Daniel

In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. God gave King Jehoiakim of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the House of God. He brought them into the land of Shinar to the house of his god and put the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

Then the king told Ashpenaz the chief of his officials to bring in some of the sons of Israel from royal descent and nobility — youths without any defect, handsome, proficient in all wisdom, knowledgeable, intelligent and capable of serving in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king allotted them a daily portion from the king’s delicacies and from the wine that he drank. They were to be trained for three years, and at the end they were to stand before the king.

Among them were some sons of Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. The chief officer gave them new names: to Daniel, Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the king’s delicacies or with the wine he was drinking, so he entreated the chief official for permission not to defile himself. God caused the chief official to show mercy and compassion to Daniel. But the chief official said to Daniel: “I fear my lord the king, who allotted your food and your drink. Why should he see your faces looking poorly, unlike the other youths your age? Then the king would have my head because of you.”

Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please test your servants for ten days, giving us just vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then compare our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s delicacies, and treat your servants according to what you see.” So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.

At the end of ten days their appearance looked better and their bodies healthier than the youths who ate the king’s food. So the guard took away their delicacies and the wine they were supposed to drink and gave them vegetables.

Now as for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and proficiency in every kind of wisdom and literature, and Daniel could understand all sorts of visions and dreams.

At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the chief official presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. When the king spoke with them, he did not find among all of them anyone like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers throughout his realm.

Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.

King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. Then King Nebuchadnezzar summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the authorities of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Then the satraps, administrators, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the authorities of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “You are commanded O peoples, nations and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. Whoever does not fall down and worship will that same hour be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”

Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and pipes, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

At that time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. They spoke up and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! You, O king, made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, must fall down and worship the golden image, and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. There are certain Jews whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego—those men pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods, nor will they worship the golden image that you have set up.”

Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego to be summoned. When these men were brought before the king, Nebuchadnezzar responded to them saying, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you don’t serve my gods or worship the golden image that I set up? Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and pipes and all kinds of music you must fall down and worship the image that I have made. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire! Then what god will be able to deliver you out of my hands?”

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king saying, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you concerning this matter. If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to save us from the furnace of blazing fire and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. Yet even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image that you set up.”

Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage and the appearance of his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than it was normally heated and commanded some of the mighty men in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. So these men, wearing their robes, tunics, hats and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. But because the king’s order was so urgent and the furnace so extremely hot, a raging flame killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, fell bound into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and leapt to his feet. He asked his ministers, “Didn’t we cast three men bound into the middle of the fire?”

They replied to the king, “Surely, O king.”

But he answered saying, “Look! I see four men walking about unbound and unharmed in the middle of the fire, and the fourth has the appearance like a son of the gods!”

Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and exclaimed, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!”

So Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out from the middle of the fire. When the satraps, administrators, governors and royal ministers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their head was singed, nor were their robes scorched, nor was there a smell of fire on them.

Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him! They defied the king’s edict and to gave up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. Therefore I hereby decree that any people, nation or language that says anything slanderous against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and their house made a pile of rubble, because there is no other god that is able to deliver in this way.”

Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

Many years later, King Belshazzar, held a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles and was drinking wine in front of the thousand. When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the Temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his consorts and his concubines could drink from them. So they brought the gold vessels that were taken out of the Temple of the House of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, consorts and concubines drank from them. They drank the wine and praised the gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.

At that very moment, the fingers of a human hand emerged and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace opposite the lampstand, so that the king could see the back of the hand that was writing. The color drained from the king’s face, his thoughts alarmed him, his hips gave way and his knees began knocking together.

The king called loudly to summon the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the diviners. The king said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain around his neck, and will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom!”

Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription nor tell the king what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew pale. His nobles were baffled.

The queen hearing the words of the king and his nobles entered the banquet hall. The queen spoke out and said, “May the king live forever! Do not let your thoughts frighten you, or your face be so pale! There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the days of your father, he was found to have insight and intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. So King Nebuchadnezzar your father made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and diviners. This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight for interpreting dreams, explaining riddles, and solving problems. Now, let Daniel be summoned and he will explain the interpretation.”

So Daniel was brought before the king and the king said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel who is one of the captives of Judah that my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard about you, how a spirit of the gods is in you and how there has been found in you insight, discernment and extraordinary wisdom. Just now the wise men and diviners were brought before me to read this writing and to make its meaning known to me, but they are unable to declare its interpretation. However, I have heard about you that you are able to provide interpretations and to solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the writing and explain to me its meaning, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain around your neck and have the authority to rule as the third in the kingdom.”

Then Daniel answered the king saying, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and tell him its meaning. Your majesty, God Most High gave your father Nebuchadnezzar the kingdom, as well as greatness, glory, and splendor. Because of the grandeur that He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and languages dreaded and feared him. He killed whomever he wanted and spared anyone he wanted; he raised up whomever he wished and humbled anyone he wished. But when his heart became haughty and his spirit hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from among men and his mind became like an animal, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; he fed on grass like an ox, and his body was damp with the dew of heaven until he recognized that God Most High is sovereign over the realm of mankind and that He sets up over it whomever He wills.

“But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. Instead you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels of His House brought before you, and you and your nobles, your consorts and your concubines have been drinking wine in them. You have praised the gods made of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. Yet you did not honor the God who holds in His hand your very breath and all your ways. Therefore, the hand was sent from Him that wrote this inscription.

Now this is the writing that was inscribed:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPARSIN

This is the interpretation of the inscription:

MENE: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.

PERES: Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

Then at Belshazzar’s command, they clothed Daniel with purple, put a chain of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation about him that he would have the authority as third ruler in the kingdom.

On that very night King Belshazzar of the Chaldeans was slain.

So Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of 62.

It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the whole kingdom with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. These satraps were accountable to them so that the king would not be troubled. Now this Daniel was distinguishing himself among the supervisors and satraps because he had an extraordinary spirit in him. In fact, the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom. At this time the supervisors and satraps tried to find ground for a charge against Daniel regarding the kingdom. But they were unable to find fault or corruption, because he was trustworthy and no negligence or dishonesty could be found in him. Finally these men said, “We’re not going to find any basis for charges against this man Daniel, unless we find something against him regarding the law of his God.”

So these supervisors and satraps went in to the king as a group, and said to him, “King Darius, live forever! All the supervisors of the realm, the magistrates and satraps, ministers and governors, have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce a decree that anyone who prays to any god or man for thirty days other than you O king, will be cast into the lions’ den. Now, O king, issue the decree and put it in writing so that it may not be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.” Thereupon King Darius issued the written decree.

Now when Daniel learned that a written decree had been issued, he went into his house, where the windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he knelt down, prayed and gave thanks before his God, just as he did before. Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God. So they approached the king and spoke to him about the royal decree: “Didn’t you issue a written decree that anyone who prays to any god or man for thirty days—except for you, O king—shall be cast into the den of lions?”

The king replied, “The decree stands, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.”

Then they answered and said to the king: “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the decree that you put in writing. He still prays three times a day!” When the king heard this report, he was deeply distressed, and he set his mind on how he might rescue Daniel. Until sunset he struggled to find a way to save him.

Then these men came as a throng in to the king, and said to the king: “Remember, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or edict which the king issues may be altered.”

So the king gave the order and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den. Now the king spoke to Daniel saying, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” A stone was brought to block the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet of his nobles, so that nothing could be changed regarding Daniel. Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting—no entertainment was brought before him. He was unable to sleep.

At dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. As he reached the den, he cried out to Daniel with a voice of anguish. The king spoke out to Daniel saying: “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God, whom you serve continually, able to rescue you from the lions?”

Daniel spoke to the king: “May the king live forever! My God sent His angel to shut the lions’ mouths so that they haven’t harmed me, because I was found innocent before Him. Nor have I committed any crime against you, O king.”

Then the king was overjoyed, and ordered Daniel taken up out of the den. So Daniel was lifted out of the pit. No injury of any kind was found on him because he had trusted in his God. At the king’s command, those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives. They had not even reached the bottom of the pit before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages dwelling in all the earth:

“May your peace be abundant! I issue a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom people are to tremble with fear before the God of Daniel.

For He is the living God,

enduring forever!

His kingdom will never be destroyed,

His dominion will never end.

He delivers and rescues.

He performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth.

He has delivered Daniel from the power of the lions!”

Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Rembrandt - Belshazzar's Feast

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