Study Desk

Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled and his countenance changed and his princes were bewildered.

Now the queen, because of the conversation of the king and his princes, came into the banquet house, and she spoke and said to the king, O king, live for ever; let not your thoughts trouble you nor let your countenance be changed;

Because of his spiritual power, knowledge, and understanding which he possesses, to interpret the dreams, devise proverbs, and solve riddles, even Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.

But when his heart was lifted up and his pride increased, he was deposed from his kingly throne and his glory passed away from him;

And he was driven from among men; and his heart became like that of the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses; they fed him with grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hair grew like eagles feathers and his nails like birds claws till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and that he gives it to whom he pleases and he appoints over it the weakest among men.

And you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all these things;

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.

Then the palm of the hand was sent from his presence; and this writing was written.

Then commanded King Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold about his neck and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be a ruler over a third of the kingdom.

IT pleased Darius to appoint over the kingdom a hundred and twenty generals to be over his whole kingdom;

Then Daniel excelled above all the presidents and generals, because he was more spiritual; and the king thought to set him over his whole kingdom.

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.

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.

Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel, who is of the exiles from Judea, has not regarded you, O king, nor the decree which you have made, but he makes his petition three times a day.

Then the king, when he heard these words, was very much grieved, and made up his mind to deliver Daniel; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

And they brought a large stone and laid it upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his princes, so that the sentence might not be changed concerning Daniel.

Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting; no food was brought before him, and his sleep departed from him.

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.