1:1‡ ¤ In the third year of the reign of Joakim, king of Juda, Nabuchodonosor, king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem, and beseiged it.
1:2And the Lord delivered into his hands Joakim, the king of Juda, and part of the vessels of the house of God: and he carried them away into the land of Sennaar, to the house of his god, and the vessels he brought into the treasure house of his god.
1:3And the king spoke to Asphenez, the master of the eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes,
1:4Children in whom there was no blemish, well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, acute in knowledge, and instructed in science, and such as might stand in the king's palace, that he might teach them the learning, and the tongue of the Chaldeans.
1:5And the king appointed them a daily provision, of his own meat, and of the wine of which he drank himself, that being nourished three years, afterwards they might stand before the king.
1:6Now there were among them of the children of Juda, Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias.
1:7And the master of the eunuchs gave them names: to Daniel, Baltassar: to Ananias, Sidrach: to Misael, Misach: and to Azarias, Abdenago.
1:8But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not be defiled with the king's table, nor with the wine which he drank: and he requested the master of the eunuchs that he might not be defiled.
1:9And God gave to Daniel grace and mercy in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs.
1:10And the prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel: I fear my lord, the king, who hath appointed you meat and drink: who if he should see your faces leaner than those of the other youths, your equals, you shall endanger my head to the king.
1:11And Daniel said to Malasar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias:
1:12Try, I beseech thee, thy servants for ten days, and let pulse be given us to eat, and water to drink:
1:13And look upon our faces, and the faces of the children that eat of the king's meat: and as thou shalt see, deal with thy servants.
1:14And when he had heard these words, he tried them for ten days.
1:15And after ten days, their faces appeared fairer and fatter than all the children that ate of the king's meat.
1:16So Malasar took their portions, and the wine that they should drink: and he gave them pulse.
1:17And to these children God gave knowledge, and understanding in every book, and wisdom: but to Daniel the understanding also of all visions and dreams.
1:18And when the days were ended, after which the king had ordered they should be brought in: the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nabuchodonosor.
1:19And when the king had spoken to them, there were not found among them all such as Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias: and they stood in the king's presence.
1:20And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the diviners, and wise men, that were in all his kingdom.
1:21And Daniel continued even to the first year of king Cyrus.
2:1¤ In the second year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, Nabuchodonosor had a dream, and his spirit was terrified, and his dream went out of his mind.
2:2Then the king commanded to call together the diviners and the wise men, and the magicians, and the Chaldeans: to declare to the king his dreams: so they came and stood before the king.
2:3And the king said to them: I saw a dream: and being troubled in mind I know not what I saw.
2:4And the Chaldeans answered the king in Syriac: O king, live for ever: tell to thy servants thy dream, and we will declare the interpretation thereof.
2:5And the king, answering, said to the Chaldeans: The thing is gone out of my mind: unless you tell me the dream, and the meaning thereof, you shall be put to death, and your houses shall be confiscated.
2:6but if you tell the dream, and the meaning of it, you shall receive of me rewards, and gifts, and great honour: therefore, tell me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.
2:7They answered again and said: Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation of it.
2:8The king answered and said: I know for certain, that you seek to gain time, since you know that the thing is gone from me.
2:9If, therefore, you tell me not the dream, there is one sentence concerning you, that you have also framed a lying interpretation, and full of deceit, to speak before me till the time pass away. Tell me, therefore, the dream, that I may know that you also give a true interpretation thereof.
2:10Then the Chaldeans answered before the king, and said: There is no man upon earth, that can accomplish thy word, O king; neither doth any king, though great and mighty, ask such a thing of any diviner, or wise man, or Chaldean.
2:11For the thing that thou asketh, O king, is difficult: nor can any one be found that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose conversation is not with men.
2:12Upon hearing this, the king in fury, and in great wrath, commanded that all the wise men of Babylon should be put to death.
2:13And the decree being gone forth, the wise men were slain: and Daniel and his companions were sought for, to be put to death.
2:14Then Daniel inquired concerning the law and the sentence, of Arioch, the general of the king's army, who was gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon.
2:15And he asked him that had received the orders of the king, why so cruel a sentence was gone forth from the face of the king. And when Arioch had told the matter to Daniel,
2:16Daniel went in, and desired of the king, that he would give him time to resolve the question, and declare it to the king.
2:17And he went into his house, and told the matter to Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias, his companions:
2:18To the end that they should ask mercy at the face of the God of heaven, concerning this secret, and that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
2:19Then was the mystery revealed to Daniel by a vision in the night: and Daniel blessed the God of heaven,
2:20And speaking, he said: Blessed be the name of the Lord from eternity and for evermore: for wisdom and fortitude are his.
2:21And he changeth times and ages: taketh away kingdoms, and establisheth them: giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding:
2:22He revealeth deep and hidden things, and knoweth what is in darkness: and light is with him.
2:23To thee, O God of our fathers, I give thanks, and I praise thee: because thou hast given me wisdom and strength: and now thou hast shewn me what we desired of thee, for thou hast made known to us the king's discourse.
2:24After this Daniel went in to Arioch, to whom the king had given orders to destroy the wise men of Babylon, and he spoke thus to him: Destroy not the wise men of Babylon: bring me in before the king, and I will tell the solution to the king.
2:25Then Arioch in haste brought in Daniel to the king, and said to him: I have found a man of the children of the captivity of Juda, that will resolve the question to the king.
2:26The king answered, and said to Daniel, whose name was Baltassar: Thinkest thou indeed that thou canst tell me the dream that I saw, and the interpretation thereof?
2:27And Daniel made answer before the king, and said: The secret that the king desireth to know, none of the wise men, or the philosophers, or the diviners, or the soothsayers, can declare to the king.
2:28But there is a God in heaven that revealeth mysteries, who hath shewn to thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, what is to come to pass in the latter times. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:
2:29Thou, O king, didst begin to think in thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth mysteries shewed thee what shall come to pass.
2:30To me also this secret is revealed, not by any wisdom that I have more than all men alive: but that the interpretation might be made manifest to the king, and thou mightest know the thoughts of thy mind.
2:31Thou, O king, sawest, and behold there was as it were a great statue: this statue, which was great and high, tall of stature, stood before thee, and the look thereof was terrible.
2:32The head of this statue was of fine gold, but the breast and the arms of silver, and the belly and the thighs of brass.
2:33And the legs of iron, the feet part of iron and part of clay.
2:34Thus thou sawest, till a stone was cut out of a mountain without hands: and it struck the statue upon the feet thereof that were of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces.
2:35Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of a summer's threshing floor, and they were carried away by the wind: and there was no place found for them: but the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.
2:36This is the dream: we will also tell the interpretation thereof before thee, O king.
2:37Thou art a king of kings: and the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, and strength, and power, and glory:
2:38And all places wherein the children of men, and the beasts of the field do dwell: he hath also given the birds of the air into thy hand, and hath put all things under thy power: thou, therefore, art the head of gold.
2:39And after thee shall rise up another kingdom, inferior to thee, of silver: and another third kingdom of brass, which shall rule over all the world.
2:40And the fourth kingdom shall be as iron. As iron breaketh into pieces, and subdueth all things, so shall that break, and destroy all these.
2:41And whereas thou sawest the feet, and the toes, part of potter's clay, and part of iron: the kingdom shall be divided, but yet it shall take its origin from the iron, according as thou sawest the iron mixed with the miry clay.
2:42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay: the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
2:43And whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall be mingled indeed together with the seed of man, but they shall not stick fast one to another, as iron cannot be mixed with clay.
2:44But in the days of those kingdoms, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, and his kingdom shall not be delivered up to another people: and it shall break in pieces, and shall consume all these kingdoms: and itself shall stand for ever.
2:45According as thou sawest, that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and broke in pieces the clay and the iron, and the brass, and the silver, and the gold, the great God hath shewn the king what shall come to pass hereafter, and the dream is true, and the interpretation thereof is faithful.
2:46Then king Nabuchodonosor fell on his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer in sacrifice to him victims and incense.
2:47And the king spoke to Daniel, and said: Verily, your God is the God of gods, and Lord of kings, and a revealer of hidden things: seeing thou couldst discover this secret.
2:48Then the king advanced Daniel to a high station, and gave him many and great gifts: and he made him governor over all the provinces of Babylon: and chief of the magistrates over all the wise men of Babylon.
2:49And Daniel requested of the king, and he appointed Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, over the works of the province of Babylon: but Daniel himself was in the king's palace.
13:1¤ Now there was a man that dwelt in Babylon, and his name was Joakim:
13:2And he took a wife, whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Helcias, a very beautiful woman, and one that feared God.
13:3For her parents being just, had instructed their daughter according to the law of Moses.
13:4Now Joakim was very rich, and had an orchard near his house: and the Jews resorted to him, because he was the most honourable of them all.
13:5And there were two of the ancients of the people appointed judges that year, of whom the Lord said: That iniquity came out from Babylon, from the ancient judges, that seemed to govern the people.
13:6These men frequented the house of Joakim, and all that had any matters of judgment came to them.
13:7And when the people departed away at noon, Susanna went in, and walked in her husband's orchard.
13:8And the old men saw her going in every day, and walking: and they were inflamed with lust towards her:
13:9And they perverted their own mind, and turned away their eyes, that they might not look unto heaven, nor remember just judgments.
13:10So they were both wounded with the love of her, yet they did not make known their grief one to the other.
13:11For they were ashamed to declare to one another their lust, being desirous to have to do with her:
13:12And they watched carefully every day to see her. And one said to the other:
13:13Let us now go home, for it is dinner time. So going out, they departed one from another.
13:14And turning back again, they came both to the same place: and asking one another the cause, they acknowledged their lust: and then they agreed together upon a time, when they might find her alone.
13:15And it fell out, as they watched a fit day, she went in on a time, as yesterday and the day before, with two maids only, and was desirous to wash herself in the orchard: for it was hot weather.
13:16And there was nobody there, but the two old men that had hid themselves, and were beholding her.
13:17So she said to the maids: Bring me oil, and washing balls, and shut the doors of the orchard, that I may wash me.
13:18And they did as she bade them: and they shut the doors of the orchard, and went out by a back door to fetch what she had commanded them, and they knew not that the elders were hid within.
13:19Now when the maids were gone forth, the two elders arose, and ran to her, and said:
13:20Behold the doors of the orchard are shut, and nobody seeth us, and we are in love with thee: wherefore consent to us, and lie with us.
13:21But if thou wilt not, we will bear witness against thee, that a young man was with thee, and therefore thou didst send away thy maids from thee.
13:22Susanna sighed, and said: I am straitened on every side: for if I do this thing, it is death to me: and if I do it not, I shall not escape your hands.
13:23But it is better for me to fall into your hands without doing it, than to sin in the sight of the Lord.
13:24With that Susanna cried out with a loud voice: and the elders also cried out against her.
13:25And one of them ran to the door of the orchard, and opened it.
13:26So when the servants of the house heard the cry in the orchard, they rushed in by the back door, to see what was the matter.
13:27But after the old men had spoken, the servants were greatly ashamed: for never had there been any such word said of Susanna. And on the next day,
13:28When the people were come to Joakim, her husband, the two elders also came full of wicked device against Susanna, to put her to death.
13:29And they said before the people: Send to Susanna, daughter of Helcias, the wife of Joakim. And presently they sent.
13:30And she came with her parents, and children and all her kindred.
13:31Now Susanna was exceeding delicate, and beautiful to behold.
13:32But those wicked men commanded that her face should be uncovered, (for she was covered) that so at least they might be satisfied with her beauty.
13:33Therefore her friends, and all her acquaintance wept.
13:34But the two elders rising up in the midst of the people, laid their hands upon her head.
13:35And she weeping, looked up to heaven, for her heart had confidence in the Lord.
13:36And the elders said: As we walked in the orchard alone, this woman came in with two maids, and shut the doors of the orchard, and sent away the maids from her.
13:37Then a young man that was there hid came to her, and lay with her.
13:38But we that were in a corner of the orchard, seeing this wickedness, ran up to them, and we saw them lie together.
13:39And him indeed we could not take, because he was stronger than us, and opening the doors, he leaped out:
13:40But having taken this woman, we asked who the young man was, but she would not tell us: of this thing we are witnesses.
13:41The multitude believed them, as being the elders, and the judges of the people, and they condemned her to death.
13:42Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and said: O eternal God, who knowest hidden things, who knowest all things before they come to pass,
13:43Thou knowest that they have borne false witness against me: and behold I must die, whereas I have done none of these things, which these men have maliciously forged against me.
13:44And the Lord heard her voice.
13:45And when she was led to be put to death, the Lord raised up the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel:
13:46And he cried out with a loud voice: I am clear from the blood of this woman.
13:47Then all the people turning themselves towards him, said: What meaneth this word that thou hast spoken?
13:48But he standing in the midst of them, said: Are ye so foolish, ye children of Israel, that without examination or knowledge of the truth, you have condemned a daughter of Israel?
13:49Return to judgment, for they have borne false witness against her.
13:50So all the people turned again in haste, and the old men said to him: Come, and sit thou down among us, and shew it us: seeing God hath given thee the honour of old age.
13:51And Daniel said to the people: Separate these two far from one another, and I will examine them.
13:52So when they were put asunder one from the other, he called one of them, and said to him: O thou that art grown old in evil days, now are thy sins come out, which thou hast committed before:
13:53In judging unjust judgments, oppressing the innocent, and letting the guilty to go free, whereas the Lord saith: The innocent and the just thou shalt not kill.
13:54Now then if thou sawest her, tell me under what tree thou sawest them conversing together: He said: Under a mastic tree.
13:55And Daniel said: Well hast thou lied against thy own head: for behold the angel of God having received the sentence of him, shall cut thee in two.
13:56And having put him aside, he commanded that the other should come, and he said to him: O thou seed of Chanaan, and not of Juda, beauty hath deceived thee, and lust hath perverted thy heart:
13:57Thus did you do to the daughters of Israel, and they for fear conversed with you: but a daughter of Juda would not abide your wickedness.
13:58Now, therefore, tell me, under what tree didst thou take them conversing together. And he answered: Under a holm tree.
13:59And Daniel said to him: Well hast thou also lied against thy own head: for the angel of the Lord waiteth with a sword to cut thee in two, and to destroy you.
13:60With that all the assembly cried out with a loud voice, and they blessed God, who saveth them that trust in him.
13:61And they rose up against the two elders, (for Daniel had convicted them of false witness by their own mouth) and they did to them as they had maliciously dealt against their neighbour,
13:62To fulfil the law of Moses: and they put them to death, and innocent blood was saved in that day.
13:63But Helcias, and his wife, praised God, for their daughter, Susanna, with Joakim, her husband, and all her kindred, because there was no dishonesty found in her.
13:64And Daniel became great in the sight of the people from that day, and thence forward.
3:1¤ King Nabuchodonosor made a statue of gold, of sixty cubits high, and six cubits broad, and he set it up in the plain of Dura, of the province of Babylon.
3:2Then Nabuchodonosor, the king, sent to call together the nobles, the magistrates, and the judges, the captains, the rulers, and governors, and all the chief men of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
3:3Then the nobles, the magistrates, and the judges, the captains, and rulers, and the great men that were placed in authority, and all the princes of the provinces, were gathered together to come to the dedication of the statue, which king Nabuchodonosor had set up. And they stood before the statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
3:4Then a herald cried with a strong voice: To you it is commanded, O nations, tribes and languages:
3:5That in the hour that you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, and of the flute, and of the harp, of the sackbut, and of the psaltery, and of the symphony, and of all kind of music, ye fall down and adore the golden statue which king Nabuchodonosor hath set up.
3:6But if any man shall not fall down and adore, he shall the same hour be cast into a furnace of burning fire.
3:7Upon this, therefore, at the time when all the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the flute, and the harp, of the sackbut, and the psaltery, of the symphony, and of all kind of music, all the nations, tribes, and languages fell down and adored the golden statue which king Nabuchodonosor had set up.
3:8And presently at that very time some Chaldeans came and accused the Jews,
3:9And said to king Nabuchodonosor: O king, live for ever:
3:10Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the trumpet, the flute, and the harp, of the sackbut, and the psaltery, of the symphony, and of all kind of music, shall prostrate himself, and adore the golden statue:
3:11And that if any man shall not fall down and adore, he should be cast into a furnace of burning fire.
3:12Now there are certain Jews, whom thou hast set over the works of the province of Babylon, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago: these men, O king, have slighted thy decree: they worship not thy gods, nor do they adore the golden statue which thou hast set up.
3:13Then Nabuchodonosor in fury, and in wrath, commanded that Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago should be brought: who immediately were brought before the king.
3:14And Nabuchodonosor, the king, spoke to them, and said: Is it true, O Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, that you do not worship my gods, nor adore the golden statue that I have set up?
3:15Now, therefore, if you be ready, at what hour soever, you shall hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, harp, sackbut, and psaltery, and symphony, and of all kind of music, prostrate yourselves, and adore the statue which I have made: but if you do not adore, you shall be cast the same hour into the furnace of burning fire: and who is the God that shall deliver you out of my hand?
3:16Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, answered, and said to king Nabuchodonosor: We have no occasion to answer thee concerning this matter.
3:17For behold our God, whom we worship, is able to save us from the furnace of burning fire, and to deliver us out of thy hands, O king.
3:18But if he will not, be it known to thee, O king, that we will not worship thy gods, nor adore the golden statue which thou hast set up.
3:19Then was Nabuchodonosor filled with fury: and the countenance of his face was changed against Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and he commanded that the furnace should be heated seven times more than it had been accustomed to be heated.
3:20And he commanded the strongest men that were in his army, to bind the feet of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, and to cast them into the furnace of burning fire.
3:21And immediately these men were bound, and were cast into the furnace of burning fire, with their coats, and their caps, and their shoes, and their garments.
3:22For the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace was heated exceedingly. And the flame of the fire slew those men that had cast in Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago.
3:23But these three men, that is, Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, fell down bound in the midst of the furnace of burning fire.
A:1And they walked in the midst of the flame, praising God, and blessing the Lord.
A:2Then Azarias standing up, prayed in this manner, and opening his mouth in the midst of the fire, he said:
A:3Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers, and thy name is worthy of praise, and glorious for ever:
A:4For thou art just in all that thou hast done to us, and all thy works are true, and thy ways right, and all thy judgments true.
A:5For thou hast executed true judgments in all the things that thou hast brought upon us, and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers: for according to truth and judgment, thou hast brought all these things upon us for our sins.
A:6For we have sinned, and committed iniquity, departing from thee: and we have trespassed in all things:
A:7And we have not hearkened to thy commandments, nor have we observed nor done as thou hadst commanded us, that it might go well with us.
A:8Wherefore, all that thou hast brought upon us, and every thing that thou hast done to us, thou hast done in true judgment:
A:9And thou hast delivered us into the hands of our enemies that are unjust, and most wicked, and prevaricators, and to a king unjust, and most wicked beyond all that are upon the earth.
A:10And now we cannot open our mouths: we are become a shame, and a reproach to thy servants, and to them that worship thee.
A:11Deliver us not up for ever, we beseech thee, for thy name's sake, and abolish not thy covenant.
A:12And take not away thy mercy from us, for the sake of Abraham, thy beloved, and Isaac, thy servant, and Israel, thy holy one:
A:13To whom thou hast spoken, promising that thou wouldst multiply their seed as the stars of heaven, and as the sand that is on the sea shore.
A:14For we, O Lord, are diminished more than any nation, and are brought low in all the earth this day for our sins.
A:15Neither is there at this time prince, or leader, or prophet, or holocaust, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense, or place of first fruits before thee,
A:16That we may find thy mercy: nevertheless, in a contrite heart and humble spirit let us be accepted.
A:17As in holocausts of rams, and bullocks, and as in thousands of fat lambs: so let our sacrifice be made in thy sight this day, that it may please thee: for there is no confusion to them that trust in thee.
A:18And now we follow thee with all our heart, and we fear thee, and seek thy face.
A:19Put us not to confusion, but deal with us according to thy meekness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies.
A:20And deliver us, according to thy wonderful works, and give glory to thy name, O Lord:
A:21And let all them be confounded that shew evils to thy servants, let them be confounded in all thy might, and let their strength be broken:
A:22And let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God, and glorious over all the world.
A:23Now the king's servants that had cast them in, ceased not to heat the furnace with brimstone and tow, and pitch, and dry sticks,
A:24And the flame mounted up above the furnace nine and forty cubits:
A:25And it broke forth, and burnt such of the Chaldeans as it found near the furnace.
A:26But the angel of the Lord went down with Azarias and his companions into the furnace: and he drove the flame of the fire out of the furnace,
A:27And made the midst of the furnace like the blowing of a wind bringing dew, and the fire touched them not at all, nor troubled them, nor did them any harm.
A:28Then these three, as with one mouth, praised and glorified and blessed God, in the furnace, saying:
A:29Blessed art thou, O Lord, the God of our fathers; and worthy to be praised, and glorified, and exalted above all for ever: and blessed is the holy name of thy glory: and worthy to be praised and exalted above all, in all ages.
A:30Blessed art thou in the holy temple of thy glory: and exceedingly to be praised, and exceeding glorious for ever.
A:31Blessed art thou on the throne of thy kingdom, and exceedingly to be praised, and exalted above all for ever.
A:32Blessed art thou that beholdest the depths, and sittest upon the cherubims: and worthy to be praised and exalted above all for ever.
A:33Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven: and worthy of praise, and glorious for ever.
A:34All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:35O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:36O ye heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:37O all ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:38O all ye powers of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:39O ye sun and moon, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:40O ye stars of heaven, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:41O every shower and dew, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:42O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:43O ye fire and heat, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:44O ye cold and heat, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:45O ye dews and hoar frosts, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:46O ye frost and cold, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:47O ye ice and snow, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:48O ye nights and days, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:49O ye light and darkness, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:50O ye lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:51O let the earth bless the Lord: let it praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:52O ye mountains and hills, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:53O all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:54O ye fountains, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:55O ye seas and rivers, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:56O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:57O all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:58O all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:59O ye sons of men, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:60O let Israel bless the Lord: let them praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:61O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:62O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:63O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:64O ye holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever.
A:65O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise and exalt him above all for ever. For he hath delivered us from hell, and saved us out of the hand of death, and delivered us out of the midst of the burning flame, and saved us out of the midst of the fire.
A:66O give thanks to the Lord, because he is good: because his mercy endureth for ever and ever.
A:67O all ye religious, bless the Lord, the God of gods: praise him, and give him thanks, because his mercy endureth for ever and ever.
3:24Then Nabuchodonosor, the king, was astonished, and rose up in haste, and said to his nobles: Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered the king, and said: True, O king.
3:25He answered, and said: Behold, I see four men loose, and walking in the midst of the fire, and there is no hurt in them, and the form of the fourth is like the son of God.
3:26Then Nabuchodonosor came to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and said: Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, ye servants of the most high God, go ye forth, and come. And immediately Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, went out from the midst of the fire.
3:27And the nobles, and the magistrates, and the judges, and the great men of the king, being gathered together, considered these men, that the fire had no power on their bodies, and that not a hair of their head had been singed, nor their garments altered, nor the smell of the fire had passed on them.
3:28Then Nabuchodonosor breaking forth, said: Blessed be the God of them, to wit, of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that believed in him: and they changed the king's word, and delivered up their bodies, that they might not serve nor adore any god except their own God.
3:29By me, therefore, this decree is made: That every people, tribe, and tongue, which shall speak blasphemy against the God of Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, shall be destroyed, and their houses laid waste: for there is no other God that can save in this manner.
3:30Then the king promoted Sidrach, Misach, and Abdenago, in the province of Babylon.
4:1¤ Nabuchodonosor, the king, to all peoples, nations, and tongues, that dwell in all the earth, peace be multiplied unto you.
4:2The most high God hath wrought signs and wonders towards me. It hath seemed good to me, therefore, to publish
4:3His signs, because they are great: and his wonders, because they are mighty: and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his power to all generations.
4:4I, Nabuchodonosor, was at rest in my house, and flourishing in my palace:
4:5I saw a dream that affrighted me: and my thoughts in my bed, and the visions of my head, troubled me.
4:6Then I set forth a decree, that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought in before me, and that they should shew me the interpretation of the dream.
4:7Then came in the diviners, the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers, and I told the dream before them: but they did not shew me the interpretation thereof.
4:8Till their colleague, Daniel, came in before me, whose name is Baltassar, according to the name of my god, who hath in him the spirit of the holy gods: and I told the dream before him.
4:9Baltassar, prince of the diviners, because I know that thou hast in thee the spirit of the holy gods, and that no secret is impossible to thee, tell me the visions of my dreams that I have seen, and the interpretation of them?
4:10This was the vision of my head in my bed: I saw, and behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was exceeding great.
4:11The tree was great and strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven: the sight thereof was even to the ends of all the earth.
4:12Its leaves were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much: and in it was food for all: under it dwelt cattle and beasts, and in the branches thereof the fowls of the air had their abode: and all flesh did eat of it.
4:13I saw in the vision of my head upon my bed, and behold a watcher, and a holy one came down from heaven.
4:14He cried aloud, and said thus: Cut down the tree, and chop off the branches thereof: shake off its leaves, and scatter its fruits: let the beasts fly away that are under it, and the birds from its branches.
4:15Nevertheless, leave the stump of its roots in the earth, and let it be tied with a band of iron and of brass, among the grass, that is without, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let its portion be with the wild beasts in the grass of the earth.
4:16Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given him: and let seven times pass over him.
4:17This is the decree by the sentence of the watchers, and the word and demand of the holy ones: till the living know, that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men: and he will give it to whomsoever it shall please him, and he will appoint the basest man over it.
4:18I, king Nabuchodonosor, saw this dream: thou, therefore, O Baltassar, tell me quickly the interpretation: for all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to declare the meaning of it to me: but thou art able, because the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.
4:19Then Daniel, whose name was Baltassar, began silently to think within himself for about one hour: and his thoughts troubled him. But the king answering, said: Baltassar, let not the dream and the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Baltassar answered, and said: My lord, the dream be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thy enemies.
4:20The tree which thou sawest, which was high and strong, whose height reached to the skies, and the sight thereof into all the earth:
4:21And the branches thereof were most beautiful, and its fruit exceeding much, and in it was food for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt, and the birds of the air had their abode in its branches.
4:22It is thou, O king, who art grown great, and become mighty: for thy greatness hath grown, and hath reached to heaven, and thy power unto the ends of the earth.
4:23And whereas the king saw a watcher, and a holy one come down from heaven, and say: Cut down the tree, and destroy it, but leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, and let it be bound with iron and brass, among the grass without, and let it be sprinkled with the dew of heaven, and let his feeding be with the wild beasts, till seven times pass over him.
4:24This is the interpretation of the sentence of the most High, which is come upon my lord, the king.
4:25They shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle, and with wild beasts, and thou shalt eat grass, as an ox, and shalt be wet with the dew of heaven: and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth over the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
4:26But whereas he commanded, that the stump of the roots thereof, that is, of the tree, should be left: thy kingdom shall remain to thee, after thou shalt have known that power is from heaven.
4:27Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to thee, and redeem thou thy sins with alms, and thy iniquities with works of mercy to the poor: perhaps he will forgive thy offences.
4:28All these things came upon king Nabuchodonosor.
4:29At the end of twelve months he was walking in the palace of Babylon.
4:30And the king answered, and said: Is not this the great Babylon, which I have built, to be the seat of the kingdom, by the strength of my power, and in the glory of my excellence?
4:31And while the word was yet in the king's mouth, a voice came down from heaven: To thee, O king Nabuchodonosor, it is said: Thy kingdom shall pass from thee.
4:32And they shall cast thee out from among men, and thy dwelling shall be with cattle and wild beasts: thou shalt eat grass like an ox, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
4:33The same hour the word was fulfilled upon Nabuchodonosor, and he was driven away from among men, and did eat grass, like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till his hairs grew like the feathers of eagles, and his nails like birds' claws.
4:34Now at the end of the days, I, Nabuchodonosor, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my sense was restored to me: and I blessed the most High, and I praised and glorified him that liveth for ever: for his power is an everlasting power, and his kingdom is to all generations.
4:35And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing before him: for he doth according to his will, as well with the powers of heaven, as among the inhabitants of the earth: and there is none that can resist his hand, and say to him: Why hast thou done it?
4:36At the same time my sense returned to me, and I came to the honour and glory of my kingdom: and my shape returned to me: and my nobles, and my magistrates, sought for me, and I was restored to my kingdom: and greater majesty was added to me.
4:37Therefore I, Nabuchodonosor, do now praise, and magnify, and glorify the King of heaven: because all his works are true, and his ways judgments, and them that walk in pride he is able to abase.
5:1¤ Baltasar, the king, made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles: and every one drank according to his age.
5:2And being now drunk, he commanded that they should bring the vessels of gold and silver, which Nabuchodonosor, his father, had brought away out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, that the king and his nobles, and his wives, and his concubines, might drink in them.
5:3Then were the golden and silver vessels brought, which he had brought away out of the temple that was in Jerusalem: and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
5:4They drank wine, and praised their gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone.
5:5In the same hour there appeared fingers, as it were of the hand of a man, writing over against the candlestick, upon the surface of the wall of the king's palace: and the king beheld the joints of the hand that wrote.
5:6Then was the king's countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him: and the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees struck one against the other.
5:7And the king cried out aloud to bring in the wise men, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke, and said to the wise men of Babylon: Whosoever shall read this writing, and shall make known to me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and shall have a golden chain on his neck, and shall be the third man in my kingdom.
5:8Then came in all the king's wise men, but they could neither read the writing, nor declare the interpretation to the king.
5:9Wherewith king Baltasar was much troubled, and his countenance was changed: and his nobles also were troubled.
5:10Then the queen, on occasion of what had happened to the king, and his nobles, came into the banquet-house: and she spoke, and said: O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, neither let thy countenance be changed.
5:11There is a man in thy kingdom that hath the spirit of the holy gods in him: and in the days of thy father knowledge and wisdom were found in him: for king Nabuchodonosor, thy father, appointed him prince of the wise men, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers, thy father, I say, O king:
5:12Because a greater spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, and interpretation of dreams, and shewing of secrets, and resolving of difficult things, were found in him, that is, in Daniel: whom the king named Baltassar. Now, therefore, let Daniel be called for, and he will tell the interpretation.
5:13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. And the king spoke, and said to him: Art thou Daniel, of the children of the captivity of Juda, whom my father, the king, brought out of Judea?
5:14I have heard of thee, that thou hast the spirit of the gods, and excellent knowledge, and understanding, and wisdom are found in thee.
5:15And now the wise men, the magicians, have come in before me, to read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof; and they could not declare to me the meaning of this writing.
5:16But I have heard of thee, that thou canst interpret obscure things, and resolve difficult things: now if thou art able to read the writing, and to shew me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with purple, and shalt have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third prince in my kingdom.
5:17To which Daniel made answer, and said before the king: thy rewards be to thyself, and the gifts of thy house give to another: but the writing I will read to thee, O king, and shew thee the interpretation thereof.
5:18O king, the most high God gave to Nabuchodonosor, thy father, a kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and honour.
5:19And for the greatness that he gave to him, all people, tribes, and languages trembled, and were afraid of him: whom he would, he slew: and whom he would, he destroyed: and whom he would, he set up: and whom he would, he brought down.
5:20But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit hardened unto pride, he was put down from the throne of his kingdom, and his glory was taken away.
5:21And he was driven out from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses, and he did eat grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven: till he knew that the most High ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he will set over it whomsoever it shall please him.
5:22Thou also, his son, O Baltasar, hast not humbled thy heart, whereas thou knewest all these things:
5:23But hast lifted thyself up against the Lord of heaven: and the vessels of his house have been brought before thee: and thou, and thy nobles, and thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them: and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and of gold, and of brass, of iron, and of wood, and of stone, that neither see, nor hear, nor feel: but the God who hath thy breath in his hand, and all thy ways, thou hast not glorified.
5:24Wherefore, he hath sent the part of the hand which hath written this that is set down.
5:25And this is the writing that is written: MANE, THECEL, PHARES.
5:26And this is the interpretation of the word. MANE: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and hath finished it.
5:27THECEL: thou art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting.
5:28PHARES: thy kingdom is divided, and is given to the Medes and Persians.
5:29Then by the king's command, Daniel was clothed with purple, and a chain of gold was put about his neck: and it was proclaimed of him that he had power as the third man in the kingdom.
5:30The same night Baltasar, the Chaldean king, was slain.
5:31And Darius, the Mede, succeeded to the kingdom, being threescore and two years old.
6:1¤ It seemed good to Darius, and he appointed over the kingdom a hundred and twenty governors, to be over his whole kingdom.
6:2And three princes over them of whom Daniel was one: that the governors might give an account to them, and the king might have no trouble.
6:3And Daniel excelled all the princes, and governors: because a greater spirit of God was in him.
6:4And the king thought to set him over all the kingdom; whereupon the princes, and the governors, sought to find occasion against Daniel, with regard to the king: and they could find no cause, nor suspicion, because he was faithful, and no fault, nor suspicion was found in him.
6:5Then these men said: We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, unless perhaps concerning the law of his God.
6:6Then the princes, and the governors, craftily suggested to the king, and spoke thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever:
6:7All the princes of the kingdom, the magistrates, and governors, the senators, and judges, have consulted together, that an imperial decree, and an edict be published: That whosoever shall ask any petition of any god, or man, for thirty days, but of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.
6:8Now, therefore, O king, confirm the sentence, and sign the decree: that what is decreed by the Medes and Persians may not be altered, nor any man be allowed to transgress it.
6:9So king Darius set forth the decree, and established it.
6:10Now, when Daniel knew this, that is to say, that the law was made, he went into his house: and opening the windows in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day, and adored and gave thanks before his God, as he had been accustomed to do before.
6:11Wherefore those men carefully watching him, found Daniel praying and making supplication to his God.
6:12And they came and spoke to the king concerning the edict: O king, hast thou not decreed, that every man that should make a request to any of the gods, or men, for thirty days, but to thyself, O king, should be cast into the den of the lions? And the king answered them, saying: The word is true, according to the decree of the Medes and Persians, which it is not lawful to violate.
6:13Then they answered, and said before the king: Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Juda, hath not regarded thy law, nor the decree that thou hast made: but three times a day he maketh his prayer.
6:14Now when the king had heard these words, he was very much grieved, and in behalf of Daniel he set his heart to deliver him, and even till sunset he laboured to save him.
6:15But those men perceiving the king's design, said to him: Know thou, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree which the king hath made, may be altered.
6:16Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of the lions. And the king said to Daniel: Thy God, whom thou always servest, he will deliver thee.
6:17And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den: which the king sealed with his own ring, and with the ring of his nobles, that nothing should be done against Daniel.
6:18And the king went away to his house, and laid himself down without taking supper, and meat was not set before him, and even sleep departed from him.
6:19Then the king rising very early in the morning, went in haste to the lions' den:
6:20And coming near to the den, cried with a lamentable voice to Daniel, and said to him: Daniel, servant of the living God, hath thy God, whom thou servest always, been able, thinkest thou, to deliver thee from the lions?
6:21And Daniel answering the king, said: O king, live for ever:
6:22My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut up the mouths of the lions, and they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him justice hath been found in me: yea, and before thee, O king, I have done no offence.
6:23Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and he commanded that Daniel should be taken out of the den: and Daniel was taken out of the den, and no hurt was found in him, because he believed in his God.
6:24And by the king's commandment, those men were brought that had accused Daniel: and they were cast into the lions' den, they and their children, and their wives: and they did not reach the bottom of the den, before the lions caught them, and broke all their bones in pieces.
6:25Then king Darius wrote to all people, tribes, and languages, dwelling in the whole earth: PEACE be multiplied unto you.
6:26It is decreed by me, that in all my empire and my kingdom, all men dread and fear the God of Daniel. For he is the living and eternal God for ever: and his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his power shall be for ever.
6:27He is the deliverer, and saviour, doing signs and wonders in heaven, and in earth: who hath delivered Daniel out of the lions' den.
6:28Now Daniel continued unto the reign of Darius, and the reign of Cyrus, the Persian.
13:65And king Astyages was gathered to his fathers; and Cyrus, the Persian, received his kingdom.
14:1¤ And Daniel was the king's guest, and was honoured above all his friends.
14:2Now the Babylonians had an idol called Bel: and there was spent upon him every day twelve great measures of fine flour, and forty sheep, and six vessels of wine.
14:3The king also worshipped him, and went every day to adore him: but Daniel adored his God. And the king said to him: Why dost thou not adore Bel?
14:4And he answered, and said to him: Because I do not worship idols made with hands, but the living God, that created heaven and earth, and hath power over all flesh.
14:5And the king said to him: Doth not Bel seem to thee to be a living god? Seest thou not how much he eateth and drinketh every day?
14:6Then Daniel smiled, and said: O king, be not deceived: for this is but clay within, and brass without, neither hath he eaten at any time.
14:7And the king being angry, called for his priests, and said to them: If you tell me not who it is that eateth up these expenses, you shall die.
14:8But if you can shew that Bel eateth these things, Daniel shall die, because he hath blasphemed against Bel. And Daniel said to the king: Be it done according to thy word.
14:9Now the priests of Bel were seventy, besides their wives, and little ones, and children. And the king went with Daniel into the temple of Bel.
14:10And the priests of Bel said: Behold, we go out: and do thou, O king, set on the meats, and make ready the wine, and shut the door fast, and seal it with thy own ring:
14:11And when thou comest in the morning, if thou findest not that Bel hath eaten up all, we will suffer death, or else Daniel, that hath lied against us.
14:12And they little regarded it, because they had made under the table a secret entrance, and they always came in by it, and consumed those things.
14:13So it came to pass after they were gone out, the king set the meats before Bel: and Daniel commanded his servants, and they brought ashes, and he sifted them all over the temple before the king: and going forth, they shut the door, and having sealed it with the king's ring, they departed.
14:14But the priests went in by night, according to their custom, with their wives, and their children: and they ate and drank up all.
14:15And the king arose early in the morning, and Daniel with him.
14:16And the king said: Are the seals whole, Daniel? And he answered: They are whole, O king.
14:17And as soon as he had opened the door, the king looked upon the table, and cried out with a loud voice: Great art thou, O Bel, and there is not any deceit with thee.
14:18And Daniel laughed: and he held the king, that he should not go in: and he said: Behold the pavement, mark whose footsteps these are.
14:19And the king said: I see the footsteps of men, and women, and children. And the king was angry.
14:20Then he took the priests, and their wives, and their children: and they shewed him the private doors by which they came in, and consumed the things that were on the table.
14:21The king, therefore, put them to death, and delivered Bel into the power of Daniel: who destroyed him and his temple.
14:22And there was a great dragon in that place, and the Babylonians worshipped him.
14:23And the king said to Daniel: Behold, thou canst not say now, that this is not a living god: adore him, therefore.
14:24And Daniel said: I adore the Lord, my God: for he is the living God: but that is no living god.
14:25But give me leave, O king, and I will kill this dragon without sword or club. And the king said, I give thee leave.
14:26Then Daniel took pitch, and fat, and hair, and boiled them together: and he made lumps, and put them into the dragon's mouth, and the dragon burst asunder. And he said: Behold him whom you worshipped.
14:27And when the Babylonians had heard this, they took great indignation: and being gathered together against the king, they said: The king is become a Jew. He hath destroyed Bel, he hath killed the dragon, and he hath put the priests to death.
14:28And they came to the king, and said: Deliver us Daniel, or else we will destroy thee and thy house.
14:29And the king saw that they pressed upon him violently: and being constrained by necessity: he delivered Daniel to them.
14:30And they cast him into the den of lions, and he was there six days.
14:31And in the den there were seven lions, and they had given to them two carcasses every day, and two sheep: but then they were not given unto them, that they might devour Daniel.
14:32Now there was in Judea a prophet called Habacuc, and he had boiled pottage, and had broken bread in a bowl: and was going into the field, to carry it to the reapers.
14:33And the angel of the Lord said to Habacuc: Carry the dinner which thou hast into Babylon, to Daniel, who is in the lions' den.
14:34And Habacuc said: Lord, I never saw Babylon, nor do I know the den.
14:35And the angel of the Lord took him by the top of his head, and carried him by the hair of his head, and set him in Babylon, over the den, in the force of his spirit.
14:36And Habacuc cried, saying: O Daniel, thou servant of God, take the dinner that God hath sent thee.
14:37And Daniel said, Thou hast remembered me, O God, and thou hast not forsaken them that love thee.
14:38And Daniel arose, and ate. And the angel of the Lord presently set Habacuc again in his own place.
14:39And upon the seventh day the king came to bewail Daniel: and he came to the den, and looked in, and behold Daniel was sitting in the midst of the lions.
14:40And the king cried out with a loud voice, saying: Great art thou, O Lord, the God of Daniel. And he drew him out of the lions' den.
14:41But those that had been the cause of his destruction, he cast into the den, and they were devoured in a moment before him.
14:42Then the king said: Let all the inhabitants of the whole earth fear the God of Daniel: for he is the Saviour, working signs, and wonders in the earth: who hath delivered Daniel out of the lions' den.