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into the burning fiery fur-bed-nego, ye fervants of the

nace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hofen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were caft into the midft of the burning fiery furnace.

most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and A-bed-nego, came forth of the midft of the fire.

27 And the princes, governors and captains, and the king's counsellors being ga

22 Therefore because the king's commandment was thered together, faw these urgent, and the furnace ex-men, upon whofe bodies the zeeding hot, the flame of the fire had no power, nor was fire flew those men that took an hair of their head singed, up Shadrach, Meshach, and neither were their coats Abed-nego. changed, nor the smell of fire had paffed on them.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Mefhach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midft of the burning kiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was aftonished, and rofe up in hafte, and spake and faid unto his counsellors, Did not we caft three men bound into the midft of the fire? They answered and faid unto the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and faid, Lo, I fee four men loofe, walking in the midft of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the fon of God.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar fpake and faid, Bleffed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath fent his angel, and delivered his fervants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not ferve nor worship any God, except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation and language, which fpeak any thing amifs against the God of Shadrach, Mefhach, and Abed-nego, fhall be cut in pieces, and their houfes fhall be made a dunghill because there is no other God that can deliver after this fort.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake and said, 30 Then the king proShadrach, Meshach, and A-moted Shadrach, Meshach,

and

and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.

BE

CHAP V.

Elfhazzar the king made a great feast to a thoufand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

2 Belshazzar, whiles he tafted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and filver veffels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple, which was in Jerufalem, that the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines might drink therein.

3 Then they brought the golden veffels that were taken out of the temple of the houfe of God, which was at Jerufalem; and the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines drank in them.

his thoughts troubled him, fo that the joints of his loins were loofed, and his knees. fmote one against another.

7 The king cried aloud to bring in the aftrologers, the Chaldeans, and the foothfayers and the king fpake and faid to the wife men of Babylon, Whofoever fhall read this writing, and fhew me the interpretation thereof, fhall be clothed with fcarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be third ruler in the kingdom.

8 Then came in all the king's wife men, but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

9 Then was king Belfhazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were aftonished.

10 Now the queen by reason of the words of the

4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of filver, of brafs, of iron,king and his lords, came into of wood, and of stone.

5¶ In the fame hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace; and the king faw the part of the hand that

wrote.

6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and

the banquet-house, and the queen fpake and faid, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

II There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wif

Hh 2

dom

dom like the wifdom of the | fhew the interpretation of gods, was found in him; the thing.

whom the king Nebuchad- 16 And I have heard of nezzar thy father, the king, thee that thou canst make I fay, thy father made maf-interpretations, and diffolve ter of the magicians, aftro- doubts: now if thou canst logers, Chaldeans, and footh-read the writing, and make layers; known to me the interpreta

12 Forafmuch as an ex- tion thereof, thou fhalt be cellent fpirit and knowledge, clothed with fcarlet, and have and understanding, interpret-a chain of gold about thy ing of dreams, and fhewing neck, and fhalt be the third of hard fentences, and dif- ruler in the kingdom. folving of doubts were found in the fame Daniel, whom the king named Beltefhaz-king, Let thy gifts be to thy zar: now let Daniel be called, and he will fhew the interpretation.

13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king; and the king fpake and faid' unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? 14 I have even heard of thee, that the fpirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding, and excellent wifdom is found in thee.

15 And now the wife men, the aftrologers have been brought in before me, that they fhould read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not

17¶ Then Daniel anfwered and faid before the

felf, and give thy rewards to another, yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

18 O thou king, the moft high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majefty, and glory, and honour.

19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations and languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he flew, and whom he would he kept alive, and whom he would he fet up, and whom he would he put down..

20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was depofed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from

him.

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21 And he was driven 26 This is the interpretation of the thing; MENE, God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

27 TEKEL, thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

from the fons of men, and his heart was made like the beafts, and his dwelling was with the wild affes: they fed him with grafs like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he 28 PERES, thy kingdom knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomfoever he will.

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22 And thou his fon, O Belshazzar, haft not humbled thine heart, though thou kneweft all this:

is divided, and given to the Medes and Perfians.

29 Then commanded Belfhazzar, and they clothed Daniel with fearlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he fhould be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans flain.

31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threefcore and two years old.

23 But haft lifted up thyfelf against the Lord of heaven, and they have brought the veffels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines have drunk wine in them, and thou haft praised the gods of filver and gold, of brafs, iron, wood, and ftone, which fee not, nor T pleafed Darius to fet hear, nor know: and the over the kingdom an hunGod in whofe hand thy dred and twenty princes, breath is, and whofe are all which fhould be over the thy ways, haft thou not glo- whole kingdom;

rified.

24 Then was the part of the hand fent from him, and this writing was written.

25 ¶ And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL

IT

CHAP. VI.

2 And over these, three prefidents, (of whom Daniel was first) that the princes might give accounts them, and the king should have no damage.

unto

3 Then this Daniel was Hh 3 preferred,

preferred above the prefidents | Medes and Perfians, which and princes, because an ex-altereth not.

cellent fpirit was in him; 9 Wherefore king Darius and the king thought to fet figned the writing and the him over the whole realm. decree.

4 Then the prefidents and princes fought to find occafion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find none occafion nor fault: forafmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.

5 Then faid these men, We shall not find any occafion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

6 Then these prefidents and princes affembled together to the king, and faid thus unto him, King Darius, live for ever.

7 All the prefidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counfellors and the captains have confulted together to establish a royal ftatute, and to make a firm decree, that whofoever fhall afk a petition of any God or man for thirty days, fave of thee, O king, he fhall be caft into the den of lions.

8 Now, O king, eftablish the decree, and fign the writing; that it be not changed, according to the law of the

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was figned, he went into his houfe; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerufalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

11 Then these men affembled, and found Daniel praying, and making fupplication before his God.

12 Then they came near, and fpake before the king concerning the king's decree, Haft thou not figned a decree, that every man that fhall afk a petition of any God or man within thirty days fave of thee, O king, fhall be caft into the den of lions? The king anfwered, and faid, The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Perfians, which altereth not.

13 Then answered they and faid before the king, That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou haft figned, but maketh

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