Daniel 1:1–2:30

*In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah acame Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. 2 *And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with bpart of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried cinto the land of Shinar to the house of his god; dand he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

3 And the king spake unto Ashpenaz ethe master of his eunuchs, that he should bring *certain of the children of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and of fthe princes; 4 Children in whom was no gblemish, but well favoured, and h iskilful in all wisdom, and cunning in iknowledge, and understanding i kscience, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king’s palace, and lwhom they might teach i mthe learning and the tongue of nthe Chaldeans. 5 And the king appointed them nna daily provision of othe king’s meat, and of †the wine which he drank: so nourishing them pthree years, that at the end thereof they might qstand before the king. 6 Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, rHananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 7 Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs sgave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of tBelteshazzar; ttand to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of uAbed-nego.

8 But Daniel vpurposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with othe portion of the king’s w xmeat, nor with w ythe wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God z ahad brought Daniel into favour and atender love with the prince of the eunuchs. 10 And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces †worse liking than the children which are of your ||sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. 11 Then said Daniel to ||Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, 12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, bten days; and let them give us †cpulse †to eat, and water to drink. 13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of dthe portion of the king’s meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants. 14 So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days. 15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and efatter in flesh than all the children which did eat dthe portion of the king’s meat. 16 Thus Melzar took away dthe portion of their meat, and dthe wine that they should drink; and gave them cpulse.

17 As for these four children, fGod gave them gknowledge and gskill in all glearning and gwisdom: and ||Daniel hhad understanding in all visions and idreams. 18 *Now at the end of kthe days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore lstood they before the king. 20 And in all matters of †wisdom and understanding, that mthe king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all n othe magicians and o pastrologers that were in all his realm. 21 *And Daniel continued even unto the first year of king Cyrus.

2 And ain the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith bhis spirit was troubled, and chis sleep brake from him. 2 ccThen the king commanded to call dthe magicians, and dthe astrologers, and ethe sorcerers, and fthe Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they came and gstood before the king. 3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and bmy spirit was troubled to know the dream. 4 Then spake fthe Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, *ggO king, live for ever: tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. 5 The king answered and said to fthe Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall hbe †cut in pieces, and h iyour houses shall be made a dunghill. 6 But kif ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive of me lgifts and ||rewards and great honour: mtherefore shew me the dream, and the interpretation thereof. 7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation of it. 8 The king answered and said, I know of certainty that ye would †ngain the time, nnbecause ye see the thing is gone from me. 9 But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, othere is but one decree for you: for ye have pprepared lying and qcorrupt words to speak before me, ntill the time be changed: mtherefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof. 10 fThe Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can shew the king’s matter: rtherefore there is no king, lord, nor ruler, that asked such things at any dmagician, or dastrologer, or fChaldean. 11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can shew it before the king, sexcept tthe gods, uwhose dwelling is not with flesh. 12 uuFor this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all vthe wise men of Babylon. 13 And the decree went forth that vthe wise men should be slain; and they sought wDaniel and his fellows to be slain.

14 Then Daniel †answered with counsel and xwisdom to Arioch the ||†captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay vthe wise men of Babylon: 15 He answered and said to Arioch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so xxhasty from the king? Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel. 16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would shew the king the interpretation. 17 Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to yHananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions: 18 zThat they would desire mercies †of athe God of heaven concerning this bsecret; ||that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of ccthe wise men of Babylon.

19 Then was bthe secret revealed unto Daniel din a night vision. Then Daniel eblessed athe God of heaven. 20 Daniel answered and said,

fBlessed be the name of God for ever and ever:

For gwisdom and might are his:

21 And hhe changeth ithe times and the seasons:

He k lremoveth kings, and lsetteth up kings:

He giveth wisdom unto the wise,

And mknowledge to them that know understanding:

22 nHe revealeth the deep and secret things:

oHe knoweth what is in the darkness,

And pthe light dwelleth with him.

23 qI thank thee, and praise thee, O thou rGod of my fathers,

Who hast given me gwisdom and might,

And hast made known unto me now what swe desired of thee:

For thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.

24 uuTherefore Daniel went in unto tArioch, whom the king had uordained to destroy ccthe wise men of Babylon: he went and said thus unto him; Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will shew unto the king the interpretation. 25 Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king vin haste, and said thus unto him, †I have found a man of the †captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation. 26 The king answered and said to Daniel, wwhose name was Belteshazzar, xArt thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof? 27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, bThe secret which the king hath demanded xxcannot bbthe wise men, ythe astrologers, ythe magicians, zthe soothsayers, shew unto the king; 28 But there is aa God in heaven that revealeth bsecrets, and †maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be bin the latter days. bbThy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these; 29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts †came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and ahe that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass. 30 But cas for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, ||but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

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*
a	2 Kin. 24:1, 2. 2 Chr. 36:6. Comp. Jer. 25:1.
*
b	Ne. 7:70 (Heb.). So ch. 2:42 (Chald.). Comp. 2 Kin. 24:13. & 25:15. 2 Chr. 36:7, 10. Jer. 27:18. & 52:19. ch. 5:2, 3, 23. Baruch 1:8.
c	Zech. 5:11. See Gen. 11:2.
d	2 Chr. 36:7. Ezra 1:7. ch 5:2. Comp. 1 Sam. 5:2.
e	Jer. 39:3, 13 (Heb.).
*	[Foretold 2 Kin. 20:17, 18.]. Isai. 39:7.
f	See Esther 1:3.
g	Job 31:7. So Lev. 24:19, 20.
h	Ps. 101:1. ch. 9:13, 22.
i	ver. 17 (Heb.).
i	ver. 17 (Heb.).
i	ver. 17 (Heb.).
k	See Eccles. 10:20.
l	Comp Acts 7:22.
i	ver. 17 (Heb.).
m	See Isai. 47:10.
n	ch. 2:2, 4, 5, 10. & 3:8. & 4:7. & 5:7, 11.
nn	See 2 Chr. 31:16.
o	Heb. as ver. 8, 13, 15, 16. ch. 11:26.
†	Heb. the wine of his drink. ver. 8, 16.
p	Comp. ver. 18.
q	1 Kin. 10:8. ver. 19. So ver. 4. ch. 2:2. See Gen. 41:46.
r	ver. 11, 19. ch. 2:17. See Song 66.
s	See 2 Kin. 23:34.
t	ch. 4:8. So ch. 2:26. & 4:9, 18, 19. & 5:12. & 10:1.
tt	ch. 2:49. & 3:12–14, 16, 20, 22, 23, 26, 28–30.
u	Comp. Isai. 46:1.
v	So Hagg. 2:18 (Heb). Acts 5:4. 1 Cor. 7:37.
o	Heb. as ver. 8, 13, 15, 16. ch. 11:26.
w	Deut. 32:38. Ezek. 4:13. Hos. 9:3. See Lev. 3:17. & Acts 15:20. Comp. Ex. 34:15. Acts 10:14.
x	1 Co 8:10 1 Co 10:20
w	Deut. 32:38. Ezek. 4:13. Hos. 9:3. See Lev. 3:17. & Acts 15:20. Comp. Ex. 34:15. Acts 10:14.
y	Comp. 1 Cor. 10:21.
z	So Gen. 39:21. Comp. Prov. 16:7.
a	See Ps. 106:46.
a	See Ps. 106:46.
†	Heb. sadder. Gen. 40:6. See Luke 24:17.
\|\|	Or, term, or, continuance?
\|\|	Or, the steward. ver. 16.
b	See Rev. 2:10.
†	Heb. of pulse.
c	So ver. 16.
†	Heb. that we may eat, &c.
d	See ver. 5.
e	Ge 41:2 Ge 41:18
d	See ver. 5.
d	See ver. 5.
d	See ver. 5.
c	So ver. 16.
f	See Job 32:8. & James 1:5. So ch. 2:20–22, 28.
g	ver. 4 (Heb.).
g	ver. 4 (Heb.).
g	ver. 4 (Heb.).
g	ver. 4 (Heb.).
\|\|	Or, he made Daniel understand. ch. 8:16. & 10:14.
h	ver. 4. ch. 9:23. & 10:1, 11, 12. Comp. 2 Chr. 26:5. Ezek. 28:3.
i	ch. 5:12. & 7:1. See Num. 12:6. So Jer. 23:25.
*
k	Comp. ver. 5.
l	See ver. 5.
†	Heb. wisdom of understanding.
m	Comp. 1 Kin. 10:1.
n	Gen. 41:8, 24. Ex. 7:11, 22. & 8:7, 18, 19. & 9:11. (ch. 4:9).
o	ch. 2:2, (10, 27. & 4:7. & 5:11).
o	ch. 2:2, (10, 27. & 4:7. & 5:11).
p	ch. 5:7, 15.
*	[ch. 6:28. & 10:1. He lived to see that glorious time of the return of his people from the Babylonian captivity, thought he did not die then. So till is used, Ps. 110:1. & 112:8].
a	Comp. ch. 1:1 with 2 Kin. 23:36. & 24:12. Jer. 52:28.
b	ver. 3. See Gen. 41:8. So ch. 4:5. & 5:9.
c	Comp. ch. 6:18.
cc	Comp. ch. 4:6. & 5:7.
d	See ch. 1:20.
d	See ch. 1:20.
e	Heb. as Ex. 7:11. Deut. 18:10. 2 Chr. 33:6. Mal. 3:5. So Ex. 22:18. Isai. 47:9, 12, 13. Comp. 1 Sam. 6:2. Jer. 39:3.
f	ver. 4, 5, 10. See ch. 1:4.
g	See ch. 1:5.
b	ver. 3. See Gen. 41:8. So ch. 4:5. & 5:9.
f	ver. 4, 5, 10. See ch. 1:4.
*	(Chaldee, to the end of ch. 7. See 2 Kin. 18:26).
gg	ch. 3:9. & 5:10. & 6:6, 21. See 1 Kin. 1:31.
f	ver. 4, 5, 10. See ch. 1:4.
h	ch. 3:29.
†	Chald. made pieces.
h	ch. 3:29.
i	Ezra 6:11. Comp. 2 Kin. 10:27.
k	So ch. 5:7, 16.
l	ver. 48.
\|\|	Or, fee. ch. 5:17.
m	ver. 9. ch. 4:27. (Ruth 1:13 Heb.). Comp. ver. 11 (Chald.).
†	Chald. buy. Eph. 5:16. Col. 4:5 in the Greek.
n	So ver. 9. Comp. ver. 21. Esther 3:7.
nn	ver. 40, &c. (Chald.). ch. 3:29. Comp. ver. 10.
o	Es 4:11
p	See Ezra 10:14.
q	ch. 6:4 (Chald.).
n	So ver. 9. Comp. ver. 21. Esther 3:7.
m	ver. 9. ch. 4:27. (Ruth 1:13 Heb.). Comp. ver. 11 (Chald.).
f	ver. 4, 5, 10. See ch. 1:4.
r	Comp. ver. 8, 40. See ver. 12.
d	See ch. 1:20.
d	See ch. 1:20.
f	ver. 4, 5, 10. See ch. 1:4.
s	ch. 3:28. & 6:5, 7, 12 (Chald.). Comp. ver. 6 (Chald.).
t	So ch. 5:11, 14. Comp. ch. 4:8.
u	So 2 Esdr. 5:38.
uu	ver. 24. ch. 3:7, 8, 22. & 6:9 in the Chaldee. So ver. 10 (Chald.).
v	ver. 13, 18, 24, 27, 48. ch. 4:6, 18. & 5:7, 8. See Esther 1:13.
v	ver. 13, 18, 24, 27, 48. ch. 4:6, 18. & 5:7, 8. See Esther 1:13.
w	Comp. ch. 1:4.
†	Chald. returned. ch. 3:16.
x	ch. 3:12 (Chald.).
\|\|	Or, chief marshal.
†	Chald. chief of the executioners, or, slaughtermen. See Gen. 37:36.
v	ver. 13, 18, 24, 27, 48. ch. 4:6, 18. & 5:7, 8. See Esther 1:13.
xx	ch. 3:22 (Chald.).
y	See ch. 1:6.
z	Comp. Matt. 18:19.
†	Chald. from before God. ver. 15 (Chald.). ch. 7:10.
a	ver. 19, 28, 37, 44. See Rev. 11:13.
b	ver. 19, 27–30, 47. ch. 4:9.
\|\|	Or, that they should not c destroy Daniel, &c.
cc	See ver. 12.
b	ver. 19, 27–30, 47. ch. 4:9.
d	Job 33:15, 16. So Num. 12:6.
e	See Josh. 22:33.
a	ver. 19, 28, 37, 44. See Rev. 11:13.
f	1 Chr. 29:10. So Job 1:21. Ps. 72:18. & 106:48. & 113:2. & 115:18.
g	ver. 23. See Isai. 28:29.
h	ch. 7:25. Comp. ver. 8, 9. So Esth. 1:13.
i	So Acts 1:7. 1 Thess. 5:1.
k	ch. 5:20. & 7:12, 14, 26 in the Chaldee.
l	So Job 12:18. Ps. 75:6, 7. See ch. 4:17. & Rom. 13:1. Comp. Prov. 8:15.
l	So Job 12:18. Ps. 75:6, 7. See ch. 4:17. & Rom. 13:1. Comp. Prov. 8:15.
m	See ch. 1:17.
n	Job 12:22. So Ps 25:14. ver. 28, 29, 47. Comp. Amos 4:13.
o	Ps. 139:12. See Heb. 4:13.
p	James 1:17. See 1 Tim. 6:16.
q	ch. 6:10. So 1 Chr. 29:13.
r	So Deut. 26:7. 1 Chr. 12:17. & 29:18. 2 Chr. 20:6. Acts 24:14.
g	ver. 23. See Isai. 28:29.
s	ver. 18.
uu	ver. 24. ch. 3:7, 8, 22. & 6:9 in the Chaldee. So ver. 10 (Chald.).
t	ver. 14.
u	ver. 49. ch. 3:12 in the Chaldee.
cc	See ver. 12.
v	ch. 3:24. & 6:19. Comp. Gen. 41:14.
†	Chald. That I have found.
†	Chald. children of the captivity of Judah. ch. 5:13. & 6:13. So Ezra 4:1. & 6:16, 19, 20. & 10:7, 16.
w	See ch. 1:7.
x	Comp. ch. 5:16.
b	ch. 10:14. Hos. 3:5. See Gen. 49:1.
xx	Comp. ch. 4:7, 18. & 5:8, 15.
bb	ch. 4:5, 10. & 7:1.
y	See ch. 1:20.
y	See ch. 1:20.
z	ch. 4:7. & 5:7, 11.
a	ver. 29, 47. So Gen. 40:8. & 41:16. See ver. 18, 22.
b	ch. 10:14. Hos. 3:5. See Gen. 49:1.
†	Chald. hath made known. ver. 29, 45.
b	ch. 10:14. Hos. 3:5. See Gen. 49:1.
bb	ch. 4:5, 10. & 7:1.
†	Chald. came up. See Jer. 3:16 marg.
a	ver. 29, 47. So Gen. 40:8. & 41:16. See ver. 18, 22.
c	Comp. Gen. 41:16. Acts 3:12.
\|\|	[Or, but d for the intent that the interpretation may be made known to the king].