Study Desk

And at the end of the dayes, I Nebuchad-nezzar lift vp mine eyes vnto heauen, and mine vnderstanding returned vnto me, and I blessed the most high, and I praised, and honoured him that liueth for euer, whose dominion is an euerlasting dominion, and his kingdome is from generation to generation.

And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and hee doth according to his will in the armie of heauen, and among the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say vnto him, What doest thou?

Now I Nebuchad-nezzar praise, and extoll and honour the King of heauen, all whose workes are truth, and his waies iudgement, and those that walke in pride he is able to abase.

Belshazzar the King made a great feast to a thousand of his Lords, and dranke wine before the thousand.

Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commaunded to bring the golden and siluer vessels, which his father Nebuchad-nezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Ierusalem, that the king and his princes, his wiues, and his concubines might drinke therein.

Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God, which was at Ierusalem, and the king and his princes, his wiues, and his concubines dranke in them.

Then the kings countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the ioints of his loines were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.

The king cried aloud to bring in the Astrologers, the Caldeans, and the soothsayers: and the king spake and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoeuer shall reade this writing, and shewe me the interpretation thereof, shall bee clothed with scarlet, and haue a chaine of gold about his necke, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdome.

Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lordes were astonied.

Now the queene, by reason of the wordes of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house, and the queene spake and said, O king, liue for euer: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

But when his heart was lifted vp, and his minde hardened in pride: hee was deposed from his kingly throne, and they tooke his glory from him.

And hee was driuen from the sonnes of men, and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wilde asses: they fed him with grasse like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heauen, till hee knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdome of men, and that hee appointeth ouer it whomsoeuer he will.

And thou his sonne, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this:

But hast lifted vp thy selfe against the Lord of heauen, and they haue brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wiues and thy concubines haue drunke wine in them, and thou hast praised the gods of siluer, and golde, of brasse, yron, wood and stone, which see not, nor heare, nor knowe: and the God in whose hande thy breath is, and whose are all thy wayes, hast thou not glorified.

Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chaine of gold about his necke, and made a Proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdome.

Then said these men, We shall not finde any occasion against this Daniel, except wee finde it against him concerning the Law of his God.

Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, hee went into his house, and his windowes being open in his chamber toward Ierusalem, hee kneeled vpon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gaue thankes before his God, as hee did afore time.

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

Then answered they and said before the king; That Daniel which is of the captiuity of the children of Iudah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day.

Then the king, when hee heard these wordes, was sore displeased with himselfe, and set his heart on Daniel to deliuer him: and he laboured till the going downe of the sunne, to deliuer him.