Study Desk

They will teach My people the difference between what is holy and what is not. And they will teach them to know what is unclean and what is clean.

In an argument, the religious leaders will serve as judges, and will judge by My Laws. They will also keep My Laws in all My special suppers. And they will keep My Day of Rest holy.

They will eat the grain gift, the sin gift, and the guilt gift. Everything in Israel that is set apart to Me will be theirs.

The ruler should come in when the people come in, and leave when they leave.

He said to me, "This is the place where the religious leaders will boil the guilt gift and the sin gift, and make the grain gift ready. This is so they will not bring them into the outer open space and make the people holy."

He said to me, "These waters go out toward the east country and down into the Arabah, then flow into the Dead sea. When they flow into the sea, the waters there become clean again.

But its wet places and pools will not be good for animal life. They will be left for salt.

All kinds of fruit trees will grow on both sides of the river. Their leaves will not dry up, and they will never stop giving fruit. They will give fruit every month because their water flows from the holy place. Their fruit will be for food and their leaves for healing."

Divide it by drawing names for yourselves and for the people from other lands who live with you and raise their children among you. You are to think of them as if they were born Israelites. They must be given a share of land with you among the families of Israel.

They must not sell or trade any of it. This is the best part of the land, and it must not pass into other hands. For it is holy to the Lord.

They were to be young men, perfect in body, good-looking, with wisdom, understanding, much learning, and able to serve in the king's house. The king told Ashpenaz to teach them the writings and language of the Babylonians.

And the king gave them a share of his best food and wine every day. They were to be taught for three years, and after that they were to serve the king.

So the man who watched over them took away the best food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

The king talked with them, and found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they became the king's own helpers.

Every time the king asked them questions that needed wise and understanding answers, he found that they knew ten times more than all the wonder-workers under his rule who used their secret ways.

Then the king called for the wonder-workers, those who used secret ways, those who learned from stars, to tell the king what he had dreamed. So they came in and stood in front of the king.

They answered the king a second time, saying, "Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will tell you what it means."

So the law was sent out that the wise men must be killed. They looked for Daniel and his friends, to kill them also.

So all the captains, leaders, rulers, wise men, money-keepers, judges, and law-keepers of Babylon's lands were gathered together for the special time of setting apart this object Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood in front of it.

There are certain Jews whom you have chosen as leaders over the land of Babylon. Their names are Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men have not listened to you, O king. They do not serve your gods or worship the object of gold which you have set up."