December
4th Daniel 4 The dream of the tree
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.
The
dream comes true
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.
Nebuchadnezzar
converted
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 counsellers 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.
Daniel 5 Belshazzar’s feast
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.
Daniel
6 Daniel in the den of lions
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 counsellers, 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.
Daniel records the letter that Nebuchadnezzar sent to every
nation. He said l thought it was good to show the signs and wonders that the
high God has done to me. Then he recounts the vision he received and all its
meaning and how Daniel had been able to reveal its secrets. This vision was of
a great tree that grew so large that its top reached heaven and all the birds
of the air nested in its branches. Then he told of a watcher – a holy one who
came down from heaven and he said cut off the branches and cut down the tree
but leave its stump. The stump was to be banded with an iron and brass band.
Then the image changes to a man who is to be driven out by men and is to live
as a beast and eat grass. He is to be given a beasts heart and seven years are
to pass him by. This was to be done so that all men might know that ‘The most
High rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to whoever he will, and sets
over it the lowest of men’. Daniel was called upon to explain the dream. Daniel
had to wait one hour for the interpretation. Daniel explains that this dream is
about the king himself. Nebuchadnezzar the king would be cut down and driven
out to eat grass like an ox until seven years had passed. Only after seven
years will be acknowledge that God rules the kingdom of men. It was twelve
months later that the king was walking in his garden and glorying in all he had
done when the execution of the decree of the holy ones is carried out. he heard
a voice from heaven and he was driven out to eat grass like an ox and his hair
was like feathers and his nails like claws. At the end of 2520 days his reason
returned to him and he blessed God. And so this is the subject of his letter.
Next the story moves on to King Belshazzar who made a feast for 1000 guests and
they drank wine from the golden vessels from the sanctuary in Jerusalem. In the same hour a hand appeared
and wrote on the plaster of the wall. After searching for a man to translate
the message eventually Daniel explains the message was that God had weighed him
and found him wanting. The kingdom was to be divided and given to the Medes and
Persians. Daniel was decorated and made third in the kingdom but that night
Belshazzar was killed and Darius (who was sixty two) the Mede took control of
the kingdom. Darius the Mede set up a new form of government. There were one
hundred and twenty princes and over them three and Daniel was over them. Daniel
was not liked so the princes plotted his downfall. They could find no fault in
Daniel apart from his worship of the Lord. So they appealed to the king to make
a law that stated that no man was to ask any petition of God or Man unless it
came through the King. They knew Daniel would never stop praying. The
punishment for not obeying would be to be thrown into the den of lions. The
Medes thought that any law they passed must be fore kept and never broken so
they thought they had Daniel. But they never reckoned in the God of Daniel.
Daniel was arrested and put in the lions den. In the morning the king came and
called for Daniel. Daniel answered politely that God had sent his angel and
shut the lions mouth. The king commanded that the men who plotted against
Daniel were thrown into the den. They were killed before the touched to floor.
Then Darius wrote to every nation telling them of Gods deeds and that all men
were to worship the Lord of heaven.
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