Study Desk

But have lifted up yourself against the LORD of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your princes, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine out of them; and you have praised the gods of gold and silver, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which neither see nor hear nor know; and the God in whose hands is your breath and all your ways, you have not glorified nor honored.

This is the interpretation of the words: MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and brought it to an end.

Then the governors and generals sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the affairs of the kingdom; but they could find no fault or occasion because he was faithful to his God, neither were they able to find any blame or charge against him.

Then these men said, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel unless we find it against him in connection with the law of his God.

All the governors of the kingdom, the princes, the generals, and the lords 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, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house, and the windows of his chamber were open toward Jerusalem; he knelt upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done before.

Then these men spied, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

And they came near and said before the king, O king, live for ever! Did you not decree and sign, O king, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man within thirty days, except of you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The decree is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be altered.

Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. And the king spoke and said to Daniel, Your God whom you serve continually, he will deliver you.

And when he came to the den, he cried with a loud voice to Daniel, and the king spoke and said to Daniel. O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to deliver you from the lions?

My God has sent his angel and has shut the lions mouths, and they have not hurt me, because I was innocent before him; and also before you, O king, I have committed no offense.

Then 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 manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

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 endures for ever, and his kingdom shall not be destroyed and his dominion shall be even to the end.

And I lifted up my face before the LORD God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting and with sackcloth and with ashes;

And I prayed before the LORD my God and made my confession and said, I beseech thee, O LORD, the great and revered God, who keepest the covenant and mercy to them that love him and to them that keep his commandments;

To the LORD God belong mercies and forgiveness of sins, for we have rebelled against him;

Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk according to his laws which he set before us by his servants the prophets.

Yea, all Israel have transgressed thy law and have gone astray and have not obeyed thy voice; therefore thou hast brought upon them the curses and the oaths that are written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned in his presence.

As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us; yet we have not prayed before the LORD our God, that we might repent from our iniquities and understand thy truth.

Therefore the LORD has stirred up this evil and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he has done, and yet we have not obeyed his voice.