Study Desk

'They put him in a wooden collar with hooks And brought him to the king of Babylon; They brought him in hunting nets So that his voice would no longer be heard On the mountains of Israel.

"Now as for you, son of man, make two ways for the sword of the king of Babylon to come; both of them will go out of one land. And make a signpost; make it at the head of the way to the city.

"For the king of Babylon stands at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination; he shakes the arrows, he consults the household idols, he looks at the liver.

"Son of man, write the name of the day, this very day. The king of Babylon has laid siege to Jerusalem this very day.

For the Lord GOD says this: "Behold, I am going to bring upon Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses, chariots, cavalry, and a great army.

"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made his army labor hard against Tyre; every head had a bald spot and every shoulder was rubbed raw. But he and his army acquired no wages from Tyre for the labor that he had performed against it."

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: "Behold, I am going to give the land of Egypt to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon. And he will carry off her wealth and capture her spoils and seize her plunder; and it will be wages for his army.

'This is what the Lord GOD says: "I will also make the hordes of Egypt cease By the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

'For I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; and I will break the arms of Pharaoh, so that he will groan before him with the groans of a wounded man.

'So I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, but the arms of Pharaoh will fail. Then they will know that I am the LORD, when I put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon and he reaches out with it against the land of Egypt.

For the Lord GOD says this: "The sword of the king of Babylon will attack you.

In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

Because of this, the king became angry and extremely furious, and he gave orders to kill all the wise men of Babylon.

Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to Arioch, the captain of the king's bodyguard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon;

so that they might request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this secret, so that Daniel and his friends would not be killed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

Thereupon, Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to kill the wise men of Babylon; he went and said this to him: "Do not kill the wise men of Babylon! Take me into the king's presence, and I will declare the interpretation to the king."

Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon, and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

And Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king's court.

Nebuchadnezzar the king made a statue of gold, the height of which was sixty cubits, and its width six cubits; he set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

"There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon, namely Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men, O king, have disregarded you; they do not serve your gods, nor do they worship the golden statue which you have set up."