6 30That very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed, 1and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. 2It pleased Darius to appoint over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps to be in charge of the whole kingdom; 3over them were three ministers, one of them Daniel, to whom these satraps reported, in order that the king not be troubled. 4This man Daniel surpassed the other ministers and satraps by virtue of his extraordinary spirit, and the king considered setting him over the whole kingdom. 5The ministers and satraps looked for some fault in Daniel’s conduct in matters of state, but they could find neither fault nor corruption, inasmuch as he was trustworthy, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him. 6Those men then said, “We are not going to find any fault with this Daniel, unless we find something against him in connection with the laws of his God.” 7Then these ministers and satraps came thronging in to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever! 8All the ministers of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, companions, and governors are in agreement that a royal ban should be issued under sanction of an oath that whoever shall address a petition to any god or man, besides you, O king, during the next thirty days shall be thrown into a lions’ den. 9So issue the ban, O king, and put it in writing so that it be unalterable as a law of the Medes and Persians that may not be abrogated.” 10Thereupon King Darius put the ban in writing.
11When Daniel learned that it had been put in writing, he went to his house, in whose upper chamber he had had windows made facing Jeru- salem, and three times a day he knelt down, prayed, and made confession to his God, as he had always done. 12Then those men came thronging in and found Daniel petitioning his God in supplication. 13They then approached the king and reminded him of the royal ban: “Did you not put in writing a ban that whoever addresses a petition to any god or man besides you, O king, during the next thirty days, shall be thrown into a lions’ den?” The king said in reply, “The order stands firm, as a law of the Medes and Persians that may not be abrogated.” 14Thereupon they said to the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, pays no heed to you, O king, or to the ban that you put in writing; three times a day he offers his petitions [to his God].” 15Upon hearing that, the king was very disturbed, and he set his heart upon saving Daniel, and until the sun set made every effort to rescue him. 16Then those men came thronging in to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that any ban that the king issues under sanction of oath is unalterable.” 17By the king’s order, Daniel was then brought and thrown into the lions’ den. The king spoke to Daniel and said, “Your God, whom you serve so regularly, will deliver you.” 18A rock was brought and placed over the mouth of the den; the king sealed it with his signet and with the signet of his nobles, so that nothing might be altered concerning Daniel.
19The king then went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and his sleep fled from him. 20Then, at the first light of dawn, the king arose and rushed to the lions’ den. 21As he approached the den, he cried to Daniel in a mournful voice; the king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was the God whom you served so regularly able to deliver you from the lions?” 22Daniel then talked with the king, “O king, live forever! 23My God sent His angel, who shut the mouths of the lions so that they did not injure me, inasmuch as I was found innocent by Him, nor have I, O king, done you any injury.” 24The king was very glad, and ordered Daniel to be brought up out of the den. Daniel was brought up out of the den, and no injury was found on him, for he had trusted in his God. 25Then, by order of the king, those men who had slandered Daniel were brought and, together with their children and wives, were thrown into the lions’ den. They had hardly reached the bottom of the den when the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.
26Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language that inhabit the earth, “May your well-being abound! 27I have hereby given an order that throughout my royal domain men must tremble in fear before the God of Daniel, for He is the living God who endures forever; His kingdom is indestructible, and His dominion is to the end of time; 28He delivers and saves, and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth, for He delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.” 29Thus Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and during the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
7 In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel saw a dream and a vision of his mind in bed; afterward he wrote down the dream. Beginning the account, 2Daniel related the following:
“In my vision at night, I saw the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea. 3Four mighty beasts different from each other emerged from the sea. 4The first was like a lion but had eagles’ wings. As I looked on, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted off the ground and set on its feet like a man and given the mind of a man. 5Then I saw a second, different beast, which was like a bear but raised on one side, and with three fangs in its mouth among its teeth; it was told, ‘Arise, eat much meat!’ 6After that, as I looked on, there was another one, like a leopard, and it had on its back four wings like those of a bird; the beast had four heads, and dominion was given to it. 7After that, as I looked on in the night vision, there was a fourth beast—fearsome, dreadful, and very powerful, with great iron teeth—that devoured and crushed, and stamped the remains with its feet. It was different from all the other beasts which had gone before it; and it had ten horns. 8While I was gazing upon these horns, a new little horn sprouted up among them; three of the older horns were uprooted to make room for it. There were eyes in this horn like those of a man, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly. 9As I looked on,
Thrones were set in place,
And the Ancient of Days took His seat.
His garment was like white snow,
And the hair of His head was like lamb’sa wool.
His throne was tongues of flame;
Its wheels were blazing fire.
10A river of fire streamed forth before Him;
Thousands upon thousands served Him;
Myriads upon myriads attended Him;
The court sat and the books were opened.
11I looked on. Then, because of the arrogant words that the horn spoke, the beast was killed as I looked on; its body was destroyed and it was consigned to the flames. 12The dominion of the other beasts was taken away, but an extension of life was given to them for a time and season. 13As I looked on, in the night vision,
One like a human being
Came with the clouds of heaven;
He reached the Ancient of Days
And was presented to Him.
14Dominion, glory, and kingship were given to him;
All peoples and nations of every language must serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass
away,
And his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed.
15As for me, Daniel, my spirit was disturbed within me and the vision of my mind alarmed me. 16I approached one of the attendants and asked him the true meaning of all this. He gave me this interpretation of the matter: 17‘These great beasts, four in number [mean] four kingdomsb will arise out of the earth; 18then holy ones of the Most High will receive the kingdom, and will possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever.’ 19Then I wanted to ascertain the true meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from them all, very fearsome, with teeth of iron, claws of bronze, that devoured and crushed, and stamped the remains; 20and of the ten horns on its head; and of the new one that sprouted, to make room for which three fell—the horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, and which was more conspicuous than its fellows. 21(I looked
