1 Heb. Jehovahshammah. See Ex. xvii. 15. gate of Issachar, one; the gate of Zebulun, one: at the west side four thousand and five 34 hundred reeds, with their three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; the gate of Naphtali, one. It shall be eighteen 35 thousand reeds round about: and the name of the city from that day shall be, 'The LORD is there. THE BOOK OF DANIEL. In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon 2 unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God; and he carried them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god: and he brought the 3 vessels into the treasure house of his god. And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in certain of the children of Israel, even of the seed royal 4 and of the nobles; youths in whom was blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability to stand in the king's palace; and that he should teach them the learning and the tongue of the 5 Chaldeans. And the king appointed for them a daily portion of the king's 'meat, and of the 1Or, dainties wine which he drank, and that they should be nourished three years; that at the end thereof 6 they might stand before the king. Now among these were, of the children of Judah, Daniel, 7 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. And the prince of the eunuchs gave names unto them: unto Daniel he gave the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, 1 Heb. Hammelzar. 2 Or, herbs Heb. said. of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. 2 20 stood they before the king. And in every matter of wisdom and understanding, concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and 21 enchanters that were in all his realm. And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus. 2 I 4 Or, in Aramaic 2 Ch. ii. 4 vii. 28 is in Aramaic. 3 Or, The word And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake 2 from him. Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood 3 before the king. And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream. Then spake the Chaldeans to the king 'in the Syrian language, "O king, live for ever: tell thy servants the 5 dream, and we will shew the interpretation. The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, 'The thing is from me: if gone make not known is gone forth ye unto me the dream and the interpretation there- from me of, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses 6 shall be made a dunghill. 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 in7 terpretation thereof. They answered the second time and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 8 The king answered and said, I know of a certainty that ye would gain time, because Aram. buy 9 ye see the thing is gone from me. But if yes Or, the word make not known unto me the dream, there is is gone forth but one law for you: for ye have prepared from me: that lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell me the 4 4 the time. if &c. 1 Or, be he never so great and powerful, hath &c. dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. The Chaldeans answered 10 before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king's matter: forasmuch as no king, 'lord, nor ruler, hath asked such a thing of any magician, or enchanter, or Chaldean. And it is a rare thing that the 11 king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh. For this cause the 12 king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the decree went forth, and the wise men 13. were to be slain; and they sought Daniel and his companions to be slain. Then Daniel re- 14 turned answer with counsel and prudence to Arioch the captain of the king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch the king's 15 captain, Wherefore is the decree so urgent from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. And Daniel went in, and desired of 16 Or, give him the king that he would 'appoint him a time, 3and he would shew the king the interpretation. time * Or, that he might Then Daniel went to his house, and made 17 the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: that they would desire 18 mercies of the God of heaven concerning this secret; that Daniel and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. Then was the secret revealed unto 19 Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered 20 and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: and he changeth the times and the seasons: 21 he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge |