iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.
28 ¶ All this came upon the king Nebuchadnezzar.
29
At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the
kingdom of Babylon.
30
The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?
31
While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice
from heaven, saying, O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom
is departed from thee.
32
And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall
be with the beasts of the field: they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and
seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of
men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
33
The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar:
and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, and his body was wet
with the dew of heaven, till his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers, and
his nails like birds' claws.
34 ¶ And at the end of the days I
Nebuchadnezzar lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned
unto me, and I blessed the most High, and I praised
and honoured him that liveth
for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom is from generation to generation:
35
And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as
nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of
heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or
say unto him, What doest thou?
36
At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the
glory of my kingdom, mine honour and brightness
returned unto me; and my counsellors and my lords sought unto me; and I was
established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added
unto me.
37
Now I Nebuchadnezzar praise and extol and honour the King of heaven, all whose works are truth, and
his ways judgment: and those that walk in pride he is able to abase.
1 ¶ Belshazzar the king made a great feast
to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2
Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring
the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of
the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives,
and his concubines, might drink therein.
3
Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out
of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his
princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4
They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of
silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5
In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and
wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister
of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that
wrote.
6
Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts
troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed,
and his knees smote one against another.
7
The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake,
and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall
read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed
with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third
ruler in the kingdom.
8
Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not
read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9
Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his
countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
10 ¶ Now the queen, by reason of the
words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever:
let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of
the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and
wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom
the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of
the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
12
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and
understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and
dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named
Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew
the interpretation.
13
Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art
of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out
of Jewry?
14
I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is
in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent
wisdom is found in thee.
15
And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought
in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the
interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the
thing:
16
And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make
interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst
read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt
be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be
the third ruler in the kingdom.
17
Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to
another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known
to him the interpretation.
18
O thou king, the most high God
gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19
And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations,
and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom
he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and
whom he would he put down.
20
But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in
pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21
And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was
made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him
with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of
heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in
the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it
whomsoever he will.
22
And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine
heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 But hast lifted
up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy
wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the
gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor
hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy
ways, hast thou not glorified:
24 Then was the part of the hand
sent from him; and this writing was written.
25
And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE,
TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26
This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath
numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27
TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found
wanting.
28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided,
and given to the Medes and Persians.
29
Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with
scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation
concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 ¶ In that night was Belshazzar the king of the
Chaldeans slain.
31 And Darius the Median took the
kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
1 ¶ It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the
whole kingdom;
2 And over these three
presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto
them, and the king should have no damage.
3
Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and
princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set
him over the whole realm.
4
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion
against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find
none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any
error or fault found in him.
5
Then said these men, We shall not
find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning
the law of his God.
6 ¶ Then these presidents and princes assembled together
to the king, and said thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.
7
All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the
princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to
establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask
a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be
cast into the den of lions.
8 Now, O king, establish the
decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of
the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.
9
Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.
10
Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went
into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he
kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and
gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.
11 ¶ Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying
and making supplication before his God.
12
Then they came near, and spake
before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not
signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man
within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?
The king answered and said, The thing is true,
according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth
not.
13
Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel,
which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast
signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.
14
Then the king, when he heard these words, was sore
displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him: and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15 Then these men assembled unto
the king, and said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and
Persians is, That no decree nor statute which the king
establisheth may be changed.
16
Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast
him into the den of lions. Now the king spake and
said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou servest continually, he will deliver thee.
17
And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the
den; and the king sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his
lords; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.
18 ¶ Then the king went to his palace, and passed the
night fasting: neither were instruments of musick brought before him: and his sleep went from him.
19
Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in
haste unto the den of lions.
20
And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable
voice unto Daniel: and the king spake and said to
Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom
thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from
the lions?
21
Then said Daniel unto the king, O king, live for ever.
22
My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions'
mouths, that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency
was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I
done no hurt.
23 Then was the king exceeding
glad for him, 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 upon him, because he believed in his God.
24
And the king commanded, and they brought those men which
had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their
children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of
them, and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they
came at the bottom of the den.
25 ¶ Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and
languages, that dwell in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you.
26
I make a decree, That in every
dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God
of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his kingdom that which shall not be
destroyed, and his dominion shall be even unto the end.
27
He delivereth and rescueth, and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in
earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.
28 So this Daniel prospered in the
reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.