2001 Translation

1

DaniEl Arrives in Babylon

¹It was during the 3^rd year of the reign of JehoiAkim (the king of Judah) that NebuChadnezzar (the king of Babylon) came to JeruSalem and attacked it.

²Then the Lord gave JehoiAkim into his hands, along with part of the things that were in the Temple of [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, which thereafter he carried back to the land of Shinar and put into the treasury of the temple of his god.

³Then after that, the king told his Chief Eunuch AshPenaz to go get some of the sons of IsraEl that were descended from royalty and nobility, and bring them to him as captives. ⁴They were to be young, perfectly formed, good looking, wise in all things, knowledgeable, intelligent, and bold enough to stand in the palace of the king. And [when they arrived], he told him to school the young men in the language and writing of the Chaldeans.

⁵The king also arranged for them to eat at his table each day, to share in his banquet wine, and to be given special care for three years, after which they were to be brought before the king. ⁶Among these sons of Judah were DaniEl, HananiAh, AzariAh, and MishaEl. ⁷However, the chief eunuch renamed DaniEl to BelTeShazzar, HananiAh to ShadRach, MishaEl to MeShach, and AzariAh to AbedNego.

⁸Now, DaniEl had decided in his heart that there was no way he’d pollute himself at the table of the king, nor would he drink any of his banquet wine. So, he petitioned the chief eunuch not to be forced to pollute himself, ⁹and God granted DaniEl the chief eunuch’s mercy and compassion.

¹⁰However, the chief eunuch said to DaniEl:

‘I’m afraid of my lord the king, and since he’s the one who is selecting your food and the things that you are to drink, I don’t want him to see your faces looking sadder than the faces of the other boys that are your peers. For if that happens, the king’ll have my head!’

¹¹But DaniEl told MelZar (the man whom the chief eunuch had put in charge of DaniEl, HananiAh, MishaEl, and AzariAh) this:

¹²‘Then test your servants for ten days. Give us just the seeds of the fields to eat and just water to drink. ¹³Then compare us to the other boys that eat at the king’s table. Whichever looks better is what you should choose for your servants.’

¹⁴So he did what they asked and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵Then at the end of the ten days, he examined them and noticed how they looked… And he found that they were stronger and in better shape than the other boys that were eating at the king’s table!

¹⁶As a result, MelZar did away with their suppers and the wine that they were to drink, and gave them just seeds to eat. ¹⁷Then God gave them understanding and intelligence in all their studies, and He made them wiser. And it was then that DaniEl came to have an understanding of visions and dreams.

¹⁸Well, the time finally arrived when they were to be brought before the king, so the chief eunuch took them to NebuChadnezzar. ¹⁹Then, after the king questioned them, he found that there were no others like these four boys, DaniEl, HananiAh, MishaEl, and AzariAh, and he allowed them to stand before him. ²⁰In every matter of wisdom and knowledge (whatever the king asked them about), he found them ten-times greater than all the other dignitaries and sorcerers throughout his realm.

²¹Well after that, DaniEl went on to live all the way into the 1^st year of the reign of King Cyrus.

2

The Vision of the Statue

¹It was in the 2^nd year of the reign of NebuChadnezzar that the king had a dream that so deeply disturbed his spirit that he couldn’t sleep. ²So he gave the order to call for [all his] officials, priests, sorcerers, and Chaldeans, to have them interpret the dream.

Then when they came and stood before the king, ³he said to them:

‘I had a dream that bothered me so deeply that I must know what it means!’

⁴Well, the Chaldeans replied to the king in the Syrian language, saying:

‘O king,

‘May you live throughout the ages! Just tell your servants what you dreamed, and we’ll announce the interpretation to you!’

⁵But the king told the Chaldeans:

‘I’ve forgotten what it was about… And if you can’t tell me the dream and give me its interpretation, I’ll have you all destroyed and have your homes torn down!

⁶‘However, if you can tell me the dream and give me its interpretation, I’ll give you many gifts, do many favors for you free of charge, and I’ll honor you greatly… But first you must tell me the dream, and then you must explain what it means to me!’

⁷Well, they answered him a second time, saying:

‘May the king tell the dream to his servants, and then we’ll announce its interpretation!’

⁸And at that, the king said to them:

‘I know for a fact that you’re just buying time for yourselves, because I told you how every word of the dream has left me. So now, if you can’t tell me the dream, I’ll know that you’re corrupt and lying, and that you’ve agreed to keep speaking before me just to [buy more] time.

⁹‘First tell me my dream, and then I’ll know that I can believe the interpretation that you give to me!’

¹⁰But the Chaldeans then said the king:

‘There’s no man on dry land that can make known what the king is asking, for this is something that no great king or ruler has ever asked of an official, a priest, or a Chaldean. ¹¹What the king is asking is so difficult that no one can tell him such a thing… Other than the gods who don’t live here in the flesh.’

¹²And at that, the king flew into a rage!

He was so angry that he ordered all the wise men of Babylon to be destroyed, ¹³and he sent out a edict for them all to be put to death!

Well, when they went looking for DaniEl and his friends to do away with them, ¹⁴DaniEl asked this of AriOch, the king’s head-of-the-guards (who had come to execute all the wise men of Babylon). ¹⁵He said to him:

‘O [servant] of the king!

‘Why was such a presumptuous decree put before him?’

Then AriOch told DaniEl about all the things that had been said.

¹⁶Well at that, DaniEl went before the king and petitioned him to give him enough time to find the interpretation so that he could announce it to the king. ¹⁷Then DaniEl returned to his house and there he [met with] his friends HananiAh, MishaEl, and AzariAh, and he asked them to help him interpret [the dream]. ¹⁸And they then trusted in the compassions of the God of heaven [to help them unlock] this mystery, and to keep DaniEl and his friends from being destroyed along with the rest of Babylon’s wise men.

¹⁹Then that night, DaniEl had a vision in which the mystery of the dream was revealed to him. So he praised the God of heaven, and said this:

²⁰‘May the Name of The Great God be praised
Throughout the age and into the age of the ages.
To Him, understanding and wisdom belong…
²¹He’s the One who changes the seasons and times.

‘He appoints kings and removes them…
To the wise, He’s the One who gives wisdom
As well as intelligence, so they’ll understand…
²²He uncovers the things that are hidden and deep.

‘He knows all that happens in the darkness,
For, He is the source of all light.
²³So I acknowledge and praise You,
O Great God of the ages.

‘For You’re the One who gave me the wisdom and power,
And revealed what I petitioned from You,
Regarding this matter of the king.
Yes, You’ve revealed it to me!’

²⁴Then DaniEl went to AriOch (the one whom the king had appointed to destroy all the wise men of Babylon) and said to him:

‘Don’t destroy the wise men of Babylon! I want you to take me before the king so I can announce the interpretation of the dream to him.’

²⁵As a result, AriOch quickly took DaniEl before the king and told him:

‘I’ve found a man among the captive sons of Judah who can announce to the king the interpretation of his dream!’

²⁶And the king asked DaniEl (whom he referred to as BelTeShazzar):

‘Are you really able to tell me the dream that I saw and then explain its meaning to me?’

²⁷And there in the presence of the king, DaniEl said this:

‘The mystery that the king has asked the wise men, sorcerers, officials, and astrologers to announce to him isn’t theirs to explain. ²⁸However, there’s a God in the heavens that can uncover mysteries, and He’s made known to King NebuChadnezzar what’s going to happen in the last days.

‘The dream that you saw in your head while you were lying in your bed was this:

²⁹‘You, O king, through the thoughts that you had in your bed, were elevated to see what will happen after this… For mysteries have been made known to you about things that will happen [in the future].

³⁰‘Now, I’m no wiser than any other living man; but this mystery has been uncovered to me so that the king may understand what it means, and so that you may know the thoughts that are in your own heart.

³¹‘You looked, O king, and you saw a huge idol that was overwhelming in size… It stood right in front of your face and it frightened you!

³²‘This idol had:

• A head of pure gold;
• Its breast, arms, and hands were of silver;
• Its belly and thighs were of brass;
• Its legs were of iron; and
• Its feet were part iron and part baked clay.

³³‘Well, as you were staring at it, a rock was cut from a mountain without any hands, which thereafter flew and hit the image on its feet of iron and baked clay, which completely shattered them… ³⁴And everything else was shattered at the same time (the baked clay, the iron, the brass, the silver, and the gold). Then it all became like a cloud of dust from a threshing floor during the harvest, ³⁵and thereafter a wind came and blew it all away, leaving nothing at all.

‘Then the stone that had struck the image [grew into] a huge mountain that covered the whole earth.

³⁶‘So, that was your dream… And now I’ll tell the king what it means.

³⁷‘You, O king, are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given a strong, fortified, and honorable kingdom. ³⁸And in every place where the sons of men live, as well as in every place where the wild animals of the fields and flying creatures of the skies live, has been given into your hands by Him, for He’s made you the lord over it all. So you, O king, are the head of pure gold.

³⁹‘But after you, another kingdom will arise that’s inferior to yours, and then a 3^rd kingdom (the one of brass) will come to dominate the whole earth. [It will be followed by] a 4^th kingdom that will become as strong as iron… ⁴⁰For just as iron can crush and tame all things, it will crush and tame everything.

⁴¹‘Then the feet and the toes that you saw, which were partly of iron and partly of baked clay, will be a divided kingdom.

‘However, because you saw the iron mixed with the baked clay; [this means that] some of the roots of the iron will be in it. ⁴²And since the toes of the feet are partly of iron and partly of baked clay, part of the kingdom will be strong and part of it will be easily broken. ⁴³For as you saw the iron mixed with the baked clay; [this kingdom] will be mixed with the offspring of mankind… And they won’t stick to each other, just as iron won’t stick to baked clay.

⁴⁴‘Then in the time of those kings, the God of heaven will establish a Kingdom that won’t be corrupted throughout the ages, and His Kingdom won’t be passed on to anyone else.

‘[First] it’ll crush and sift all the other kingdoms, and it will stand throughout the ages thereafter.

⁴⁵‘So, now that you’ve seen the stone cut from a mountain without hands, and how it crushed the baked clay, iron, brass, silver, and gold; the great God has revealed to the king what’s going to happen after this.

‘This dream is true, and you can trust its interpretation.’

⁴⁶Well at that, King NebuChadnezzar fell to his face and bowed before DaniEl. Then he offered him some very nice cologne as a gift, and he [told his servants] to bring him something to drink.

⁴⁷Then the king said this to DaniEl:

‘It’s a fact that your God is the God of gods, Lord of lords, and King of kings. For He alone can uncover mysteries… As you were able to uncover this mystery!’

⁴⁸After that, the king honored DaniEl by giving him many great gifts, and he appointed him over all the [districts] of Babylon as the ruler over all the governors and wise men of Babylon. ⁴⁹And because he then requested this of the king, ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego were appointed over the construction projects throughout all the regions of Babylon, and DaniEl [thereafter served] within the courtyard of the king.

3

The Fiery Furnace

¹It was during his 16^th year that King NebuChadnezzar had a gold-[plated] idol made that stood 100 feet (30.5m) tall and 10 feet (3m) wide, which he placed in the plains of Dura, near Babylon.

²So he then called for all of his top officials, generals, lieutenants, governors, vassal kings, ³and everyone else of authority throughout all of his districts, and decreed that they should come and [celebrate] a holiday of dedication for the idol that he had erected.

So everyone came and stood before the idol that NebuChadnezzar had erected, ⁴and then the [king’s] herald yelled at the top of his voice:

‘O nations, peoples, tribes, and languages,

‘You’ve been told that ⁵when you hear the sound of the trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, you must all fall to your faces and bow before the idol of gold that King NebuChadnezzar has erected.

⁶‘And if anyone should choose not to bow before it, he will be immediately taken out and thrown into a blazing-hot furnace!’

⁷So when the people heard the sounds of the trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, all the peoples, tribes, and languages bowed low before the gold idol that King NebuChadnezzar had erected.

⁸However, certain Chaldeans then went up and made an accusation against the Jews… ⁹They went to King NebuChadnezzar and said:

‘O king,

‘May you live throughout the ages!

¹⁰‘However, the king gave an order that when we hear the sound of the trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, ¹¹any man who doesn’t fall and bow before the gold idol should be thrown into a blazing furnace.

¹²‘Now, there were three Jewish men whom you’ve put over construction in Babylon – ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego – and they didn’t obey your decree, O king!

‘For they’ve chosen not to serve your gods or to bow before the gold idol that you’ve erected.’

¹³Well at that, NebuChadnezzar flew into an angry rage and he had them bring ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego before him.

¹⁴Then NebuChadnezzar said to them:

‘ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego, is it true that you won’t serve my gods, and that you won’t bow before the gold idol that I’ve erected?

¹⁵‘Well now, when you hear the sound of trumpets, woodwinds, harps, stringed instruments, and bagpipes playing the anthem, it would be best for you to fall to your faces before the gold idol that I’ve made. Because, if you don’t bow to your faces before it, you’ll be taken out immediately, and then thrown into a blazing-hot furnace… And then we’ll see which God can rescue you from my hands!’

¹⁶But ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego said this to King NebuChadnezzar:

‘We don’t really have to answer you about this matter, ¹⁷for our God in the heavens (whom we serve) can rescue us from the fire in the furnace… And He will rescue us from your hands, O king!

¹⁸‘Yet, even if He shouldn’t choose to do this, you must know, O king, that we won’t serve your gods, or the gold idol that you’ve set up and told us to bow before.’

¹⁹Well, NebuChadnezzar was furious! The way that he viewed ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego suddenly started to change. So he gave instructions to heat the furnace seven times hotter than usual… Until they couldn’t get it any hotter! ²⁰Then he gave some powerful men instructions to shackle ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego, and then throw them into the blazing-hot furnace.

²¹So the three were shackled and then thrown into the midst of the blazing-hot furnace fully clothed, [wearing their] pants, underclothes, and official turbans. ²²And following the instruction of the king, the furnace had in fact been made seven times hotter than usual.

²³Well, the three men (ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego) fell into the midst of the blazing furnace wearing shackles… But then they started walking around in the midst of the flames, praising God and blessing their lord!

²⁴They walked around in the flame, singing praises to The God and praising the Lord.

²⁵Then Azariah stood up and, speaking from the fire, prayed this way:

²⁶‘You are praised, O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, our fathers’ God.
You are worthy of praise,
And Your name is glorified into the ages.

²⁷‘For You are righteous in all You’ve done.
All Your works are true,
Your ways are straight,
And all Your judgments are truth.

²⁸‘You’ve carried out true judgments in all You brought on us
And upon JeruSalem, our fathers’ holy city.
For in truth and judgment,
You brought all these things upon us, because of our sins.

²⁹‘We have sinned and acted lawlessly
By turning away from You;
We have sinned in every way.

³⁰‘We haven’t listened to Your commandments,
Nor have we kept them,
Nor have we done as You commanded us,
So that things might go well for us.

³¹‘All You have brought upon us,
And all You have done to us,
You have done in true judgment.

³²‘You have handed us over to lawless and very hostile enemies,
To apostates, and to an unrighteous and very wicked king,
Worse than any on earth.

³³‘And now we can’t open our mouths;
Shame and disgrace have come upon Your servants
And those who worship You.

³⁴‘Please don’t completely abandon us for Your name’s sake,
And don’t cancel Your Sacred Agreement,
³⁵And don’t withdraw Your mercy from us,
For the sake of Abraham, Your beloved,
And Isaac, Your servant, and Israel, Your holy one,
³⁶To whom You promised to multiply their descendants
Like the stars of heaven
And the sand on the seashore.

³⁷‘O Master, we have been made smaller than all other nations, and we are humbled throughout the earth today because of our sins.

³⁸‘Right now, there’s no:

• ruler
• prophet
• or leader

‘No:

• burnt offering
• sacrifice
• grain offering
• or incense

…No place to offer first fruits before You and find mercy.

³⁹‘But may we be accepted with a contrite inner person
And a humble spirit.

⁴⁰‘Just as with burnt offerings of rams and bulls,
And with tens of thousands of fat lambs,
Let our sacrifice be before You today.
May it accomplish Your will,
For those who trust in You will not be shamed.

⁴¹‘Now we follow You with our whole mind.
We fear You and seek Your presence.
⁴²Don’t put us to shame,
But deal with us according to Your gentleness and Your abundant mercy.
⁴³Rescue us by Your wondrous deeds,
And give glory to Your name, O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”.

⁴⁴‘May all who inflict evil upon Your servants be shamed;
May they be disgraced in all their power,
And may their strength be broken,
⁴⁵Let them know that You alone are [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” God,
Glorious over all the inhabited earth.’

⁴⁶Meanwhile, the king’s servants who had thrown them in didn’t stop stoking the furnace with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brushwood. ⁴⁷The flame spread out above the furnace for 49 cubits [~80 feet / ~24m], ⁴⁸and it swept through and burned up the Chaldean men it found around the furnace!

⁴⁹But the [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”‘s messenger went down into the furnace with Azariah and his companions. He drove the fire’s flame out of the furnace. ⁵⁰He made the furnace’s inside like a damp, whistling wind. The fire didn’t touch them at all; it neither hurt nor troubled them.

⁵¹Then the three, with one voice, began to sing praises, glorify, and praised The God in the furnace, saying:

⁵²‘You are praised, O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, our fathers’ The God,
Worthy of praise and highly exalted into the ages.
And praised is Your holy, glorious name,
Highly praised and highly exalted into all the ages.

⁵³‘You are praised in Your holy glory’s temple,
Highly praised and supremely glorious into the ages.

⁵⁴‘You are praised, who looks down on the deeps,
Who sits upon the cherubim,
Worthy of praise and highly exalted into the ages.

⁵⁵‘You are praised upon Your kingdom’s throne,
Highly praised and highly exalted into the ages.

⁵⁶‘You are praised in heaven’s firmament,
Praised and glorified into the ages.

⁵⁷‘Praise the Lord, all [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”‘s works;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁵⁸‘Praise the Lord, all [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”‘s messengers;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁵⁹‘Praise the Lord, all heavens;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁶⁰‘Praise the Lord, all waters and everything above the heavens;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁶¹‘Let all powers praise the Lord;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁶²‘Praise the Lord, O sun and moon;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁶³‘Praise the Lord, all stars of heaven;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁶⁴‘Let every shower and dew praise the Lord;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁶⁵‘Praise the Lord, all spirits;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁶⁶‘Praise the Lord, O fire and heat;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

[Editor: Verses 67 and 68 are not in this manuscript. They are just repetitions of the next two verses.]

⁶⁹‘Praise the Lord, O cold and heat;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷⁰‘Praise the Lord, O frost and snow;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷¹‘Praise the Lord, O nights and days;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷²‘Praise the Lord, O light and darkness;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷³‘Praise the Lord, O lightnings and clouds;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷⁴‘Let the earth praise the Lord;
Let it praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷⁵‘Praise the Lord, O mountains and hills;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷⁶‘Praise the Lord, all things growing on the earth;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷⁷‘Praise the Lord, O springs;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷⁸‘Praise the Lord, O seas and rivers;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁷⁹‘Praise the Lord, O sea monsters and water creatures;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸⁰‘Praise the Lord, all birds of the air;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸¹‘Praise the Lord, all wild beasts and cattle;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸²‘Praise the Lord, O humans’ children;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸³‘Praise the Lord, O Israel;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸⁴‘Praise the Lord, O priests;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸⁵‘Praise the Lord, O servants;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸⁶‘Praise the Lord, O the righteous’ breaths and lives;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸⁷‘Praise the Lord, all holy and humble in mind;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages.

⁸⁸‘Praise the Lord, O Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael;
Praise and highly exalt Him into the ages!

‘He has rescued us from Hades
And saved us from the grip of death.

‘He rescued us from the blazing fiery furnace,
And from the fire itself He rescued us.

⁸⁹‘Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
His mercy endures into the age.

⁹⁰‘Praise the Lord, all who worship the Lord, The God of gods;
Praise Him and give thanks, for His mercy endures into the age.’

⁹¹⁽²⁴⁾ And when NebuChadnezzar heard their praising, he was shocked! So he quickly got up and asked his mighty men this:

‘Didn’t you throw three men wearing shackles into the midst of the fire?’

And they replied:

‘Yes we did, O king.’

⁹²⁽²⁵⁾ But the king said:

‘I see four men here that are freely walking around in the midst of the flames, and none of them are being burned! And the vision that I’m having of the fourth one is as that of a son of God!’

⁹³⁽²⁶⁾ Then NebuChadnezzar leaned forward towards the top of the blazing furnace and said this:

‘O ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego!

‘You servants of the highest God, come here!

‘Come out of there!’

So ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego came out from the midst of the flames, ⁹⁴⁽²⁷⁾ and then all the governors, generals, lieutenants, and king’s officials were called over to see these men, and to [witness the fact] that the fire hadn’t consumed their bodies! For the hair on their heads hadn’t been singed, their [clothes] were still the same, and there wasn’t even the smell of smoke on them!

⁹⁵⁽²⁸⁾ Then, right there before them all, the king bowed to [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” and said:

‘Praise the God of ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego who sent His messenger and rescued His servants that put faith in Him. For these men changed the word of the king and then they offered their bodies in fire, because they wouldn’t serve any god other than their God!

⁹⁶⁽²⁹⁾ So thereafter, the king issued this decree:

‘Any people, tribe, or language that speaks blasphemously against the God of ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego will be destroyed and their houses will be pillaged… For there’s no other god who can rescue in such a great way.’

⁹⁷⁽³⁰⁾ Then the king promoted ShadRach, MeShach, and AbedNego to be over all regions of the [Empire of] Babylon. He also paid them more, and he put them in charge over all the Jews in his realm.

Then sometime later, the king [wrote this] about [something else that had happened to him]:

4

Seven Years of Madness

¹‘NebuChadnezzar the king,

‘To all peoples, tribes, languages, and to all that live in the land:

‘May you have an abundance of peace!

²‘I’m pleased to announce to you that the highest God has performed signs and miracles to me… ³And His signs are great, His wonders are mighty, His kingdom is throughout the ages, and His authority is through generations.

⁴‘I, NebuChadnezzar, was prospering in my palace and my throne was thriving. ⁵But then I had a vision in a dream that struck me with fear and left me disturbed in my bed, for the vision that I saw in my mind really bothered me. ⁶So I decreed that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me so I could have them explain the meaning of the dream. ⁷Then all the sorcerers, priests, astrologers, and Chaldeans came to me, and I told them of the dream, but they were unable to explain what it meant.

⁸‘However, DaniEl (who is called BelTeShazzar, and who truly has the breath of God) came in the Name of my God, and I told him my dream. ⁹[I said to him]:

‘O BelTeShazzar, you leader of [my] wise men, and someone whom I know has God’s breath, and is never powerless when it comes to understanding mysteries. Listen to the vision that I saw in my dream, and then tell me what it means. ¹⁰For this is the vision that I saw in my mind while I was in my bed:

'{Look!} There was a huge tree that stood in the center of the earth… It was very tall, ¹¹and the tree kept getting mightier and larger until it reached into the heavens and it spread to the ends of the earth.

¹²‘Its leaves were beautiful and it was filled with enough fruit to feed everyone. So the wild animals of the fields camped under it, the flying creatures of the skies lived in its branches, and all flesh was being fed by it.

¹³‘Then in the vision that I had in my bed that night, I saw a holy observer (a messenger) coming down out of the sky, ¹⁴and he shouted and said:

‘Now, you must cut down the tree…
Yes, cut off its branches and shake off its leaves,
Then scatter its fruit [on the ground].
Thereafter, you must chase off all the wild beasts
That are living under its branches,
And drive the flying creatures away!

¹⁵‘Leave nothing but its roots in the ground;
Then, bind it with iron and brass,
So that it will just lie there covered by grass,
Surrounded by the wild beasts of the fields,
And bathed by dew from the skies,
Just like grass on the ground.

¹⁶‘Then his heart will be changed from that of a man,
And the heart of a beast will be given to him…
For seven times, this is how he’ll be changed.’

¹⁷‘Then the observer said:

‘This is a [vision] from the Most Holy One,
To show to all those who are living
That [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” is over all kingdoms,
And He gives them to whomever He chooses…
He can even appoint men who are viewed with contempt
To be in charge of it all.’

¹⁸‘So, this is what I saw in the dream (yes me, King NebuChadnezzar). Therefore, I [said to] BelTeShazzar:

‘Now, explain it to me… Tell me what it means! Although none of the other wise men in my kingdom have been able to interpret it for me, I know that you can, O DaniEl, because the holy breath of God is within you!’

¹⁹‘Well, DaniEl was unable to say anything for an hour, because he was so disturbed by his thoughts. Then I asked:

‘O BelTeShazzar, why are you taking so long in interpreting the dream?’

‘And BelTeShazzar replied:

‘O lord, leave the interpretation to those who hate you and to your enemies! ²⁰For the tree that you saw, which became so strong and so tall that it reached into the heavens and covered the whole earth, ²¹and which grew such great leaves and had such an abundance of fruit that it fed all the wild animals that lived under it, as well as all the flying creatures that lived in its branches is you, O king! ²²Because, your fame and greatness has been made to grow so much that it now reaches into the heavens, since you rule to the ends of the lands!

²³‘And when the king saw a holy observer coming down from the sky who [was told] to [cut down] the tree and destroy it, but to leave its roots in the ground and to band the tree with iron and brass, then to let it lie there among the shoots of grass among the wild animals [where it is to be bathed by] the dew from the skies [and remain that way] for 7 times… ²⁴This is what it means, O king:

‘It is the highest form of interpretation, for this is what’s going to happen to you, O my lord the king.

²⁵‘You’ll be driven away from mankind,
And be forced to live among beasts in the plains,
Where they’ll feed you with grass like an ox,
And you’ll [be bathed by] dew from the skies.

‘For seven times, you’ll be changed,
Until you accept that [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” is higher
Than all the kingdoms of men,
And to those He selects, He gives all this [power].

²⁶‘But, because they were told
To leave the tree’s roots in the ground,
Your kingdom will continue to be yours,
Until the time that you realize
That your power has come to you from the heavens.

²⁷‘But because of this, O king (and may my council be pleasing to you);
You must pay for your sins by giving to the poor,
And you must also pay for your errors
By showing compassion to the needy.
Then, God may be lenient with you for your sins.’

²⁸‘Well, all of these things happened to me (King NebuChadnezzar). ²⁹For just 12 months later, while I was walking in the temple of my kingdom in Babylon ³⁰and I was saying to myself:

‘Isn’t this the great Babylon that I’ve built as my royal home through my own power, strength, honor, and glory…’

³¹‘Yes, while those words were still in my mouth, a voice came from the sky that proclaimed:

‘To you, it is now being said,
O King NebuChadnezzar,
That your kingdom has been taken from you.

³²‘For men will drive you away,
And you’ll have to live among the wild beasts,
Where they’ll feed you grass like an ox.

‘For seven times, you’ll be changed,
Until you know that [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”
Is the One who is over all kingdoms,
And He gives it to whomever He chooses.’

³³‘Well, that’s what happened to me, King NebuChadnezzar, within that very hour! I was driven away from my people, I ate grass like an ox, I was bathed by the dew from the sky, my hair became as strong as that of a lion, and my fingernails grew long like bird’s claws!

³⁴‘Then, after those days had been fulfilled, I, NebuChadnezzar, raised my eyes to the sky, and my senses were returned to me.

‘So I praised the Most High who lives throughout the ages… I praised and spoke gloriously of His authority that lasts throughout the ages, and of His kingship [that lasts] through generations of generations.

³⁵‘For before Him, those of us who live on the earth are like nothing at all, since He rules the armies of the heavens and those who live on the earth in any way that He wishes! No one can resist His hand, or ask Him why He does the things that He does.

³⁶‘Then, after my senses returned, the honor of my kingdom was restored to me. My appearance returned to me, and my rulers and great men looked up to me once again. So thereafter, I went on to strengthen my kingdom, and more greatness was added to me.

³⁷‘Now, I, NebuChadnezzar, praise, honor, and glorify the King of the heavens, because everything that He does is righteous, all of His ways are fair, and He humbles those who become too proud.’

5

BelShazzar’s Feast

¹[Well, several years later], BelShazzar [the last Babylonian king] had prepared a feast for 1,000 of his most important men, and they were each served wine.

²Then, while BelShazzar was tasting and drinking the wine, he told [his servants] to bring in the items of gold and silver that his ancestor NebuChadnezzar had taken from the Temple [of [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”] in JeruSalem, so that the king, his important men, and his concubines and mistresses could drink from them.

³So they brought in the items of gold and silver that had been taken from the Temple of God in JeruSalem. Then the king, his important men, and his concubines and mistresses ⁴started drinking wine from them, while they praised their gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone.

⁵But within that very hour, the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and started writing on the whitewashed wall near a lamp in the king’s palace!

When the king saw the knuckles doing the handwriting, ⁶his appearance changed… He was so deeply disturbed that he became incontinent and his knees started shaking! So the king called out to have the priests, Chaldeans, and astrologers brought in to him.

⁷Then he said to those wise men of Babylon:

‘Whoever can read this writing and interpret it for me will be dressed in purple, a gold necklace will be placed around his neck, and he’ll be appointed as the third ruler in my kingdom!’

⁸So thereafter, all the king’s wise men were brought in to him… But they were unable to read the writing or interpret it for the king. ⁹Therefore, King BelShazzar was still disturbed and his appearance was still changed. And of course, all of his important guests were also very disturbed.

¹⁰Then the queen entered the banquet room and said this to the king:

‘O king,

‘May you live throughout the ages!

‘Don’t allow this to bother your thoughts and change your appearance, ¹¹for there’s a man in your kingdom who is filled with the breath of God.

‘Back in the days of your ancestors, he was found to be an insightful and understanding man. And it was because of this that your ancestor King NebuChadnezzar put him in charge of all his advisors, Chaldeans, and astrologers.

¹²‘This man has a greater measure of [God’s] breath, and he’s the most intelligent and understanding when it comes to such things as interpreting dreams, reporting things that are [forgotten], and untying knots. [This man] is DaniEl, whom the king renamed BelTeShazzar.

‘You should call for him and he’ll interpret [these words] for you.’

¹³So DaniEl was thereafter brought before the king, and the king asked him:

‘Are you DaniEl, the one whom my ancestor the king brought here from among the captives from Judah? ¹⁴I’ve heard that the breath of God is in you and that you’re insightful, understanding, and exceedingly wise.

¹⁵‘Now, my wise men, priests, and astrologers have come here and they all tried to read this writing and to interpret it for me, but they couldn’t explain what it means!

¹⁶‘However, I’ve been told that you’re able to interpret such judgments. So, if you can read this writing and interpret it for me, I’ll dress you in purple, I’ll place a gold chain around your neck, and I’ll appoint you to be the 3^rd ruler in my kingdom!’

¹⁷However, DaniEl said to the king:

‘You can keep your gifts and you can give the [power] over your house to someone else… But I’ll read the writing and interpret it for you, O king.

¹⁸‘O king,

‘It was the Highest God who gave the kingdom, greatness, honor, and glory to your ancestor, NebuChadnezzar. ¹⁹And it was because of this greatness that God put him over all the peoples, tribes, and languages, and made them tremble in fear before him. Therefore, he could destroy anyone he wished, beat anyone he wished, promote anyone he wished, and humble anyone whom he wished to humble.

²⁰‘But when his heart became too haughty and his spirit became too proud, he was brought down from the throne of this kingdom and this honor was removed from him. ²¹Then he was driven away from among mankind and his heart became like that of a wild animal. So he lived among the zebras, he was fed grass like an ox, and his body was bathed and washed by the dew from the skies until he recognized that the Most High God is the One who really rules all the kingdoms of mankind, and He can give [the power] to whomever He chooses.

²²‘Now you, O BelShazzar, have not humbled your heart before God, which is something that you knew you should do, ²³and you’ve acted haughtily before [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” the God of the heavens by having the items from His Temple brought before you, where you, your important men, and your concubines and mistresses drank wine from them as you were praising your gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, who can’t see, hear, or know anything at all… Yes, you failed to glorify the God who holds your breath and everything you are in His hands.

²⁴‘So it’s because of this that the knuckles of a hand were sent from His presence… Yes, He’s the One who sent this writing to you.

²⁵‘This is what the writing says:

‘Mene, Tekel, Peres.’

²⁶‘And this is what it means:

‘Mene means that God has measured your kingdom and brought it to an end.

²⁷‘Tekel means that He’s weighed you on a scale and found you to be lacking.

²⁸‘Peres means that your kingdom will now be divided among the Medes and Persians.’

²⁹Well after that, BelShazzar gave the order to dress DaniEl in purple, to put a gold chain around his neck, and he proclaimed him to be the third ruler in his kingdom.

³⁰However, that very night, BelShazzar (the king of the Chaldeans) was killed ³¹and Darius the Mede took the kingdom as his own at the age of 62.

6

DaniEl in the Lion’s Den

¹Darius thereafter appointed 120 governors to be in charge of his kingdom. ²Then he appointed three ministers to be over them (to whom the governors had to report), because the king didn’t want to be bothered… And DaniEl was one of these ministers. ³And because he had an extra portion of [God’s] breath, DaniEl was placed over the other two ministers, so that he was in fact in charge of the whole kingdom.

⁴Of course, the other two ministers and the governors [weren’t pleased with this], so they kept looking to find some wrongdoing that they could use as an accusation against DaniEl. However, they couldn’t find any excuse, sin, or error against him, because DaniEl was always faithful.

⁵Well, the other two ministers soon came to realize that the only thing they could use against DaniEl was the Law of his God. ⁶So they and the governors went before the king and said this:

‘O King Darius,

‘May you live throughout the ages!

⁷‘We, the generals, governors, and supreme leaders whom you’ve appointed over your kingdom – those whom you’ve appointed to royal positions – have met together, and we want you to enact [this law] to strengthen [your rule]:

‘Anyone who makes a request of any man or god other than you for the next 30 days, O king, must be thrown into the lion’s pit.’

⁸‘Please, O king, enact this law and write it for public display, since the decrees of the Medes and Persians can’t be changed.’

⁹As a result, King Darius gave orders for the decree to be written.

¹⁰However, when DaniEl found out about the decree, he just went home, and there in an upper room before open windows that faced JeruSalem, he bent down on his knees to praise and pray before his God. [He did this] three times, the same as he’d always done.

¹¹Well, those men had been watching him closely. So when they saw DaniEl petitioning and begging before his God, ¹²they went to the king and said:

‘O king!

‘Didn’t you enact an order saying that anyone who makes a request of a god or a man other than from you for the next 30 days should be thrown into the lion’s pit?’

And the king replied:

‘What you say is true, and the decrees of the Medes and Persians may not be changed!’

¹³So they said to the king:

‘We wish to report to you that DaniEl – one of those who was brought as a captive from Judah – hasn’t followed your decree, for today he still prayed before his God three times!’

¹⁴Well, this really disturbed the king, and although he wanted to do something to save DaniEl, ¹⁵those men said to the king:

‘You must know, O king, that any decree of the Medes and Persians may not be altered once the king has enacted it, no matter what the circumstances or what position [the person] may hold!’

¹⁶So the king gave the order, and they took DaniEl out to throw him into the pit of lions. [But before they threw him in], the king asked DaniEl:

‘Will your God, whom you’ve served so faithfully, rescue you?’

¹⁷[Well after that, they threw him in], and they took a stone slab and placed it over the top of the pit. They then sealed it with the king’s ring, and with the rings of his top men, so that nothing could be changed for DaniEl. ¹⁸And thereafter, the king returned to his palace and went to bed without eating any supper… He had no food brought him, and he wasn’t able to sleep.

¹⁹Then, when the king got up the next morning (at daybreak), he went out to the lion’s pit. And as he was approaching it, he called out to DaniEl, shouting loudly:

²⁰‘O DaniEl… O servant of the Living God… Has your God whom you’ve served so faithfully been able to rescue you from the mouths of the lions?’

²¹And DaniEl replied:

‘O king,

‘May you live throughout the ages!

²²‘Yes, my God sent His messenger who blocked the mouths of the lions. They haven’t been able to destroy me, because [my God] has found me to be righteous… And I haven’t done anything against you either, O king.’

²³Well, the king was overjoyed by this, and he gave the order that DaniEl was to be taken out of the pit. And when they lifted him out, they found that DaniEl hadn’t been harmed in any way, because he had trusted in his God.

²⁴Then the king gave orders and they took the men who had accused DaniEl and threw them, their sons, and their wives into the lion’s pit… And they hadn’t even reached the floor before the lions had them! They even chewed up their bones, so all that remained of them was just dust!

²⁵And after that, King Darius wrote a letter to all the peoples, tribes, and languages throughout the whole earth that said this:

‘May you have peace!

²⁶‘From my presence, I’ve sent this decree to all states throughout my realm:

‘Before the face of DaniEl’s God
All should tremble and fear.
For, He’s the one Living God
And He exists throughout the ages.

‘His Kingdom won’t be destroyed
And it will last throughout the ages…
He alone will rule ‘til the end.

²⁷‘He snatches away and He rescues;
He sends us miracles and signs
Both in the heavens and on the earth…
For, this is the One who saved DaniEl
From the mouths of the lions.’

²⁸So DaniEl continued to prosper during the reign of Darius, and on into the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

7

The Four Wild Beasts

¹It was during the 1^st year of the reign of BelShazzar (the king of the Chaldeans) that DaniEl saw a vision in his head as he was lying in his bed, and this is what he wrote about the things that he saw:

²‘In my vision during the night, I, DaniEl, saw the four winds blowing hard and stirring up the Great Sea. ³And four large animals came up out of the sea that were different from each other.

⁴‘The first one looked like a female lion, and she had the wings of an eagle. But as I watched, her wings were plucked off and she was lifted away from the earth… Then she stood on feet that were like those of a man, and the heart of a man was given to her.

⁵‘I also saw a second wild animal that looked like a bear. It was lying on one side and there were three ribs sticking out of its mouth from between its teeth. Then it was told to get up and devour much flesh.

⁶'{Look!} I also saw another wild animal that looked like a leopard, but it had four wings [like those of] of a bird on its back, and it had four heads. It was also given great power.

⁷‘And as I was watching, I saw a fourth wild animal that was astonishing, frightening, and huge. It had teeth of iron that were mighty for eating and crushing, and it trampled the others with its feet. It was very different from the wild animals that had come before it, and this one had ten horns.

⁸‘Then as I was looking at its horns, another small horn came up in the midst of them, which pushed out the three horns that were in front of it. {Look!} This horn had the eyes of a man, and it started saying grandiose things.

⁹‘Well, as I kept on watching, a throne appeared upon which the Most Ancient One seated Himself. His clothes were as white as snow, the hair on His head was like pure wool, His throne was like flames of fire, and it had wheels that looked like flames. ¹⁰Also, a river of fire shot out from before Him, and there were millions that were serving Him and tens of millions more that were standing before Him.

‘Then a judgment seat was brought forward and scrolls were opened. ¹¹And as I was watching, I heard a voice coming from the [animal’s] horn that was speaking those grandiose words.

‘However, after that, the wild animal was condemned and put to death, then its body was thrown into a blazing fire. ¹²And after that happened, the rulership of the other wild animals was returned to them, and their lives were extended for a time and a season.

¹³‘Then as I was watching the things in the vision that night, {Look!} someone like a Son of Man arrived riding upon the clouds of the skies, and he went up in front of the Most Ancient One, ¹⁴who then gave him rulership, honor, and a Kingdom, so that from then on, all the peoples, tribes, and languages were to serve him. And [he was told that] the authority he was given was to last throughout the ages… It would never pass away or be destroyed.

¹⁵‘Well at that, the spirit within me, DaniEl, shuddered (as often happens to me), because the visions that I saw in my head were so disturbing. ¹⁶So I went up to the one who was standing there, because I wanted him to explain the meanings of all these things… And he spoke to me plainly, making the interpretation very clear.

¹⁷[‘He said]:

‘These four great beasts are four kingdoms,
Which will arise on the earth…
¹⁸But thereafter, they’ll be taken away.

‘Then this [Son of Man] will take over the kingdom
Of the holy ones of the Most High…
Throughout the age and throughout ages of ages,
He will be the one who’ll rule.’

¹⁹‘Then I wanted to find out more about the fourth wild animal, because it was so different from the other wild animals and it was so frightening because of its iron teeth and brass claws that it used to eat, crush, and trample.

²⁰‘I also wanted to learn more about the ten horns that were on its head, and about the [horn] that arose and shook off three of the [horns]… The one who had eyes and a mouth that spoke grandiose things, because it was the most disturbing of all the things that I saw. ²¹For as I was watching, that horn attacked the holy ones and conquered them.

²²‘But then the Most Ancient One came and gave these Holy Ones His most favorable judgment, and they were able to take over their Kingdom.

²³‘Then he told me this:

‘The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom
That will also rule over the earth.
It will be greater than all other kingdoms.
For, it’ll devour all of the lands…
It’ll trample upon them and cut them to bits.

²⁴‘His ten horns are ten kings who’ll come,
And after them, another will arise
That will conquer the previous kings…
And three of them will be humbled.

²⁵‘Then, he will speak grandiose words
And mislead the Holy Ones of the Most High.
He’ll choose to change times and laws
For 3-1/2 times.

²⁶‘But thereafter, the judgment seat will arrive,
And his position of rule will be changed…
He’ll be removed from view and destroyed
Until the end has arrived.

²⁷‘Then the Kingdom, the authority, and the greatness
Of all the kings under the heavens
Will be given to the Holy One of the Most High,
Whose Kingdom will last throughout the ages…
Then these kings will serve and obey Him.’

²⁸‘Well, that’s when [the dream] ended. But these thoughts disturbed me so much that they even changed my appearance. Therefore, I (DaniEl) remembered them and kept them in my heart.’

8

The Vision of the Ram and the Goat

¹It was in the 3^rd year of the reign of King BelShazzar that I, DaniEl, had a vision that was like the previous one. ²In the vision, I found myself at the palace in Sushan (in the region of ElAm), and I was standing by the Ulai River.

³Then, when I looked up, I saw a ram standing at the river bank that had two long horns. One horn was taller than the other and it grew from behind it.

⁴Then I saw the ram butting towards the west, north, and south, so that none of the other wild animals could stand before him and none could be saved from his hands. So, he did whatever he wished and he became very powerful.

⁵Well, as I was watching, {Look!} a male goat came across the land from the southwest and [his feet] weren’t touching the ground!

This goat’s horn was very conspicuous, because it grew out from between his eyes. ⁶Then he rushed towards the ram that I saw (the one with the two horns), and butted him as hard as he could! ⁷Because he was furious with him, he ran as fast as possible and he hit the ram and broke off both of his horns, which left [the ram] weak and unable to oppose him. Then [the male goat] threw the ram to the ground and trampled him, and no one came to his aid.

⁸Thereafter, the male goat became extremely famous for his strength. But then, his large horn was broken and four horns grew up from beneath it. Each pointed towards one of the four winds of the skies.

⁹However, one of them became extremely powerful… It grew rapidly towards the south and east ¹⁰until it reached to the powers of the heavens! Then he threw [the other three horns] to the ground, and he also started trampling on the stars.

¹¹For he became more powerful towards the commander-in-chief, so that through him, the sacrifices were to be disturbed and the Holy Place was to be destroyed. ¹²Yes, he was prepared as a sin-offering sacrifice that resulted in righteousness being tossed to the ground. And after he did that, he prospered.

¹³Then I heard one of the Holy Ones, such-and-such, ask the other one:

‘How long will this vision stand…
When the sacrifices are taken away,
And the sin of destruction is allowed,
As the Holy Place and its power,
Will thereafter be trampled upon?’

¹⁴And he said:

‘After 2,300 mornings and evenings,
The Holy Place will be cleansed.’

¹⁵Well, as I was seeing this vision, I (DaniEl) wanted to understand more. Then I saw what looked like a man standing before me, ¹⁶and I heard a man’s voice speaking from the midst of the Ulai [River].

He called out and said:

‘GabriEl! Let him understand the vision!’

¹⁷So he came over to where I was standing. As he was approaching, I became very disturbed and fell to my face. Then he said to me:

‘Pay attention, O son of man.

‘For this vision is of the time of the end!’

¹⁸Well, as he was speaking to me, I stayed there with my face to the ground. But then, he touched me, and stood me up on my feet.

¹⁹And he said:

'{Look!} I’ll explain what will bring the end to [God’s] rage.
For, these are the things that will happen
In the time of the end:

²⁰‘The ram that you saw with [two] horns,
Is the kingdom of the Medes and the Persians,
²¹And the male goat is the king of the Greeks.

‘The great horn that stands between its [two] eyes
Will be their greatest of kings.
²²And after he’s broken, the four horns that arise
Will be four kings who succeed him;
But, none will be as mighty as he.

²³‘Now, in the last days of their kingdom,
They’ll be filled with sins.
Then a king will arise that has a proud face…
One who understands riddles.

²⁴‘Even though he’ll have great power, the strength won’t be his.
Then he will prosper and corrupt in wondrous ways…
He’ll take action and he will bring ruin
To a people who are mighty and holy.

²⁵‘He will prosper by putting [others in] yokes,
And in his hands, there’ll be treachery;
For in his heart, he’ll think himself great.

‘His treachery will bring ruin to many,
And he will destroy many to establish himself…
He’ll break them like eggs in his hands.

²⁶‘As for the vision of the evenings and mornings…
The things that you saw are all true!
But, you must now seal up this vision,
For it’ll all happen in some future time!’

²⁷Then I (DaniEl) went to bed and I was sick for several days after that. But I [finally] got up and did my work for the king, and I wondered about the vision… But I was the only one who knew about it.

9

The 70 Weeks Prophecy

¹Well, it was during the 1^st year of Darius of Xerxes (a Mede who ruled the Chaldean kingdom), ²that I, DaniEl, came to understand that the number of years (from [Jehovah’s][Yahweh’s]“Lord’s” words given to the Prophet JeremiAh) for fulfilling JeruSalem’s desolation [would be] 70 years. [Jeremiah 25:11-12]

³So I turned my face towards [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” God to ask Him about this through prayers, supplications, and by fasting in sackcloth and ashes. ⁴I prayed to my God [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, acknowledging Him and saying this:

‘O Lord,

‘O great and wonderful God who keeps His Sacred Agreements and is merciful to those who love Him and keep His commandments…

⁵‘We’ve sinned, done wrong, and been godless,
For from Your commandments and ways, we have turned.
⁶We’ve not listened to Your servants the Prophets
(Those who spoke in Your Name),
Or to our kings, rulers, ancestors, and kin.

⁷‘Although You, O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, are just.
The people of IsraEl and Judah,
As well as those in JeruSalem,
Have been covered with shame to this day…
Yes, all the people who [lived there]
And those who have been [carried away]
To all places, wherever You sent them,
Because they had been in rebellion
By annulling their Sacred Agreement with You.

⁸‘The faces of our fathers, rulers, and kings
Who have sinned against You are shamed.
⁹But from You, O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” our God,
Has come forgiveness and tender compassion,
Despite our sin of withdrawing from You.

¹⁰‘To Your voice, we’ve not paid attention,
O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” our God,
Nor have we obeyed the Laws that you gave
Through the hands of Your servants, the Prophets.

¹¹‘IsraEl has broken Your laws,
And turned aside from hearing Your voice.
So the curses and oaths that were written
In the Law of Moses (the servant of God)
Have now fallen upon us
Because of our sins against You.

¹²‘So the words that were spoken against us
And against the judges that judged us
Have now all come to pass…
They’ve brought such evil upon us
As has never been seen in JeruSalem’s skies.

¹³‘In the Law that You gave to Moses,
It was written that these bad things would happen
If we failed to search for the face of our Lord,
And turn away from our sins.

¹⁴‘Since this was the concern of [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” our God,
He sent upon us, our own evil ways.
It was right for [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” to do all these things,
For we’ve not paid attention to His voice!

¹⁵‘Now, O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” our God…
You who led Your people from Egypt
With Your great, mighty hand
And established a Name for Yourself to this day…
We’ve broken Your Laws…
We’ve fallen into errors and sins!

¹⁶‘Yet Lord,
In your great loving care,
Please turn away Your anger and rage
From Your [holy] city, JeruSalem,
And from Your most holy Mountain!

‘It was because we walked in the sins of our fathers
That JeruSalem and Your people
Have become an object of such ridicule
By those who are living around us.

¹⁷‘O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, our God,
Hear the prayer of Your servant,
And listen to the things that I’m begging!

‘May Your Face be seen in Your Most Holy Place
Before those whom You’ve deserted…
Do this for the sake [of Your Name]!

¹⁸‘O my God,
Lean Your ear and listen to me!
Please open Your eyes and notice
How we and the city where You’ve put Your Name
Have now been brought to destruction!

‘So, we can no longer approach You
And throw our worries before You
Because of our unrighteous ways, O [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”…
Yet we have many things that concern us.

¹⁹‘Please listen, O Lord, and cover our sins…
Do it quickly, because our city and its people
Are the ones who are called by Your Name!’

²⁰Well, it was just as I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sins and the sins of my people (throwing my desire for mercy before my God [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” concerning His Holy Mountain), ²¹that GabriEl (the person whom I saw flying in my first vision) touched me!

It was about the time for the evening sacrifice, ²²and then he helped me to understand. He spoke to me, and said this:

‘O DaniEl,

‘I’ve come here to teach you
So that you can now understand.
²³I’ve been coming since you started your prayer
To tell you that you’ve been found to be
A very desirable man.

‘So, you must now reflect on the things
That you’ll see in this vision.
²⁴70 periods of 7 have been set
On behalf of you and your people
And for the Holy City on Zion

‘So as to bring an end to your sins,
To set a seal on your errors,
To wipe away all of your lawless deeds,
And to atone for the [bad things you’ve done]…

‘To restore righteous ways throughout the ages,
To set a seal on the prophecies and visions,
And to anoint the holiest of the holy.

²⁵‘So, know this, and now understand:

‘From the delivery of the word and its response
For JeruSalem to be built once again
Until the Anointed (Greek: Christou) Leader arrives,
Will be 7 periods of 7,
Plus 62 periods of 7.
They’ll rebuild the walls and the squares,
But they’ll do it through difficult times.

²⁶‘And after the 62 periods of 7,
The Anointed One will then be destroyed…
For in that place, there’ll no longer be justice.

‘Then the Holy Place and the city
Will be corrupted by a leader that will come
And cut them off by a downpour…
He’ll order an extinction upon them
Until the end of his war.

²⁷‘He’ll strengthen the Sacred Agreement with many
During one period of 7;
But in half of that period of 7,
Sacrifices and drink offerings will be lifted away.

‘Then, to the Temple will come the disgusting destroyer,
And until that time is fulfilled,
There’ll just be complete desolation.’

10

The Man in Linen

¹Well, it was during the 3^rd year of the reign of Cyrus, the king of Persia that these true words were uncovered to me DaniEl (who was also called BelTeShazzar), and I was able to gain a great understanding from this vision.

²At the time, I (DaniEl) had been in mourning for three weeks… ³I hadn’t eaten any meat or bread, nor drunk any wine. I also hadn’t rubbed myself with any oil during those three weeks.

⁴Then, (on the 24^th day of the 1^st month) as I was standing on the banks of the great Tigris River, ⁵I raised my eyes and I saw a man wearing linen clothes.

His hips were wrapped in the gold of Ophir, ⁶his body looked like stone, and his face looked like lightning, his eyes looked like burning lamps, his arms and legs looked like shining brass! When he spoke it was like the sound of a large crowd!

⁷I was the only one who saw this vision. The men who were with me at the time didn’t see anything. However, something came over them that frightened them, so they all ran away – ⁸leaving me alone.

Well, when I had this great vision, it left me weak… It took all my glory and corrupted it, leaving me without any strength. ⁹Then I heard a voice speaking words. When I heard what was being said, I was confused. So I fell with my face to the ground.

¹⁰Then, {Look!} a hand reached out and touched me and lifted me up on my knees and onto the palms of my hands.

¹¹And this is what he said to me:

‘O DaniEl, you very desirable man…
Understand the words I’m speaking to you.
Get up and stand on your feet,
For I’ve been sent here to help you!’

Well when he said that, I stood up, but I was still shaking.

¹²And he said to me:

‘Don’t be afraid, O DaniEl.
For from the first day that you opened your heart
So as to understand [all these things],
And you started [your fast] to [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” your God,
All of your words have been heard!
And I’ve come here because of the things that you’ve prayed.

¹³‘But the ruler of the kingdom of Persia
Stood and opposed me for 21 days,
Until MichaEl (one of the foremost rulers)
[Finally] came to my aid.

‘So, that’s where I’d left him…
With the ruler of the kingdom of Persia,
¹⁴And I’ve come here so as to explain
What will happen to your people in the last days.
For, this is a vision of things that will be.’

¹⁵Well as he was saying that, I fell with my face to the ground once again, because I was so confused.

¹⁶Then {Look!} someone who looked like one of the sons of men came and touched my lips, and I was able to open my mouth and speak.

So, to the one standing in front of me I said:

‘O lord, seeing this vision of you has twisted my insides and left me weak. ¹⁷So, O Lord, how will your servant be able to speak to you, since I’m weak, I can’t stand up, and I can hardly breathe!’

¹⁸Then [somebody who] looked like a human came and touched me, and gave me strength.

¹⁹And he said:

‘Don’t be afraid, you most desirable man…

‘May you have peace!

‘But now you must be manly and strong!’

Well, as he was speaking to me, I did become stronger, so I said:

‘Now speak, O my lord, because you’ve given me the strength [I need]!’

²⁰Then he asked:

‘Do you know why I’ve come here to you?
Although I must now go back and fight a war
Against the ruler of the kingdom of Persia,
Before the ruler of the Greeks will arrive,
²¹I’ve come here to help you write words of truth.
And no one is with me when it comes to these things
Other than MichaEl, your ruler.’

11

The Kings of the North and South

¹In the first year of King Cyrus’ reign, [the messenger] told me:

¹‘Since the 1^st year of Cyrus,
I’ve been standing nearby in power and might…
²And now, I’ll tell you the truth:

'{Look!} In Persia, three kings will arise,
Then a fourth will come who’ll be richer.
And after he gains all his wealth,
He will attack the kingdoms of Greece.

³‘Then [from Greece], a mighty king will arise
Who’ll gain a vast kingdom
And he’ll do whatever he wishes.

⁴‘But, after his kingdom has been established,
It’ll be divided and broken
Towards the four winds of the skies…
And it won’t be as strong as during his rule.
For his kingdom will then be plucked up
And divided among the outsiders.

⁵‘Then the king in the south will grow mighty,
But another one will grow stronger
And he’ll use the authority he’s given
To rule a kingdom that’s vast.

⁶‘However, after his time,
They’ll all become allies;
And the daughter of Egypt’s king
Will go to the king in the north
And she’ll make treaties with him.
But his arm won’t be strong, and his offspring won’t survive.

‘Then, she’ll be handed over,
Along with all those who brought her,
As well as with her young women,
And the one who made her strong in her time.

⁷‘Then someone will arise from the root of her flower,
And when he’s ready, he’ll attack
The army of the king of the north
And overrun his supporters…
He will conquer and then win the war.

⁸‘He’ll carry away all of their molded gods
And all of their most desirable things
(Including their silver and gold).
Then, back to Egypt, he’ll take it…
For he’ll dominate the king of the north.

⁹‘Thereafter, [the king] of the north
Will come and enter the kingdom
Of the king of the south…
But then, he will return to his land.

¹⁰‘So his sons will gather an army,
Which will quickly overrun and pass through.
[In that land], they’ll thereafter settle,
And they’ll fight all the way to his stronghold.

¹¹‘This will enrage the king of the south
And he will raise a large army
To fight against the king of the north,
And he’ll take many captives.

¹²‘Then his heart will become very proud,
And thousands, he will cut to the ground…
But the war that he will fight won’t be won.

¹³‘Thereafter, the king of the north
Will gather an army that’s larger,
And towards the end of [his rule],
He’ll attack and enter with power,
Along with many [weapons of war].

¹⁴‘But, during that time, there will be a rebellion
Against the king of the south,
As the rabble among your people grow many,
So this vision will be proven true…
But then, they will also get weaker.

¹⁵‘Then the king of the north will attack,
And he will build many siege mounds
To capture their fortified cities.

‘And the chosen ones of the south will arise;
Yet, they won’t be quite as strong.
¹⁶So the one who enters will do what he wants,
And none will be able to stop him.

‘Then he’ll stand in the glorious land,
And with his own hands, he will destroy it.

¹⁷‘Thereafter, he will set his face
To march against their whole kingdom
With those who have been proven upright,
And this is what he will do:

‘They’ll give him the daughter of a woman,
So that he can thereafter corrupt her,
But she will not stay and she’ll never be his.

¹⁸‘So he’ll turn his attention to the islands,
And many will be captured there.
This will stop the ridicule of their kings…
But, only for a short time.

¹⁹‘At that time, he will turn his attention
To making his land much stronger again;
But then, he’ll get weaker and fall,
And never be [heard from] again.

²⁰‘Yet, from out of his roots, will arise
The shoot of a kingdom to oppose him,
And demand all the glory of his kingdom.

‘Yet, in those days, he’ll be broken…
But, not by rebellion or war.
²¹There’ll be someone who will stand in his place
Whom he once treated with great contempt
And not given any glory in his kingdom.
But, in prosperity, he will return,
And through treachery, he’ll then take the kingdom.

²²‘So the strength of the one who was bringing the flood
Will be broken and washed away from his face…
The one who is in charge of the Sacred Agreement.

²³‘For, after he’s made an alliance,
He will then act in deceitful ways.

‘Through a nation that’s small, he’ll gain power,
²⁴And he will go to a prosperous place
To do what his fathers and even their fathers
Had been unable to do…
He’ll plunder and divide up the loot.

‘Then, he will plot against Egypt,
²⁵And when he’s strong, he will set his heart
Against the king of the south,
And attack him with a great army.

‘But the king of the south will gather an army
And beat him with their new weapons of war…
²⁶He’ll devour everything that he wanted to take,
And then, he will destroy their whole army…
He’ll break them and he will kill many.

²⁷‘So, both kings will have wicked hearts,
And when they sit down at a table,
They’ll lie and settle nothing at all
Until the end has arrived.

²⁸‘Then, when he goes back to his country,
He will do so with things that he’s plundered
And with his heart set firmly against
The Holy Sacred Agreement.

‘But, after he returns to [his] land,
²⁹He’ll invade the south once again…
Yet it won’t be the same as he did at the first.

³⁰‘Then, [ships] of Cyprus will attack him
And [teach him] that he must be humble;
So he’ll return and show his rage once again
Against the Holy Sacred Agreement.

‘He will launch an attack against those who supported
The Holy Sacred Agreement,
³¹Then [they’ll come] and profane the great Holy Place…
And bring an end to the daily sacrifices.

Yes he will bring the disgusting destroyer
³²Against all those who are breaking the Law
And disregarding the Sacred Agreement.

‘But those who know God will grow stronger
And they’ll do whatever needs to be done…
³³For they will come to know many things.

‘Yet, they will be weakened by swords and by fire,
And as captives, they will be carried away…
they will be ravaged for a very long time.

³⁴‘Then, after they have become weakest,
They will be given some help;
For, many will be added to them…
But, they won’t have the same zeal.

³⁵‘They’ll drag down those who do understand
And purify them as through fire
Until the time of the end,
Which will still be a long time away.

³⁶‘Thereafter, the king will grow in his might
And put himself higher than all of the gods…
Including the God of all gods.

³⁷‘He will forget the Gods of his fathers,
And not notice the desires of women…
He will ignore all the gods,
And put himself higher than all.

³⁸‘A god of war from his country,
He will then glorify
(A god whom his fathers never knew)
With silver, gold, and most precious gems,
And many desirable things.

³⁹‘Within a fortress of refuge,
He will act with a strange god
(Whichever one he chooses)…
He’ll make it grow in its glory,
And cause many to bow down before it,
And then, he’ll divide the land up as gifts.

⁴⁰‘Then, in the time of the end,
He’ll lock horns with the king of the south…
And the king of the north will gather to him
Many chariots, horsemen, and ships.
So, he will then enter their land…
He will break it and he will pass through it.

⁴¹‘And then, he will enter the glorious land,
And many there, will be weakened.
But these ones will be saved from his hands:
Edom, MoAb, and the sovereignty of AmMon’s sons.

⁴²‘Then he’ll stretch his hand out over the land,
And the land of Egypt will not be saved.
⁴³He’ll dominate all with the hidden reserves
Of their silver and gold,
And the best things of Libya, Ethiopia, and Egypt…
[Things that he’ll find in] their forts.

⁴⁴‘Then, out of the north and the east,
He will hear things that disturb him.
So he’ll leave in a rage, bringing many along,
To wipe away and destroy.

⁴⁵‘His royal tent, he will then set up
Between the sea and the Holy Mountain of Glory
Until he comes to his end…
When no one will be able save him.’

12

¹‘And in that very same hour,

The Highest Messenger, MichaEl, will come
(The one who keeps watch on the sons of your people),
And a difficult time will arrive
Such as has never happened before,
And will never happen again.

‘At that time, your people will be saved
(Those whose [names] have been written in the scroll),
²And many that are sleeping in graves will arise,
Some to life throughout the ages,
And others to disgrace and ages of shame.

³‘Then, those who understand what I’m saying
Will shine like lights in the firmament.
And the many that prove themselves righteous
Will shine like stars throughout the ages.

⁴‘And you, O DaniEl,

‘Cover these words and seal up the scroll
Until the time of the end.
[It’s a time when] many will be taught
And knowledge will be multiplied.’

⁵Then I, DaniEl, looked and I saw two others that were also standing there, one on this side of the river, and the other on the opposite bank. ⁶One of them asked the man in the linen clothes that was standing over the water in the river:

‘When will all these wonders of which you spoke reach their conclusion?’

⁷And the man in the linen clothes who was standing over the river raised both his right and left hands high towards the heavens, and he swore an oath to The God who lives throughout ages, saying:

‘The holy ones will be scattered
For 3-1/2 times,
Before these things reach their end.’

⁸Well, I heard it, but I didn’t understand it.

So I said:

‘O lord, when will these things that you’ve spoke about start to happen? And when will your judgment arrive?’

⁹And he said:

‘Go, O DaniEl,

‘Cover and seal up these words!

¹⁰‘For, there will be many who are chosen
And they will be [dressed] in white robes.

‘By fire, they will be purified…
And thereafter, they will all be made holy.

‘But the sinners will continue to sin,
And they won’t be seeking knowledge.

¹¹‘From the time the disgusting destroyer arrives
And the sacrificing comes to an end
Is 1,290 days.

¹²‘And all of those will be blest
Who endure all the way to the end,
Of 1,335 days.

¹³‘Now, [you will] go to your rest
Until that day and hour arrives.
For then, you will be resurrected,
And you will receive your inheritance
After those days reach their end.’

13

Susanna

¹There was [a] man named JoAchim living in Babylon. ²He had married [a] woman named Susanna, HilkiAh’s daughter. She was exceedingly beautiful and feared the Lord. ³Her parents were righteous, and they had taught their daughter to follow the Law of Moses. ⁴JoAchim was exceedingly wealthy and had [a] garden next to his house. All the Jews would come to him because he was more respected than anyone else.

⁵That year, two elders from the people were appointed as judges. Now, the Lord had spoken about these very men, saying that lawlessness had come from Babylon, specifically from elders and judges who seemed to be governing the people. ⁶These men regularly stayed at JoAchim’s house. Everyone who had a case to be judged would come to them there.

⁷One day, when people left in the middle of the day, Susanna went into her husband’s garden to walk around. ⁸The two elders watched her daily as she went in and walked about, and they became filled with desire for her. ⁹They corrupted their own minds and stopped looking to heaven or remembering what was right. ¹⁰Both were consumed by their desire for her, but they didn’t tell each other how troubled they were, ¹¹because they were ashamed to admit they wanted to be with her. ¹²Still, they eagerly watched for her day after day.

One said to the other:

¹³‘Let’s go home now, for it’s lunchtime.’

So they went out and went their separate ways. ¹⁴But then they returned to the same spot. When they questioned each other about why they had come back, they confessed their desire. At that point, they jointly arranged a time when they could find her alone.

¹⁵As they were watching for [a] suitable day, she came in one day, just like the two days before, with only two maidservants. She wanted to bathe in the garden because it was hot. ¹⁶No one else was there except the two elders, who were hidden and watching her closely. ¹⁷She said to the maidservants:

‘Bring me oil and lotions, and close the garden doors so I can bathe.’

¹⁸They did as she said. They closed the garden doors and went out through the side entrance to get what she had requested. They didn’t see the elders, because the elders were hiding.

¹⁹As soon as the maidservants left, the two elders stood up and rushed toward her, ²⁰and said:

‘Look, the garden doors are closed, and no one sees us. We desire you, so agree to lie with us!’

²¹‘If you refuse, we will testify against you that [a] young man was with you, and that’s why you sent your maidservants away.’

Susanna groaned and said:

²²‘I’m in distress on every side. If I do this, it means death for me; and if I don’t, I won’t escape your hands.

²³‘It’s better for me to fall into your hands without having done it than to sin before [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”.’

²⁴Then Susanna cried out loudly, and the two elders also cried out against her. ²⁵One of them ran and opened the garden doors. ²⁶When those in the house heard the outcry from the garden, they rushed in through the side door to see what had happened to her. ²⁷When the elders spoke their words, the servants were exceedingly ashamed, because such [a] thing had never been said about Susanna before.

²⁸The next day, when the people gathered at her husband JoAchim’s house, the two elders arrived. They were full of their wicked plot against Susanna, intending to put her to death. They said to the people:

²⁹‘Send for Susanna, daughter of HilkiAh, who is JoAchim’s wife.’

So they sent for her. ³⁰She came with her parents, her children, and all her relatives. ³¹Susanna was exceedingly delicate and beautiful. ³²The wicked men commanded that she be unveiled (she was veiled) so they could feast their eyes on her beauty. ³³All who were with her and all who saw her wept.

³⁴Then the two elders stood up among the people and placed their hands on her head. ³⁵As she wept, she looked up to heaven, because her heart trusted in [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”. ³⁶The elders then said:

‘While we were walking alone in the garden, this woman came in with two maidservants. She closed the garden doors and sent the maidservants away.

³⁷‘Then [a] young man, who had been hidden there, came to her and lay down with her.

³⁸‘We were in a corner of the garden, and when we saw this wickedness, we ran towards them.

³⁹‘When we saw them together, we could not overpower the man because he was stronger than us, and he opened the doors and leaped out.

⁴⁰‘But we seized this woman and asked her who the young man was.

⁴¹‘She refused to tell us. This is our testimony.’

The assembly believed them, since they were elders and judges of the people, and they condemned her to death.

Susanna cried out loudly:

⁴²‘O The God, eternal [one], you know hidden things, and you know all things before they come into being!

⁴³‘You know that they’ve testified falsely against me! Look, I’m dying, even though I’ve done nothing of what these men wickedly accused me.’

⁴⁴Well, [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” heard her voice. ⁴⁵As she was being led away to be executed, The God stirred up the holy breath of [a] young boy named DaniEl.

⁴⁶He cried out loudly:

‘I’m innocent of this woman’s blood!’

⁴⁷All the people turned back to him and asked:

‘What is this you have said?’

⁴⁸Standing among them, he said:

‘Are you so foolish, O sons of Israel? You’ve condemned [a] daughter of Israel without examining the case or knowing the truth!

⁴⁹‘Return to the place of judgment, because these men have testified falsely against her.’

⁵⁰All the people hurried back.

The elders said to him:

‘Come, sit among us and tell us, because The God has given you the privilege of [an] elder.’

⁵¹DaniEl said to them:

‘Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them.’

⁵²When they had been separated, he called one of them and said:

‘You old man, steeped in wickedness, now your former sins have caught up with you!

⁵³‘You used to give unjust judgments, condemning the innocent and setting the guilty free, even though the Lord has said:

‘You shall not execute the innocent and righteous.’

⁵⁴‘Now then, if you truly saw her, tell me: Under what tree did you see them together?’

He replied:

‘Under [a] mastic tree.’

⁵⁵DaniEl said:

‘You’ve lied directly against your own head! Because [a] messenger of The God has already received the divine command to split you in two!’

⁵⁶After he had him removed, DaniEl commanded the other man to be brought forward. He said:

‘You offspring of Canaan, not of Judah! Beauty has deceived you, and lust has corrupted your heart.

⁵⁷‘This is how you treated the daughters of Israel; they would comply with you out of fear. But [a] daughter of Judah wouldn’t endure your wickedness!

⁵⁸‘Now then, tell me: Under what tree did you catch them together?’

He replied:

‘Under [an] oak tree.’

⁵⁹DaniEl said to him:

‘You too have lied directly against your own head! Because the messenger of The God is waiting with a sword to saw you in two, so he can destroy you both.’

⁶⁰Then the entire assembly cried out loudly and praised The God, who saves those who hope in Him. ⁶¹So they rose up against the two elders. DaniEl had convicted them, from their own mouths, of being false witnesses.

The people did to them just as they had wickedly intended to do to their neighbor, ⁶²following the Law of Moses, and they executed them. In this way, innocent blood was saved that day.

⁶³HilkiAh and his wife, along with Susanna’s husband JoAchim and all their relatives, praised their daughter, because no shameful thing was found in her. ⁶⁴DaniEl became great in the eyes of the people from that day forward.

14

Bel and the Dragon

¹King Astyages died and joined his ancestors, and Cyrus the Persian succeeded him on the throne. ²DaniEl was a close companion of the king and was more highly esteemed than all his other friends.

³Now, the Babylonians had [an] idol named [Marduk], and daily offerings were consumed for it:

• 12 artabas of fine flour [~85 US gallons / ~325 liters]
• 40 sheep
• And 6 measures of wine [~10 US gallons / ~46 liters]

⁴The king bowed down to it and went daily to bow down to it, but DaniEl bowed down to His own God.

So the king asked him:

‘Why don’t you bow down to [Marduk]?’

DaniEl replied:

⁵‘Because I don’t bow down to idols made by human hands, but the living God, who created heaven and earth and has dominion over all living things.’

The king said to him:

⁶‘Don’t you think [Marduk] is [a] living god? Or don’t you see how much he eats and drinks every day?’

DaniEl laughed and said:

⁷‘Don’t be mistaken, O king; because inside, it’s clay, and outside, it’s bronze, and it has never eaten anything!’

Enraged, the king called his priests and said to them:

⁸‘If you don’t tell me who is consuming these provisions, you will die!

⁹‘But if you can show that [Marduk] consumes them, DaniEl will die, because he has spoken blasphemy against [Marduk].’

DaniEl said to the king:

⁹‘Let it be as you say.’

There were seventy priests of [Marduk], not counting their wives and children. The king went with DaniEl into the temple of [Marduk].

The priests of [Marduk] said:

¹¹‘Look, we will leave. But you, O king, set out the food and the mixed wine, then close the door and seal it with your signet ring.

¹²‘If, when you return early tomorrow, you don’t find everything eaten by [Marduk], we will die, or DaniEl, who has slandered us.’

¹³But they were confident, because they had made a hidden entrance under the table, and through it they would continually enter and consume the offerings.

¹⁴So when they had gone out, the king set out the food for [Marduk]. DaniEl then ordered his servants to bring ash, and they scattered it over the entire floor of the temple in the presence of the king alone. Then they went out, closed the door, sealed it with the king’s signet ring, and left.

¹⁵Well, that night, the priests came as they usually did, along with their wives and children, and they ate and drank everything.

¹⁶The king got up early the next morning, and DaniEl was with him.

He asked:

¹⁷‘Are the seals intact, DaniEl?’

DaniEl replied:

‘They are, O king.’

As soon as the doors were opened, the king looked at the table and shouted loudly:

¹⁸‘Great are you, [Marduk], and there is no deceit in you at all!’

But DaniEl laughed, and he stopped the king from entering. He said:

¹⁹‘Look now at the floor and see whose footprints these are.’

The king said:

²⁰‘I see the footprints of men… And of women… And of children.’

²¹The king, enraged, then arrested the priests and their wives and children. They showed him the hidden doors through which they had been entering and eating the offerings on the table.

²²The king killed them, and handed [Marduk] over to DaniEl, who destroyed it and its temple.

²³There was also [a] great dragon, and the Babylonians bowed down to it.

The king said to DaniEl:

²⁴‘You can’t deny that this is [a] living god, can you? So bow down to it!’

DaniEl said:

²⁵‘I will bow down to [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” my God, for He is the living God.

²⁶‘But you, O king, give me permission, and I will kill the dragon without a sword or a staff.’

The king said:

‘I grant it.’

²⁷DaniEl took pitch, fat, and hair, boiled them together to make cakes. He fed them to the dragon, and when it ate them, the dragon burst open!

Then DaniEl said:

‘Look at what you bow down to!’

When the Babylonians heard this, they were enraged and turned against the king, saying:

²⁸‘The king has become a Jew! He has torn down [the idol of] [Marduk], killed the dragon, and slaughtered the priests!

²⁹‘Deliver DaniEl to us! Otherwise, we will kill you and your household!’

³⁰The king saw that they were pressing him hard, and, forced into it, he handed DaniEl over to them.

³¹So they threw him into the lions’ pit, and he was there for six days. ³²Now there were seven lions in the pit, and they were usually given two bodies and two sheep each day. But this time, nothing was given to them, so they would eat DaniEl.

³³Now Habakkuk the prophet was in Judea. He had cooked [a] stew and crumbled bread into [a] bowl, and was going to the field to bring food to the reapers.

[A] messenger of [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” said to Habakkuk:

³⁴‘Take the meal you have to DaniEl in Babylon, to the lions’ pit.’

Habakkuk said:

³⁵‘[Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, I’ve never seen Babylon, and I don’t know where the pit is.’

³⁶Then the messenger of [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord” took him by the crown of his head, and, lifting him by his hair, set him down in Babylon, directly above the pit, carried by the force of his breath.

Habakkuk cried out:

³⁷‘DaniEl, DaniEl, take the meal which The God has sent you!’

DaniEl said:

³⁸‘Indeed, You The God have remembered me, and You have not forsaken those who love You.’

³⁹DaniEl got up and ate. But the messenger of God at once returned Habakkuk to his home.

⁴⁰On the seventh day, the king came to mourn DaniEl. He came to the pit and looked in, and look, DaniEl was sitting there!

He shouted loudly:

⁴¹‘Great are You, [Jehovah][Yahweh]“Lord”, DaniEl’s God, and there is no other God besides You!’

⁴²He pulled DaniEl up. But those who had sought to destroy him, he threw into the pit, and they were at once eaten right before his eyes.