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whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 7 Therefore at that time when all the people heard the musick, all fell down and worshipped the golden image.

8 Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews, 9 And said, O king, live for ever. 10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that all shall wor ship the golden image : 11 And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, these men, O king, have not regarded thee, they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring these men, 14 And said unto them, Is it true, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made, awell: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed: therefore he spake and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he commanded to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. 32 Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed

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nego. 24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. 25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the son of God.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake and said, Ye servants of the most high God, come forth. 27 And the princes, governors and captains, and the king's counsellors being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed. 28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said, Blessed be God, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any God, except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall he cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a [waste); because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

CHAPTER V.

IMPIETY PUNISHED BY A MIRACLE.

BELSHAZZAR the king made a great feast, 2-And commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken. 3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God, which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines drank in them, 4 And praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5 In the same hour came forth a man's hand, and wrote upon the wall of the palace. 6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that his knees. smote one against another. 7 The king cried aloud and

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said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, 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 wise men, but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. 10 Now the queen came and said, O king, let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed. 11 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 wisdom like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him. 13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king; and the king spake and said 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 spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light, and understanding, and excellent wisdom, is found in thee. 15 And now the wise men, the astrologers have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not.

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, 18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour. 19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations and languages trembled and feared before him: 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 And he was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts; they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this: 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven, and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines have drunk wine in them;

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and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.

24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him, and this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 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. 28 PERES, thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. 31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom.

CHAPTER VI.

DANIEL SAVED FROM THE LIONS.

IT pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes; 2 And over these, three presidents, (of whom Daniel was first ;) 3 Because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. 4 Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel, but they could find none: forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. 5 Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God.

6 Then these presidents and princes assembled together, and said unto King Darius; 7 All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors and the captains have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any God or man for thirty days, save of thee, Oking, he shall be cast into the den of lions. 9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was

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signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, 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 assembled, and found Daniel praying, and making supplication before his God. 12 Then they came near, and spake before the king, 13 That Daniel, which is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day. 14 Then the king when he heard these words, was sore displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him. 15 Then these men said unto the king, Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree nor statute which the king establisheth, may be changed. 16 Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. 17 And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet.

18 Then the king went to his palace, and passed the night fasting. 19 Then the king arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. 20 And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel, and the king spake and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God. 21 Then said Daniel unto the king, 22 My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths that they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt. 23 Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den: 24 And the king commanded, and they brought those men which had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of the lions, and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their bones in pieces.

25 Then king Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth, Peace be multiplied unto you. 26 I make a decree, that in every dominion of my kingdom, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God, and stedfast for