For Thou didst cast me into the deep, and the flood sur

rounded me;

All Thy breakers and Thy billows passed over me.

And I said, I am cast forth out of Thy sight,

Yet will I ever look toward Thy holy temple.

The waters compassed me unto death, the deep surrounded me,

Sedge was wrapped about my head.

To the roots of the mountains I descended,

The everlasting bars of earth were about me ;

But Thou hast brought my life from the pit, Jehovah, my God.

When my soul within me fainted, I thought on Jehovah, And my prayers came unto Thee, unto Thy holy temple.

They that follow lying vanities forsake their own mercy. As for me with the voice of thanksgiving I would sacrifice unto Thee;

What I have vowed, I would perform. Salvation is of Jehovah.

Then Jehovah spake to the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.

And the word of Jehovah came to Jonah a second time, saying: Arise, go unto Nineveh, the great city, and preach unto it the preaching that I bid thee. So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of Jehovah. Now Nineveh was a divinely great city, three days' journey. And Jonah entered into the city a day's journey, preaching, and saying, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall fall. And the men of Nineveh believed in God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sack

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cloth, both great and small. And the tidings reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and put off his robe, and covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. And he made proclamation and commanded in Nineveh, by a decree of the king and his nobles, saying: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing; let them not feed, nor drink water; but let them be covered with sackcloth, both man and beast, and cry mightily unto God; and let them turn each from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands. Who knoweth whether God will again repent, and turn from His fierce anger, that we perish not? And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil, which He had purposed to do unto them, and did it not. But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was wroth. And he prayed unto Jehovah, and said: Alas, O Jehovah, was not this what I said, when I was yet in mine own country? Therefore I hasted to flee unto Tarshish; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy, and repentest Thee of the evil. And now, Jehovah, take my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live. But Jehovah said: Art thou rightly angry?

Then Jonah went out of the city, and abode before the city, and made him there an hut, and sat under it in the shadow, till he might see what would become of the city. And Jehovah prepared a gourd, and it grew up over Jonah, to be a shadow for his head, to protect him from harm. And Jonah was exceeding glad because of the gourd. But God prepared a worm when dawn rose on the morrow, and it smote the gourd, that it withered. And it came to pass, when the sun arose, that God pre

pared a sultry east wind; and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah, that he waxed faint, and asked within himself that he might die, saying, It is better for me to die than to live. And God said to Jonah: Art thou rightly angry for the gourd? And he said, I am rightly angry, even unto death. And Jehovah said: Thou hast had pity for the gourd, for which thou didst not labor, neither madest it to grow; which came up in a night, and perished in a night; and I, should I not have pity on Nineveh, the great city; wherein are more than sixty thousand men that know not their right hand from their left beside much cattle?

CHAPTER V.

DANIEL, I.-VI.

THE WONDERFUL STORY OF DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS.

(Setting forth God's unfailing deliverance of them that keep His law.)

I. THE TRAINING OF DANIEL AND HIS FRIENDS-The King's Food Unclean-Miraculous Efficacy of Herbs-Daniel Finds Favor— II. NEBUCHADREZZAR'S DREAM-Chaldeans at a Loss-Oriental Despotism-Condemned to Death-Praying to God-Daniel Before the King-The Dream of the Image-Its Interpretation— Advanced to Honor-III. NEBUCHADREZZAR'S IMAGE-Commanded to Worship-The Friends Refuse-Cast into the Fiery Furnace-An Angel in the Furnace-The Friends saved-IV. NEBUCHADREZZAR'S TRANSFORMATION-The Dream of the Great Tree-Daniel's Interpretation-Daniel's Counsel-Nebuchadrezzar's Vainglory-Deposed-Like a Beast for Seven Years-His Restoration-His Praise of God-V. BELSHAZZAR'S FEASTUsing the Temple Vessels-The Writing on the Wall-Belshazzar's Terror-Vain Soothsaying-Daniel Summoned--Belshazzar's Sins-The Writing Interpreted-Belshazzar's Fall--VI. THE DEN OF LIONS-Daniel First President-Jealous of Daniel-A Conspiracy-Decree against Worship-Daniel's Worship-Cast into the Lions' Den-Distress of Darius-Miraculous Deliverance -The Accusers Devoured-Darius Honors God.

I. Now Nebuchadrezzar, king of Babylon, bade Ashpenaz, master of his eunuchs, to take some of the children of Israel, both of the seed royal and of the nobles, and teach them the writing and the language of the Chaldeans. And the king appointed them a daily ration of royal dainties, and of his wine, to train them three

years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king. Now among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. And the prince of the eunuchs gave them new names unto Daniel, Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, Shadrach ; and to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abed-nebo.

Now Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king's dainties, nor with his wine; and he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. And the prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your food and your drink; for, should he see your faces worse liking than the youths which are of your own age, so should ye endanger my head with the king Then said Daniel to the steward, whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over them, Try thy servants ten days; and let them give us herbs to eat, and water to drink. Then let our faces be compared with the faces of the youths that eat of the king's dainties; and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. And he did accordingly, and tried them ten days. And at the end of ten days their faces appeared fairer, and they were fatter in flesh, than all the youths that ate of the king's dainties. So the steward took away their dainties, and their wine, and gave them herbs.

As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all writing and wisdom; and Daniel understood all visions and dreams. And at the end of the time which the king had set, the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadrezzar. And the king conversed with them; and there was found among them all none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and they stood before the king. And in every matter of