Holman Christian Standard Bible (263 page)

6
 So the administrators and satraps went together to the king and said to him, “May King Darius live forever. 
7
 All the administrators of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, advisers, and governors have agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an edict that for 30 days, anyone who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions' den. 
8
 Therefore, Your Majesty, establish the edict and sign the document so that, as a law of the Medes and Persians, it is irrevocable and cannot be changed.” 
9
 So King Darius signed the document. 

Daniel in the Lions' Den

10
 When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house. The windows in its upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on his knees, prayed, and gave thanks to his God, just as he had done before.
11
 Then these men went as a group and found Daniel petitioning and imploring his God.
12
 So they approached the king and asked about his edict: “Didn't you sign an edict that for 30 days any man who petitions any god or man except you, the king, will be thrown into the lions' den? ”

The king answered, “As a law of the Medes and Persians, the order stands and is irrevocable.” 

13
 Then they replied to the king, “Daniel, one of the Judean exiles, has ignored you, the king, and the edict you signed, for he prays three times a day.”
14
 As soon as the king heard this, he was very displeased; he set his mind on rescuing Daniel and made every effort until sundown to deliver him.

15
 Then these men went to the king and said to him, “You as king know it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or ordinance the king establishes can be changed.” 

16
 So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions' den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you! ”
17
 A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den. The king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signet rings of his nobles, so that nothing in regard to Daniel could be changed.
18
 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting. No diversions were brought to him, and he could not sleep. 

Daniel Released

19
 At the first light of dawn the king got up and hurried to the lions' den.
20
 When he reached the den, he cried out in anguish to Daniel. “Daniel, servant of the living God,” the king said, “has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions? ”

21
 Then Daniel spoke with the king: “May the king live forever.
22
 My God sent His angel and shut the lions' mouths. They haven't hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king.”

23
 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to take Daniel out of the den. So Daniel was taken out of the den, uninjured, for he trusted in his God. 
24
 The king then gave the command, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions' den — they, their children, and their wives. They had not reached the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.

Darius Honors God

25
 Then King Darius wrote to those of every people, nation, and language who live in all the earth: “May your prosperity abound. 
26
 I issue a decree that in all my royal dominion, people must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel: 

28
 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian. 

Daniel

Daniel's Vision of the Four Beasts

7
In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream with visions in his mind as he was lying in his bed. He wrote down the dream, and here is the summary of his account.
2
 Daniel said, “In my vision at night I was watching, and suddenly the four winds of heaven stirred up the great sea.
3
 Four huge beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other.

4
 “The first was like a lion but had eagle's wings. I continued watching until its wings were torn off. It was lifted up from the ground, set on its feet like a man, and given a human mind.

5
 “Suddenly, another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, with three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up! Gorge yourself on flesh.'

6
 “While I was watching, another beast appeared. It was like a leopard with four wings of a bird on its back. It had four heads and was given authority to rule.

7
 “While I was watching in the night visions, a fourth beast appeared, frightening and dreadful, and incredibly strong, with large iron teeth. It devoured and crushed, and it trampled with its feet whatever was left. It was different from all the beasts before it, and it had 10 horns. 

8
 “While I was considering the horns, suddenly another horn, a little one, came up among them, and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. There were eyes in this horn like a man's, and it had a mouth that spoke arrogantly. 

The Ancient of Days and the Son of Man

9
 “As I kept watching,

11
 “I watched, then, because of the sound of the arrogant words the horn was speaking. As I continued watching, the beast was killed and its body destroyed and given over to the burning fire. 
12
 As for the rest of the beasts, their authority to rule was removed, but an extension of life was granted to them for a certain period of time. 
13
 I continued watching in the night visions,

Interpretation of the Vision

15
 “As for me, Daniel, my spirit was deeply distressed within me, and the visions in my mind terrified me. 
16
 I approached one of those who were standing by and asked him the true meaning of all this. So he let me know the interpretation of these things: 
17
 ‘These huge beasts, four in number, are four kings who will rise from the earth.
18
 But the holy ones of the
•Most
High will receive the kingdom and possess it forever, yes, forever and ever.' 

19
 “Then I wanted to know the true meaning of the fourth beast, the one different from all the others, extremely terrifying, with iron teeth and bronze claws, devouring, crushing, and trampling with its feet whatever was left.
20
 I also wanted to know about the 10 horns on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three fell — the horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, and that was more visible than the others.
21
 As I was watching, this horn waged war against the holy ones and was prevailing over them
22
 until the Ancient of Days arrived and a judgment was given in favor of the holy ones of the Most High, for the time had come, and the holy ones took possession of the kingdom.

23
 “This is what he said: ‘The fourth beast will be a fourth kingdom on the earth, different from all the other kingdoms. It will devour the whole earth, trample it down, and crush it.
24
 The 10 horns are 10 kings who will rise from this kingdom. Another, different from the previous ones, will rise after them and subdue three kings.
25
 He will speak words against the Most High and oppress the holy ones of the Most High. He will intend to change religious festivals and laws, and the holy ones will be handed over to him for a time, times, and half a time.
26
 But the court will convene, and his dominion will be taken away, to be completely destroyed forever. 
27
 The kingdom, dominion, and greatness of the kingdoms under all of heaven will be given to the people, the holy ones of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will serve and obey Him.'

28
 “This is the end of the interpretation. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts terrified me greatly, and my face turned pale, but I kept the matter to myself.” 

Daniel

The Vision of a Ram and a Goat

8
In the third year of King Belshazzar's reign, a vision appeared to me, Daniel, after the one that had appeared to me earlier. 
2
 I saw the vision, and as I watched, I was in the fortress city of Susa, in the province of Elam. I saw in the vision that I was beside the Ulai Canal.
3
 I looked up, and there was a ram standing beside the canal. He had two horns. The two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, and the longer one came up last.
4
 I saw the ram charging to the west, the north, and the south. No animal could stand against him, and there was no rescue from his power. He did whatever he wanted and became great.

5
 As I was observing, a male goat appeared, coming from the west across the surface of the entire earth without touching the ground. The goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes. 
6
 He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and rushed at him with savage fury.
7
 I saw him approaching the ram, and infuriated with him, he struck the ram, shattering his two horns, and the ram was not strong enough to stand against him. The goat threw him to the ground and trampled him, and there was no one to rescue the ram from his power.
8
 Then the male goat became very great, but when he became powerful, the large horn was shattered. Four conspicuous horns came up in its place, pointing toward the four winds of heaven. 

The Little Horn

9
 From one of them a little horn emerged and grew extensively toward the south and the east and toward the beautiful land.
10
 It grew as high as the heavenly
•host
, made some of the stars and some of the host fall to the earth, and trampled them. 
11
 It made itself great, even up to the Prince of the host; it removed His daily sacrifice and overthrew the place of His sanctuary.
12
 Because of rebellion, a host, together with the daily sacrifice, will be given over. The horn will throw truth to the ground and will be successful in whatever it does.

13
 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the speaker, “How long will the events of this vision last  — the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and of the host to be trampled? ” 

14
 He said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be restored.”

Interpretation of the Vision

15
 While I, Daniel, was watching the vision and trying to understand it, there stood before me someone who appeared to be a man. 
16
 I heard a human voice calling from the middle of the Ulai: “Gabriel, explain the vision to this man.”

17
 So he approached where I was standing; when he came near, I was terrified and fell facedown. “Son of man,” he said to me, “understand that the vision refers to the time of the end.” 
18
 While he was speaking to me, I fell into a deep sleep, with my face to the ground. Then he touched me, made me stand up, 
19
 and said, “I am here to tell you what will happen at the conclusion of the time of wrath, because it refers to the appointed time of the end. 
20
 The two-horned ram that you saw represents the kings of Media and Persia.
21
 The shaggy goat represents the king of Greece, and the large horn between his eyes represents the first king. 
22
 The four horns that took the place of the shattered horn represent four kingdoms. They will rise from that nation, but without its power.