The King James Version of the Bible
Part 266
2170 words | Chapter 266
nd he brought the vessels into the
treasure house of his god.
1:3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that
he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s
seed, and of the princes; 1:4 Children in whom was no blemish, but
well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge,
and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in
the king’s palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the
tongue of the Chaldeans.
1:5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s meat,
and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that
at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
1:6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah: 1:7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave
names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to
Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of
Abednego.
1:8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself
with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank:
therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not
defile himself.
1:9 Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the
prince of the eunuchs.
1:10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord
the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should
he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your
sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
1:11 Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had
set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 1:12 Prove thy
servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat,
and water to drink.
1:13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the
countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king’s
meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
1:14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.
1:15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and
fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the
king’s meat.
1:16 Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine
that they should drink; and gave them pulse.
1:17 As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in
all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions
and dreams.
1:18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring
them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before
Nebuchadnezzar.
1:19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found
none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they
before the king.
1:20 And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king
enquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the
magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
1:21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.
2:1 And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and
his sleep brake from him.
2:2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the
astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the
king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.
2:3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit
was troubled to know the dream.
2:4 Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for
ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the
interpretation.
2:5 The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone
from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the
interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses
shall be made a dunghill.
2:6 But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall
receive of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore shew me
the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
2:7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the
dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it.
2:8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would gain
the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.
2:9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one
decree for you: for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak
before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the dream, and
I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
2:10 The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a
man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: therefore there is
no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or
astrologer, or Chaldean.
2:11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none
other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose
dwelling is not with flesh.
2:12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded
to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.
2:13 And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and
they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
2:14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the
captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men
of Babylon: 2:15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain,
Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing
known to Daniel.
2:16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give
him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation.
2:17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 2:18 That they would
desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that
Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men
of Babylon.
2:19 Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then
Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
2:20 Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and
ever: for wisdom and might are his: 2:21 And he changeth the times and
the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom
unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: 2:22 He
revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the
darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.
2:23 I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast
given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we
desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king’s
matter.
2:24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had ordained
to destroy the wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him;
Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and
I will shew unto the king the interpretation.
2:25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said
thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will
make known unto the king the interpretation.
2:26 The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was
Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I
have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 2:27 Daniel answered in
the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath
demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the
soothsayers, shew unto the king; 2:28 But there is a God in heaven
that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar
what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy
head upon thy bed, are these; 2:29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts
came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter:
and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to
pass.
2:30 But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom
that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make
known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the
thoughts of thy heart.
2:31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image,
whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form
thereof was terrible.
2:32 This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of
silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, 2:33 His legs of iron, his
feet part of iron and part of clay.
2:34 Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which
smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake
them to pieces.
2:35 Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold,
broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer
threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was
found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great
mountain, and filled the whole earth.
2:36 This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof
before the king.
2:37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath
given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
2:38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the
field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and
hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
2:39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and
another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the
earth.
2:40 And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron
breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh
all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
2:41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay,
and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in
it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron
mixed with miry clay.
2:42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay,
so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
2:43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall
mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one
to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
2:44 And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a
kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be
left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all
these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
2:45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the
mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the
brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made
known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is
certain, and the interpretation thereof sure.
2:46 Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped
Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet
odours unto him.
2:47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that
your God is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of
secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret.
2:48 Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great
gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and
chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.
2:49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach,
and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon: but Daniel
sat in the gate of the king.
3:1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was
threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in
the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
3:2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes,
the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the
counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to
come to the ded
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