14 September - Daniel 1-3

Jude Thu Sep 06, 2018 6:11 am

My soul doth magnify my YAH, and my spirit hath rejoiced in EL my Saviour; For HE that is mighty hath done to me great things; and Holy is HIS Name. Now unto HIM who is ever present in my helpless estate; who is able to keep me from falling and to present me faultless before the presence of His Glory with exceeding joy, unto the King Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, the only wise EL our Saviour be honour and glory and majesty, dominion and power both now and for ever Halleluyah!

DANIEL 1

1In the third year of the reign of Yehoyaqim, sovereign of Yehuḏah, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, sovereign of Baḇel came to Yerushalayim and besieged it.

2And יהוה gave Yehoyaqim sovereign of Yehuḏah into his hand, with some of the utensils of the House of Elohim, which he brought to the land of Shin‛ar to the house of his mighty one. And he brought the utensils into the treasure house of his mighty one.

3And the sovereign said to Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring some of the children of Yisra’ĕl and some of the sovereign’s descendants and some of the nobles,

4young men in whom there was no blemish, but good-looking, having insight in all wisdom, having knowledge and understanding learning, capable to stand in the sovereign’s palace, and to teach them the writing and speech of the Chaldeans.

5And the sovereign appointed for them a daily ration of the sovereign’s food and of the wine which he drank, and three years of training for them, so that at the end thereof they should stand before the sovereign.

6Now among them were from the sons of Yehuḏah: Dani’ĕl, Ḥananyah, Misha’ĕl, and Azaryah.

7And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names. For he called Dani’ĕl, Bĕlteshatstsar; and Ḥananyah, Shaḏraḵ; and Misha’ĕl, Mĕyshaḵ; and Azaryah, Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o.

8But Dani’ĕl laid it upon his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the sovereign’s food, nor with the wine which he drank. So he asked permission from the chief of the eunuchs not to defile himself.

9And Elohim granted Dani’ĕl kindness and compassion from the chief of the eunuchs,

10but the chief of the eunuchs said to Dani’ĕl, “I fear my master the sovereign, who has appointed your food and drink. For why should he see your faces looking worse than the young men who are your age? Then you would make my head guilty before the sovereign!”

11And Dani’ĕl said to the overseer whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Dani’ĕl, Ḥananyah, Misha’ĕl, and Azaryah,

12“Please try your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13“Then let our appearances be examined before you, and the appearances of the young men who eat the portion of the sovereign’s food. And do with your servants as you see fit.”

14And he listened to them in this matter, and tried them ten days.

15And at the end of ten days their appearances looked better and fatter in flesh than all the young men who ate the portion of the sovereign’s food.

16And it came to be that the overseer took away their portion of food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.

17As for these four young men, Elohim gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom. And Dani’ĕl had understanding in all visions and dreams.

18And at the end of the days, when the sovereign had said that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar.

19And the sovereign spoke with them, and none among them all were found like Dani’ĕl, Ḥananyah, Misha’ĕl, and Azaryah, so they stood before the sovereign.

20And in any word of wisdom and understanding about which the sovereign examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians, the astrologers, who were in all his reign.

21And Dani’ĕl continued until the first year of Sovereign Koresh.

DANIEL 2

1And in the second year of the reign of Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar had dreams. And his spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him.

2And the sovereign gave orders to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the practisers of witchcraft, and the Chaldeans to declare to the sovereign his dreams. So they came and stood before the sovereign.

3And the sovereign said to them, “I have had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.”

4And the Chaldeans spoke to the sovereign in Aramaic, “O sovereign, live forever! Relate the dream to your servants, and we shall reveal the interpretation.”

5The sovereign answered and said to the Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not make known the dream and its interpretation to me, your limbs shall be taken from you, and your houses made dunghills.

6“But if you reveal the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive gifts, and rewards, and great esteem from me. So reveal to me the dream and its interpretation.”

7They answered again and said, “Let the sovereign relate to his servants the dream, and we shall reveal its interpretation.”

8The sovereign answered and said, “I know for certain that you would gain time, because you see that my decision is firm:

9“If you do not make known the dream to me, there is only one decree for you! For you have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the time has changed. So relate the dream to me, then I shall know that you shall reveal its interpretation for me.”

10The Chaldeans answered the sovereign, and said, “There is no one on earth who is able to reveal the matter of the sovereign. Because no sovereign, master, or ruler has ever asked a matter like this of any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

11“And the matter that the sovereign is asking is difficult, and there is no other who is able to reveal it to the sovereign except the elahin, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”

12Because of this the sovereign was enraged and very wroth, and gave orders to destroy all the wise ones of Baḇel.

13So the decree went out, and they began killing the wise ones. And they sought Dani’ĕl and his companions, to kill them.

14Then with counsel and wisdom Dani’ĕl answered Aryoḵ, the chief of the sovereign’s guard, who had gone out to kill the wise ones of Baḇel –

15he answered and said to Aryoḵ the sovereign’s officer, “Why is the decree from the sovereign so urgent?” So Aryoḵ made the decision known to Dani’ĕl.

16And Dani’ĕl went in and asked the sovereign to give him time, and he would show the sovereign the interpretation.

17Then Dani’ĕl went to his house, and made the decision known to Ḥananyah, Misha’ĕl, and Azaryah, his companions,

18to seek compassion from the Elah of the heavens concerning this secret, so that Dani’ĕl and his companions should not perish with the rest of the wise ones of Baḇel.

19Then the secret was revealed to Dani’ĕl in a night vision, and Dani’ĕl blessed the Elah of the heavens.

20Dani’ĕl responded and said, “Blessed be the Name of Elah forever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.

21“And He changes the times and the seasons. He removes sovereigns and raises up sovereigns. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who possess understanding.

22“He reveals deep and secret matters. He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him.

23“I thank You and praise You, O Elah of my fathers. You have given me wisdom and might, and have now made known to me what we asked of You, for You have made known to us the sovereign’s matter.”

24So Dani’ĕl went to Aryoḵ, whom the sovereign had appointed to destroy the wise ones of Baḇel. He went and said this to him, “Do not destroy the wise ones of Baḇel. Bring me in before the sovereign, and I shall show the interpretation to the sovereign.”

25Then Aryoḵ brought Dani’ĕl in a hurry before the sovereign, and said thus to him, “I have found a man among the sons of the exile of Yehuḏah, who does make known to the sovereign the interpretation.”

26The sovereign answered and said to Dani’ĕl, whose name was Bĕlteshatstsar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream which I have seen, and its interpretation?”

27Dani’ĕl answered before the sovereign, and said, “The secret which the sovereign is asking – the wise ones, the astrologers, the magicians, and the diviners are unable to show it to the sovereign.

28“But there is an Elah in the heavens who reveals secrets, and He has made known to Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar what is to be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these:

29“As for you, O sovereign, on your bed your thoughts came up: What is going to take place after this. And He who reveals secrets has made known to you what shall be after this.

30“As for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the sovereign, and that you should know the thoughts of your heart.

31“You, O sovereign, were looking on, and saw a great image! This great image, and its brightness excellent, was standing before you, and its form was awesome.

32“This image’s head was of fine gold, its chest and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze,

33its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay.

34“You were looking on, until a stone was cut out without hands, and it smote the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.

35“Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from the summer threshing-floors. And the wind took them away so that no trace of them was found. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled all the earth.

36“This is the dream, and its interpretation we declare before the sovereign.

37“You, O sovereign, are a sovereign of sovereigns. For the Elah of the heavens has given you a reign, power, and strength, and preciousness,

38and wherever the children of men dwell, or the beasts of the field and the birds of the heavens, He has given them into your hand, and has made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.

39“And after you rises up another reign lower than yours, and another third reign of bronze that rules over all the earth.

40“And the fourth reign is as strong as iron, because iron crushes and shatters all. So, like iron that breaks in pieces, it crushes and breaks all these.

41“Yet, as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the reign is to be divided. But some of the strength of the iron is to be in it, because you saw the iron mixed with muddy clay.

42“And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the reign is partly strong and partly brittle.

43“And as you saw iron mixed with muddy clay, they are mixing themselves with the seed of men, but they are not clinging to each other, even as iron does not mix with clay.

44“And in the days of these sovereigns the Elah of the heavens shall set up a reign which shall never be destroyed, nor the reign pass on to other people – it crushes and puts to an end all these reigns, and it shall stand forevera.

45“Because you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great Elah has made known to the sovereign what shall be after this. And the dream is true, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

46Then Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar fell on his face, and did obeisance before Dani’ĕl, and gave orders to present to him an offering and incense.

47The sovereign answered Dani’ĕl, and said, “Truly your Elah is the Elah of elahin, the Master of sovereigns, and a revealer of secrets, since you were able to reveal this secret.”

48Then the sovereign made Dani’ĕl great and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over all the province of Baḇel, and chief of the nobles, over all the wise ones of Baḇel.

49And Dani’ĕl asked of the sovereign, and he set Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o over the work of the province of Baḇel, and Dani’ĕl in the gate of the sovereign.

DANIEL 3

1Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar the sovereign made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Baḇel.

2And Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar sent word to gather together the viceroys, the nobles, and the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar had set up.

3Then the viceroys, the nobles, and the governors, the counsellors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar had set up. And they stood before the image that Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar had set up.

4Then a herald loudly proclaimed, “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,

5that as soon as you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, the pipes, and all kinds of instruments, you shall fall down and do obeisance to the gold image that Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar has set up.

6“And whoever does not fall down and do obeisance is immediately thrown into the midst of a burning furnace of fire.”

7So as soon as all the people heard the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, all kinds of instruments, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and did obeisance to the gold image that Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar had set up.

8Thereupon, at that time, certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Yehuḏim.

9They spoke and said to Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, “O sovereign, live forever!

10“You, O sovereign, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, the pipes, and all kinds of instruments, shall fall down and do obeisance to the gold image,

11and whoever does not fall down and do obeisance is thrown into the midst of a burning furnace of fire.

12“There are certain Yehuḏim whom you have set over the work of the province of Baḇel: Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o. These men, O sovereign, pay no heed to you. They do not serve your elahin, and they are not doing obeisance to the gold image which you have set up.”

13Then Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, in rage and wrath, gave orders to bring Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o. Then they brought these men before the sovereign.

14Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar spoke and said to them, “Is it true, Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o, that you do not serve my elahin, and you do not do obeisance to the gold image which I have set up?

15“Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, the flute, the zither, the lyre, the harp, the pipes, and all kinds of instruments, and you fall down and do obeisance to the image which I have made, good! But if you do not do obeisance, you are immediately thrown into the midst of a burning furnace of fire. And who is the elah who does deliver you from my hands?”

16Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o answered and said to the sovereign, “O Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

17“For if so, our Elah whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning furnace of fire and from your hand, O sovereign – He does deliver!

18“But if not, let it be known to you, O sovereign, that we do not serve your elahin, nor do we do obeisance to the gold image which you have set up.”

19Then Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar was filled with wrath, and the expression on his face changed toward Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o. He responded and gave orders that they heat the furnace seven times more than it was usual to heat it.

20And he commanded some of the strongest men of his army to bind Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o, and throw them into the burning furnace of fire.

21So these men were bound in their coats, their trousers, and their turbans, and their other garments, and were thrown into the midst of the burning furnace of fire.

22Thereupon, because the sovereign’s order was urgent, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o.

23And these three men, Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o, fell down bound into the midst of the burning furnace of fire.

24Then Sovereign Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar was amazed, and stood up in haste and spoke and said to his counsellors, “Did we not throw three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the sovereign, “Certainly, O sovereign.”

25He answered and said, “Look! I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire. And they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of Elah.”

26Then Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar went near the mouth of the burning furnace of fire. He spoke and said, “Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o, servants of the Most High Elah, come out, and come here.” Then Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o came from the midst of the fire.

27And the viceroys, the nobles, and the governors, and the sovereign’s counsellors gathered together, seeing these men on whose bodies the fire had no power, and the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments changed, nor did the smell of fire come on them.

28Neḇuḵaḏnetstsar responded and said, “Blessed be the Elah of Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o, who sent His Messenger and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and changed the sovereign’s order, and gave up their bodies, that they should not serve nor do obeisance to any elah except their own Elah!

29“Therefore I make a decree that whoever of any people, nation, or language who speaks any wrong against the Elah of Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o, his limbs shall be taken, and his house made a dunghill, because there is no other Elah who is able to deliver like this.”

30Then the sovereign promoted Shaḏraḵ, Mĕyshaḵ, and Aḇĕḏ-Neg̅o in the province of Baḇel.