18“O king, qthe Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your 11father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
19“And because of the majesty that He gave him, rall peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he sexecuted; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.
20t“But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
21“Then he was udriven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, vtill he 12knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
22“But you his son, Belshazzar, whave not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.
23x“And you have 13lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the yvessels of 14His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, zwhich do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand aand owns all your ways, you have not glorified.
24“Then the 15fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
25“And this is the inscription that was written:
16MENE, MENE, 17TEKEL, 18UPHARSIN.
26“This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;
27“TEKEL: bYou have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;
28“PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the cMedes and dPersians.”19
29Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him ethat he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Belshazzar’s Fall
30fThat very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.
31gAnd Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Daniel 6
The Plot Against Daniel
1It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom;
2and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.
3Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, abecause an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.
4bSo the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.
5Then these men said, “We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.”
6So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: c“King Darius, live forever!
7“All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have dconsulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
8“Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the elaw of the Medes and Persians, which 1does not alter.”
9Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.
Daniel in the Lions’ Den
10Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home. And in his upper room, with his windows open ftoward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees gthree times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days.
11Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.
12hAnd they went before the king, and spoke concerning the king’s decree: “Have you not signed a decree that every man who petitions any god or man within thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing is true, iaccording to the law of the Medes and Persians, which 2does not alter.”
13So they answered and said before the king, “That Daniel, jwho is 3one of the captives from Judah, kdoes not show due regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
14And the king, when he heard these words, lwas greatly displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he 4labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.
15Then these men 5approached the king, and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is mthe law of the Medes and Persians that no decree or statute which the king establishes may be changed.”
16So the king gave the command, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. But the king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Your God, whom you serve continually, He will deliver you.”
17nThen a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, oand the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the signets of his lords, that the purpose concerning Daniel might not be changed.
Daniel Saved from the Lions
18Now the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; and no 6musicians were brought before him. pAlso his sleep 7went from him.
19Then the qking arose very early in the morning and went in haste to the den of lions.
20And when he came to the den, he cried out with a 8lamenting voice to Daniel. The king spoke, saying to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, rhas your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
21Then Daniel said to the king, s“O king, live forever!
22t“My God sent His angel and ushut the lions’ mouths, so that they have not hurt me, because I was found innocent before Him; and also, O king, I have done no wrong before you.”
23Now the king was exceedingly glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no injury whatever was found on him, vbecause he believed in his God.
Darius Honors God
24And the king gave the command, wand they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions—them, xtheir children, and their wives; and the lions overpowered them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they ever came to the bottom of the den.
25yThen King Darius wrote:
To all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth:
Peace be multiplied to you.
26zI make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men must atremble and fear before the God of Daniel.
b For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which shall not be cdestroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
27He delivers and rescues,
d And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel from the 9power of the lions.
28So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius eand in the reign of fCyrus the Persian.
Daniel 7
Vision of the Four Beasts
1In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, aDaniel 1had a dream and bvisions of his head while on his bed. Then he wrote down the dream, telling 2the main facts.
2Daniel spoke, saying, “I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the Great Sea.
3“And four great beasts ccame up from the sea, each different from the other.
4“The first was dlike a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a eman’s heart w
as given to it.
5f“And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’
6“After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had gfour heads, and dominion was given to it.
7“After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, ha fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, iand it had ten horns.
8“I was considering the horns, and jthere was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes kof a man, land a mouth speaking 3pompous words.
Vision of the Ancient of Days
9“Im watched till thrones were 4put in place,
And nthe Ancient of Days was seated;
o His garment was white as snow,
And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
His throne was a fiery flame,
p Its wheels a burning fire;
10q A fiery stream issued
And came forth from before Him.
r A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
s The 5court was seated,
And the books were opened.
11“I watched then because of the sound of the 6pompous words which the horn was speaking; tI watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.
12“As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
13“I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, uOne like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
14v Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all wpeoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is xan everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.
Daniel’s Visions Interpreted
15“I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit 7within my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.
16“I came near to one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made known to me the interpretation of these things:
17‘Those great beasts, which are four, are four 8kings which arise out of the earth.
18‘But ythe saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom, and possess the kingdom forever, even forever and ever.’
19“Then I wished to know the truth about the fourth beast, which was different from all the others, exceedingly dreadful, with its teeth of iron and its nails of bronze, which devoured, broke in pieces, and trampled the residue with its feet;
20“and the ten horns that were on its head, and the other horn which came up, before which three fell, namely, that horn which had eyes and a mouth which spoke 9pompous words, whose appearance was greater than his fellows.
21“I was watching; zand the same horn was making war against the saints, and prevailing against them,
22“until the Ancient of Days came, aand a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.
23“Thus he said:
‘The fourth beast shall be
b A fourth kingdom on earth,
Which shall be different from all other kingdoms,
And shall devour the whole earth,
Trample it and break it in pieces.
24c The ten horns are ten kings
Who shall arise from this kingdom.
And another shall rise after them;
He shall be different from the first ones,
And shall subdue three kings.
25d He shall speak pompous words against the Most High,
Shall epersecute10 the saints of the Most High,
And shall fintend to change times and law.
Then gthe saints shall be given into his hand
h For a time and times and half a time.
26‘Buti the court shall be seated,
And they shall jtake away his dominion,
To consume and destroy it forever.
27Then the kkingdom and dominion,
And the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven,
Shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High.
l His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
m And all dominions shall serve and obey Him.’
28“This is the end of the 11account. As for me, Daniel, nmy thoughts greatly troubled me, and my countenance changed; but I okept the matter in my heart.”
Daniel 8
Vision of a Ram and a Goat
1In1 the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared to me—to me, Daniel—after the one that appeared to me athe first time.
2I saw in the vision, and it so happened while I was looking, that I was in bShushan,2 the 3citadel, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in the vision that I was by the River Ulai.
3Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and there, standing beside the river, was a ram which had two horns, and the two horns were high; but one was chigher than the other, and the higher one came up last.
4I saw the ram pushing westward, northward, and southward, so that no animal could 4withstand him; nor was there any that could deliver from his hand, dbut he did according to his will and became great.
5And as I was considering, suddenly a male goat came from the west, across the surface of the whole earth, without touching the ground; and the goat had a notable ehorn between his eyes.
6Then he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing beside the river, and ran at him with furious power.
7And I saw him confronting the ram; he was moved with rage against him, 5attacked the ram, and broke his two horns. There was no power in the ram to withstand him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled him; and there was no one that could deliver the ram from his hand.
8Therefore the male goat grew very great; but when he became strong, the large horn was broken, and in place of it ffour notable ones came up toward the four winds of heaven.
9gAnd out of one of them came a little horn which grew exceedingly great toward the south, htoward the east, and toward the iGlorious Land.
10jAnd it grew up to kthe host of heaven; and lit cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and trampled them.
11mHe even exalted himself as high as nthe Prince of the host; oand by him pthe daily sacrifices were taken away, and the place of 6His sanctuary was cast down.
12Because of transgression, qan army was given over to the horn to oppose the daily sacrifices; and he cast rtruth down to the ground. He sdid all this and prospered.
13Then I heard ta holy one speaking; and another holy one said to that certain one who was speaking, “How long will the vision be, concerning the daily sacrifices and the transgression 7of desolation, the giving of both the sanctuary and the host to be trampled underfoot?”
14And he said to me, “For two thousand three hundred 8days; then the sanctuary shall be cleansed.”
Gabriel Interprets the Vision
15Then it happened, when I, Daniel, had seen the vision and uwas seeking the meaning, that suddenly there stood before me vone having the appearance of a man.
16And I heard a man’s voice wbetween the banks of the Ulai, who called, and said, x“Gabriel, make this man understand the vision.”
17So he came near where I stood, and when he came I was afraid and yfell on
my face; but he said to me, “Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end.”
18zNow, as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face to the ground; abut he touched me, and stood me upright.
19And he said, “Look, I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the indignation; bfor at the appointed time the end shall be.
20“The ram which you saw, having the two horns—they are the kings of Media and Persia.
21“And the 9male goat is the 10kingdom of Greece. The large horn that is between its eyes cis the first king.
22d“As for the broken horn and the four that stood up in its place, four kingdoms shall arise out of that nation, but not with its power.
23“And in the latter time of their kingdom,
When the transgressors have reached their fullness,
A king shall arise,
e Having fierce 11features,
Who understands sinister schemes.
24His power shall be mighty, fbut not by his own power;
He shall destroy 12fearfully,
g And shall prosper and thrive;
h He shall destroy the mighty, and also the holy people.
25“Throughi his cunning
He shall cause deceit to prosper under his 13rule;
j And he shall exalt himself in his heart.
He shall destroy many in their prosperity.
k He shall even rise against the Prince of princes;
But he shall be lbroken without human 14means.
26“And the vision of the evenings and mornings
Which was told is true;
m Therefore seal up the vision,
For it refers to many days in the future.”
27nAnd I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was 15astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.
Daniel 9
Daniel’s Prayer for the People
1In the first year aof Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—
2in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the LORD through bJeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV Page 407
