Daniel:6-8

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* It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes , which should be over the whole kingdom ; * And over these three presidents ; of whom Daniel was first : that the princes might give accounts unto them , and the king should have no damage . * Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes , because an excellent spirit was in him ; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm . * Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom ; but they could find none occasion nor fault ; forasmuch as he was faithful , neither was there any error or fault found in him . * 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 . * Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king , and said thus unto him , King Darius , live for ever . * 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 , O king , he shall be cast into the den of lions . * Now , O king , establish the decree , and sign the writing , that it be not changed , according to the law of the Medes and Persians , which altereth not . * Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree . * Now when Daniel knew that the writing was 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 . * Then these men assembled , and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God . * Then they came near , and spake before the king concerning the king 's decree ; Hast thou not signed a decree , that every man that shall ask a petition of any God or man within thirty days , save of thee , O king , shall be cast into the den of lions ? The king answered and said , The thing is true , according to the law of the Medes and Persians , which altereth not . * Then answered they and said before the king , 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 . * Then the king , when he heard these words , was sore displeased with himself , and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him : and he laboured till the going down of the sun to deliver him . * Then these men assembled unto the king , and 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 . * Then the king commanded , and they brought Daniel , and cast him into the den of lions . Now the king spake and said unto Daniel , Thy God whom thou servest continually , he will deliver thee . * And a stone was brought , and laid upon the mouth of the den ; and the king sealed it with his own signet , and with the signet of his lords ; that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel . * Then the king went to his palace , and passed the night fasting : neither were instruments of musick brought before him : and his sleep went from him . * Then the king arose very early in the morning , and went in haste unto the den of lions . * 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 , is thy God , whom thou servest continually , able to deliver thee from the lions ? * Then said Daniel unto the king , O king , live for ever . * 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 . * Then was the king exceeding 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 manner of hurt was found upon him , because he believed in his God . * And the king commanded , and they brought those men which had accused Daniel , and they cast them into the den of lions , them , their children , and their wives ; and the lions had the mastery of them , and brake all their bones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den . * Then king Darius wrote unto all people , nations , and languages , that dwell in all the earth ; Peace be multiplied unto you . * 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 ever , and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed , and his dominion shall be even unto the end . * He delivereth and rescueth , and he worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth , who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions . * So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius , and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian . * In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon Daniel had a dream and visions of his head upon his bed : then he wrote the dream , and told the sum of the matters . * Daniel spake and said , I saw in my vision by night , and , behold , the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea . * And four great beasts came up from the sea , diverse one from another . * The first was like a lion , and had eagle 's wings : I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked , and it was lifted up from the earth , and made stand upon the feet as a man , and a man 's heart was given to it . * And behold another beast , a second , like to a bear , and it raised up itself on one side , and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it : and they said thus unto it , Arise , devour much flesh . * After this I beheld , and lo another , like a leopard , which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl ; the beast had also four heads ; and dominion was given to it . * After this I saw in the night visions , and behold a fourth beast , dreadful and terrible , and strong exceedingly ; and it had great iron teeth : it devoured and brake in pieces , and stamped the residue with the feet of it : and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it ; and it had ten horns . * I considered the horns , and , behold , there came up among them another little horn , before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots : and , behold , in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man , and a mouth speaking great things . * I beheld till the thrones were cast down , and the Ancient of days did sit , whose garment was white as snow , and the hair of his head like the pure wool : his throne was like the fiery flame , and his wheels as burning fire . * A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him : thousand thousands ministered unto him , and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him : the judgment was set , and the books were opened . * I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake : I beheld even till the beast was slain , and his body destroyed , and given to the burning flame . * As concerning the rest of the beasts , they had their dominion taken away : yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time . * I saw in the night visions , and , behold , one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven , and came to the Ancient of days , and they brought him near before him . * And there was given him dominion , and glory , and a kingdom , that all people , nations , and languages , should serve him : his dominion is an everlasting dominion , which shall not pass away , and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed . * I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body , and the visions of my head troubled me . * I came near unto one of them that stood by , and asked him the truth of all this . So he told me , and made me know the interpretation of the things . * These great beasts , which are four , are four kings , which shall arise out of the earth . * But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom , and possess the kingdom for ever , even for ever and ever . * Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast , which was diverse from all the others , exceeding dreadful , whose teeth were of iron , and his nails of brass ; which devoured , brake in pieces , and stamped the residue with his feet ; * And of the ten horns that were in his head , and of the other which came up , and before whom three fell ; even of that horn that had eyes , and a mouth that spake very great things , whose look was more stout than his fellows . * I beheld , and the same horn made war with the saints , and prevailed against them ; * Until the Ancient of days came , and judgment was given to the saints of the most High ; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom . * Thus he said , The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth , which shall be diverse from all kingdoms , and shall devour the whole earth , and shall tread it down , and break it in pieces . * And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise : and another shall rise after them ; and he shall be diverse from the first , and he shall subdue three kings . * And he shall speak great words against the most High , and shall wear out the saints of the most High , and think to change times and laws : and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time . * But the judgment shall sit , and they shall take away his dominion , to consume and to destroy it unto the end . * And the kingdom and dominion , and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven , shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High , whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom , and all dominions shall serve and obey him . * Hitherto is the end of the matter . As for me Daniel , my cogitations much troubled me , and my countenance changed in me : but I kept the matter in my heart . * In the third year of the reign of king Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me , even unto me Daniel , after that which appeared unto me at the first . * And I saw in a vision ; and it came to pass , when I saw , that I was at Shushan in the palace , which is in the province of Elam ; and I saw in a vision , and I was by the river of Ulai . * Then I lifted up mine eyes , and saw , and , behold , there stood before the river a ram which had two horns : and the two horns were high ; but one was higher than the other , and the higher came up last . * I saw the ram pushing westward , and northward , and southward ; so that no beasts might stand before him , neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand ; but he did according to his will , and became great . * And as I was considering , behold , an he goat came from the west on the face of the whole earth , and touched not the ground : and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes . * And he came to the ram that had two horns , which I had seen standing before the river , and ran unto him in the fury of his power . * And I saw him come close unto the ram , and he was moved with choler against him , and smote the ram , and brake his two horns : and there was no power in the ram to stand before him , but he cast him down to the ground , and stamped upon him : and there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand . * Therefore the he goat waxed very great : and when he was strong , the great horn was broken ; and for it came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven . * And out of one of them came forth a little horn , which waxed exceeding great , toward the south , and toward the east , and toward the pleasant land . * And it waxed great , even to the host of heaven ; and it cast down some of the host and of the stars to the ground , and stamped upon them . * Yea , he magnified himself even to the prince of the host , and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away , and the place of his sanctuary was cast down . * And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression , and it cast down the truth to the ground ; and it practised , and prospered . * Then I heard one saint speaking , and another saint said unto that certain saint which spake , How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice , and the transgression of desolation , to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot ? * And he said unto me , Unto two thousand and three hundred days ; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed . * And it came to pass , when I , even I Daniel , had seen the vision , and sought for the meaning , then , behold , there stood before me as the appearance of a man . * And I heard a man 's voice between the banks of Ulai , which called , and said , Gabriel , make this man to understand the vision . * So he came near where I stood : and when he came , I was afraid , and fell upon my face : but he said unto me , Understand , O son of man : for at the time of the end shall be the vision . * Now as he was speaking with me , I was in a deep sleep on my face toward the ground : but he touched me , and set me upright . * And he said , Behold , I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation : for at the time appointed the end shall be . * The ram which thou sawest having two horns are the kings of Media and Persia . * And the rough goat is the king of Grecia : and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king . * Now that being broken , whereas four stood up for it , four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation , but not in his power . * And in the latter time of their kingdom , when the transgressors are come to the full , a king of fierce countenance , and understanding dark sentences , shall stand up . * And his power shall be mighty , but not by his own power : and he shall destroy wonderfully , and shall prosper , and practise , and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people . * And through his policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his hand ; and he shall magnify himself in his heart , and by peace shall destroy many : he shall also stand up against the Prince of princes ; but he shall be broken without hand . * And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true : wherefore shut thou up the vision ; for it shall be for many days . * And I Daniel fainted , and was sick certain days ; afterward I rose up , and did the king 's business ; and I was astonished at the vision , but none understood it . * In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus , of the seed of the Medes , which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans ;

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