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And the decree went foorth that the wise men should be slaine, and they sought Daniel and his fellowes to be slaine.

Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing knowen to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah his companions:

That they would desire mercies of the God of heauen concerning this secret, that Daniel and his fellowes should not perish with the rest of the Wise men of Babylon.

Daniel answered and said; Blessed be the name of God for euer and euer: for wisedome and might are his:

This images head was of fine gold, his breast and his armes of siluer, his belly and his thighes of brasse:

His legs of yron, his feete part of yron, and part of clay.

Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image vpon his feete that were of yron and clay, and brake them to pieces.

Then the King Nebuchadnezzar fell vpon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation, and sweet odours vnto him.

Then Nebuchad-nezzar in his rage and furie commaunded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: then they brought these men before the King.

Then was Nebuchad-nezzar full of furie, and the forme of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego: therefore he spake and commanded, that they should heat the furnace one seuen times more then it was wont to be heat.

And hee commaunded the most mighty men that were in his armie, to binde Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fierie furnace.

Then Nebuchad-nezzar the king was astonied, and rose vp in haste, and spake and said vnto his counsellers, Did not wee cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said vnto the king; True, O king.

Then Nebuchad-nezzar spake and said; Blessed bee the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his Angel, and deliuered his seruants that trusted in him, and haue changed the Kings word, and yeelded their bodies, that they might not serue nor worship any God, except their owne God.

How great are his signes? and how mighty are his wonders? his kingdome is an euerlasting kingdome, and his dominion is fro generation to generation.

He cryed aloude, and said thus; Hew downe the tree, and cut off his branches; shake off his leaues, and scatter his fruite; let the beasts get away from vnder it, and the foules from his branches.

Neuerthelesse leaue the stumpe of his rootes in the earth, euen with a band of yron and brasse, in the tender grasse of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heauen, and let his portion be with the beastes in the grasse of the earth.

Let his heart bee changed from mans, and let a beasts heart be giuen vnto him, and let seuen times passe ouer him.

Then Daniel (whose name was Belteshazzar) was astonied for one houre, and his thoughts troubled him: The King spake, and said, Belteshazzar, let not the dreame, or the interpretation thereof trouble thee. Belteshazzar answered; and said; My lord, the dreame be to them that hate thee, and the interpretation thereof to thine enemies.

And whereas the King saw a watcher, and an holy one comming downe from heauen, and saying, Hew the tree downe, and destroy it, yet leaue the stumpe of the rootes thereof in the earth, euen with a band of yron and brasse in the tender grasse of the field, and let it be wet with the dewe of heauen, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seuen times passe ouer him:

The same houre was the thing fulfilled vpon Nebuchad-nezzar, and he was driuen from men, and did eate grasse as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heauen, till his haires were growen like Egles feathers, and his nailes like birds clawes.