the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the Most High hath made known that in those days the God of heaven shall set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall the sovereignty thereof be left to another people; but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. And whereas the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth; even so shall the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, be given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. The great God hath made known to the king that this shall surely come to pass: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof

sure.

DANIEL IV

Now as Nebuchadnezzar was walking in the royal palace of Babylon,

The king spake and said, Behold this great Babylon,

Which I have built for the royal dwelling-place, By the might of my power,

And for the glory of my majesty!

While the word was in the king's mouth,
There fell a voice from heaven, saying,

O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken:
The kingdom is departed from thee:

And thou shalt be driven from men;

And thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the

Thou shalt be made to eat grass as oxen;
And seven times shall pass over thee;

Until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men.

The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar :

And he was driven from men,

And did eat grass as oxen,

And his body was wet with the dew of heaven, Till his hair was grown like eagles' feathers, And his nails like birds' claws.

At the end of the days,

I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven,

And I blessed the Most High,

And I praised and honoured him that liveth for

ever.

At the same time mine understanding returned unto me;

And for the glory of my kingdom,

My majesty and brightness returned unto me; And my counsellors and my lords sought unto

me;

And I was established in my kingdom,

And excellent greatness was added unto me.

Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,

Praise and extol and honour the King of heaven;

For all his works are truth,

And his ways justice;

Those that walk in pride is he able to abase,

And those that humble themselves doth he exalt

and establish.

DANIEL VII

I saw in my vision by night, and, behold, thrones were placed, and one that was ancient of days did sit: his raiment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames, and a fiery stream issued and came forth from before him. Thousands of thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. And judgment was given to the saints of the Most High, and the time came that the saints should possess the kingdom.

I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. And the kingdom and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, were given to the people of the saints of the Most High: his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.

THE PROPHET HOSEA

HOSEA

Come, and let us return unto the Lord;
And so shall we live in his sight.

And let us know,

Let us follow on to know the Lord:

His going forth is as sure as the morning;
And he will come unto us as the rain,

As the latter rain that watereth the earth.
Take with you words, and return unto the Lord:
Say unto him, Take away all iniquity,

And receive us graciously;

So will we render as a sacrifice the fruit of our lips.

As for me, saith the Lord, I will heal their back

sliding,

And will love them freely.

I will be unto them as the dew;

They shall grow as the lily,

And cast forth their roots as Lebanon.

Their branches shall spread,

And their beauty shall be as the olive-tree,

And their fragrance as Lebanon.

Yea, they shall revive as the grain,

And blossom as the vine.

Who is wise, that he may understand these things?

Prudent, that he may know?

For the ways of the Lord are right,

And the just shall walk in them.

THE PROPHET JOEL

JOEL

Hear this, ye old men,

And give ear, all ye inhabitants of the land.
Hath this been in your days,

Or in the days of your fathers?

Tell ye your children of it,

And let your children tell their children,

And their children another generation.

For the day of the Lord cometh,

Yea, it is nigh at hand.

There hath not been ever the like,

Even in the years of many generations.

For, behold, it shall come to pass in the latter days, saith the Lord,

That I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh;
And your

your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your old men shall dream dreams,

Your young men shall see visions:

And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids:

In those days will I pour out my Spirit.

And ye shall know that I, the Lord, am in the midst of you.