From: "FamilyNet Direct"
Bible Reading for September 26
Daniel 1
[1] In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it. [2] And the
Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of
the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his
god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
[3] And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should
bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the
princes;
[4] Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all
wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had
ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the
learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans. [5] And the king appointed them a
daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so
nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before
the king. [6] Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah,
Mishael, and Azariah:
[7] Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel
the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of
Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. [8] But Daniel purposed in his heart
that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with
the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs
that he might not defile himself. [9] Now God had brought Daniel into favour
and tender 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, ten days; and let them give us pulse 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 the 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 fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the
portion of the king's meat.
[16] Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they
should drink; and gave them pulse.
[17] As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all
learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.
[18] Now at the end of the 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 stood they before the king.
[20] And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of
them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers
that were in all his realm. [21] And Daniel continued even unto the first year
of king Cyrus.
Daniel 2
[1] And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar Nebuchadnezzar
dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled, and his sleep brake from
him.
[2] Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and
the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans, for to shew the king his dreams. So they
came and stood before the king.
[3] And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was
troubled to know the dream.
[4] Then spake the Chaldeans to the king in Syriack, O king, live for ever:
tell thy servants the dream, and we will shew the interpretation. [5] The king
answered and said to the Chaldeans, The thing is gone from me: if ye will not
make known unto me the dream, with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut
in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.
[6] But if ye shew the dream, and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive
of me gifts and rewards and great honour: therefore 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 gain the time,
because ye see the thing is gone from me. [9] But if ye will not make known
unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you: for ye have prepared lying
and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time be changed: therefore tell
me the dream, and I shall know that ye can shew me the interpretation thereof.
[10] The Chaldeans answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon
the earth that can shew the king's matter: therefore there is no king, lord,
nor ruler, that asked such things at any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.
[11] And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other
that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose dwelling is not with
flesh.
[12] For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to
destroy all the wise men of Babylon. [13] And the decree went forth that the
wise men should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.
[14] Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch the captain of the
king's guard, which was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon: [15] He
answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, Why is the decree so hasty
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 Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions:
[18] That they would desire mercies of the God of heaven concerning this
secret; that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the
wise men of Babylon.
[19] Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel
blessed the God of heaven.
[20] Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever:
for wisdom and might are his:
[21] And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth
up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know
understanding:
[22] He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the
darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. [23] I thank thee, and praise thee,
O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made
known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto
us the king's matter. [24] Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king
had ordained to destroy the 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 in 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, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art
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, The secret which
the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians,
the soothsayers, shew unto the king; [28] But there is a God in heaven that
revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be
in the latter days. Thy 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 he that revealeth secrets maketh known
to thee what shall come to pass.
[30] But as 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.
[31] Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose
brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.
[32] This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver,
his belly and his thighs of brass,
[33] His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. [34] Thou
sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon
his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces.
[35] Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken
to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors;
and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the
stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
[36] This is the dream; and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the
king.
[37] Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee
a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory. [38] And wheresoever the children
of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he
given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this
head of gold. [39] And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to
thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the
earth. [40] And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron
breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all
these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. [41] And whereas thou sawest the
feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be
divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as
thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
[42] And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the
kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. [43] And whereas thou
sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed
of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed
with clay. [44] And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up
a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left
to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms,
and it shall stand for ever. [45] Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was
cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron,
the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known
to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and
the interpretation thereof sure.
[46] Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel,
and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet odours unto him.
[47] The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a truth it is, that your God
is a God of gods, and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou
couldest reveal this secret.
[48] Then the king made Daniel a great man, and gave him many great gifts, and
made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors
over all the wise men of Babylon. [49] Then Daniel requested of the king, and
he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, over the affairs of the province of
Babylon: but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.
Daniel 3
[1] Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore
cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura,
in the province of Babylon. [2] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather
together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the
treasurers, the counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the
provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the
king had set up. [3] Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the
judges, the treasurers, the counsellers, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of
the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that
Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that
Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
[4] Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and
languages,
[5] That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut,
psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the
golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up: [6] And 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 sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of
musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and
worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. [8]
Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews.
[9] They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.
[10] Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the
sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all
kinds of musick, shall fall down and worship 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, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; 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 Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king. [14]
Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abed-nego, 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 the cornet,
flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall
down and worship the image which I have made; well: 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 against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: 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 the most mighty men that were in his army to bind
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery
furnace.
[21] Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats,
and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery
furnace.
[22] 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-nego.
[23] And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound
into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. [24] Then Nebuchadnezzar the king
was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellers,
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, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most
high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego,
came forth of the midst of the fire. [27] And the princes, governors, and
captains, and the king's counsellers, 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, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.
[28] Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach,
Meshach, and Abed-nego, 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 be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because
there is no other God that can deliver after this sort. [30] Then the king
promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon.
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