Daniel 1-3
Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
Four Young Israelites at the Babylonian Court
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoi′akim king of Judah, Nebuchadnez′zar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 And the Lord gave Jehoi′akim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and placed the vessels in the treasury of his god. 3 Then the king commanded Ash′penaz, his chief eunuch, to bring some of the people of Israel, both of the royal family and of the nobility, 4 youths without blemish, handsome and skilful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to serve in the king’s palace, and to teach them the letters and language of the Chalde′ans. 5 The king assigned them a daily portion of the rich food which the king ate, and of the wine which he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king. 6 Among these were Daniel, Hanani′ah, Mish′a-el, and Azari′ah of the tribe of Judah. 7 And the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: Daniel he called Belteshaz′zar, Hanani′ah he called Shadrach, Mish′a-el he called Meshach, and Azari′ah he called Abed′nego.
8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself[a] with the king’s rich food, or with the wine which he drank; therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself. 9 And God gave Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs; 10 and the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear lest my lord the king, who appointed your food and your drink, should see that you were in poorer condition than the youths who are of your own age. So you would endanger my head with the king.” 11 Then Daniel said to the steward whom the chief of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Hanani′ah, Mish′a-el, and Azari′ah, 12 “Test your servants for ten days; let us be given vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the youths who eat the king’s rich food be observed by you, and according to what you see deal with your servants.” 14 So he hearkened to them in this matter, and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days it was seen that they were better in appearance and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the king’s rich food. 16 So the steward took away their rich food and the wine they were to drink, and gave them vegetables.
17 As for these four youths, God gave them learning and skill in all letters and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. 18 At the end of the time, when the king had commanded that they should be brought in, the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnez′zar. 19 And the king spoke with them, and among them all none was found like Daniel, Hanani′ah, Mish′a-el, and Azari′ah; therefore they stood before the king. 20 And in every matter of wisdom and understanding concerning which the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters that were in all his kingdom. 21 And Daniel continued until the first year of King Cyrus.
Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
2 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnez′zar, Nebuchadnez′zar had dreams; and his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him. 2 Then the king commanded that the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and the Chalde′ans be summoned, to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 And the king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubled to know the dream.” 4 Then the Chalde′ans said to the king,[b] “O king, live for ever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation.” 5 The king answered the Chalde′ans, “The word from me is sure: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you shall be torn limb from limb, and your houses shall be laid in ruins. 6 But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time, “Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show its interpretation.” 8 The king answered, “I know with certainty that you are trying to gain time, because you see that the word from me is sure 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is but one sentence for you. You have agreed to speak lying and corrupt words before me till the times change. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that you can show me its interpretation.” 10 The Chalde′ans answered the king, “There is not a man on earth who can meet the king’s demand; for no great and powerful king has asked such a thing of any magician or enchanter or Chalde′an. 11 The thing that the king asks is difficult, and none can show it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
12 Because of this the king was angry and very furious, and commanded that all the wise men of Babylon be destroyed. 13 So the decree went forth that the wise men were to be slain, and they sought Daniel and his companions, to slay them. 14 Then Daniel replied with prudence and discretion to Ar′i-och, the captain of the king’s guard, who had gone out to slay the wise men of Babylon; 15 he said to Ar′i-och, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree of the king so severe?” Then Ar′i-och made the matter known to Daniel. 16 And Daniel went in and besought the king to appoint him a time, that he might show to the king the interpretation.
God Reveals Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream
17 Then Daniel went to his house and made the matter known to Hanani′ah, Mish′a-el, and Azari′ah, his companions, 18 and told them to seek mercy of the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. 19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven. 20 Daniel said:
“Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
22 he reveals deep and mysterious things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.
23 To thee, O God of my fathers,
I give thanks and praise,
for thou hast given me wisdom and strength,
and hast now made known to me what we asked of thee,
for thou hast made known to us the king’s matter.”
Daniel Interprets the Dream
24 Therefore Daniel went in to Ar′i-och, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and said thus to him, “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.”
25 Then Ar′i-och brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who can make known to the king the interpretation.” 26 The king said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshaz′zar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” 27 Daniel answered the king, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery which the king has asked, 28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnez′zar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: 29 To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be hereafter, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. 30 But as for me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living has this mystery been revealed to me, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind.
31 “You saw, O king, and behold, a great image. This image, mighty and of exceeding brightness, stood before you, and its appearance was frightening. 32 The head of this image was of fine gold, its breast and arms of silver, its belly and thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay. 34 As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it smote the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces; 35 then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, 38 and into whose hand he has given, wherever they dwell, the sons of men, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the air, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. 39 After you shall arise another kingdom inferior to you, and yet a third kingdom of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. 40 And there shall be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things; and like iron which crushes, it shall break and crush all these. 41 And as you saw the feet and toes partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom; but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the miry clay. 42 And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 As you saw the iron mixed with miry clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage,[c] but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. 44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever; 45 just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be hereafter. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
Daniel and His Friends Promoted
46 Then King Nebuchadnez′zar fell upon his face, and did homage to Daniel, and commanded that an offering and incense be offered up to him. 47 The king said to Daniel, “Truly, your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and a revealer of mysteries, for you have been able to reveal this mystery.” 48 Then the king gave Daniel high honors and many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel remained at the king’s court.
The Golden Image
3 King Nebuchadnez′zar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnez′zar sent to assemble the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnez′zar had set up. 3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, were assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnez′zar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnez′zar had set up. 4 And the herald proclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnez′zar has set up; 6 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all the peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image which King Nebuchadnez′zar had set up.
8 Therefore at that time certain Chalde′ans came forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnez′zar, “O king, live for ever! 10 You, O king, have made a decree, that every man who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image; 11 and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego. These men, O king, pay no heed to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”
13 Then Nebuchadnez′zar in furious rage commanded that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego be brought. Then they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnez′zar said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, well and good; but if you do not worship, you shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace; and who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnez′zar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.[d] 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”
The Fiery Furnace
19 Then Nebuchadnez′zar was full of fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20 And he ordered certain mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were bound in their mantles,[e] their tunics,[f] their hats, and their other garments, and they were cast into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was strict and the furnace very hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace.[g]
The Prayer of Azariah in the Furnace
1 And they walked about in the midst of the flames, singing hymns to God and blessing the Lord. 2 Then Azari′ah stood and offered this prayer; in the midst of the fire he opened his mouth and said:
3 “Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers, and worthy of praise;
and thy name is glorified for ever.
4 For thou art just in all that thou hast done to us,
and all thy works are true and thy ways right,
and all thy judgments are truth.
5 Thou hast executed true judgments in all that thou hast brought upon us
and upon Jerusalem, the holy city of our fathers,
for in truth and justice thou hast brought all this upon us because of our sins.
6 For we have sinfully and lawlessly departed from thee,
and have sinned in all things and have not obeyed thy commandments;
7 we have not observed them or done them,
as thou hast commanded us that it might go well with us.
8 So all that thou hast brought upon us,
and all that thou hast done to us,
thou hast done in true judgment.
9 Thou hast given us into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful rebels,
and to an unjust king, the most wicked in all the world.
10 And now we cannot open our mouths;
shame and disgrace have befallen thy servants and worshipers.
11 For thy name’s sake do not give us up utterly,
and do not break thy covenant,
12 and do not withdraw thy mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham thy beloved
and for the sake of Isaac thy servant
and Israel thy holy one,
13 to whom thou didst promise
to make their descendants as many as the stars of heaven
and as the sand on the shore of the sea.
14 For we, O Lord, have become fewer than any nation,
and are brought low this day in all the world because of our sins.
15 And at this time there is no prince, or prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, or sacrifice, or oblation, or incense,
no place to make an offering before thee or to find mercy.
16 Yet with a contrite heart and a humble spirit may we be accepted,
as though it were with burnt offerings of rams and bulls,
and with tens of thousands of fat lambs;
17 such may our sacrifice be in thy sight this day,
and may we wholly follow thee,
for there will be no shame for those who trust in thee.
18 And now with all our heart we follow thee,
we fear thee and seek thy face.
19 Do not put us to shame,
but deal with us in thy forbearance
and in thy abundant mercy.
20 Deliver us in accordance with thy marvelous works,
and give glory to thy name, O Lord!
Let all who do harm to thy servants be put to shame;
21 let them be disgraced and deprived of all power and dominion,
and let their strength be broken.
22 Let them know that thou art the Lord, the only God,
glorious over the whole world.”
The Song of the Three Jews
23 Now the king’s servants who threw them in did not cease feeding the furnace fires with naphtha, pitch, tow, and brush. 24 And the flame streamed out above the furnace forty-nine cubits, 25 and it broke through and burned those of the Chalde′ans whom it caught about the furnace. 26 But the angel of the Lord came down into the furnace to be with Azari′ah and his companions, and drove the fiery flame out of the furnace, 27 and made the midst of the furnace like a moist whistling wind, so that the fire did not touch them at all or hurt or trouble them.
28 Then the three, as with one mouth, praised and glorified and blessed God in the furnace, saying:
29 “Blessed art thou, O Lord, God of our fathers,
and to be praised and highly exalted for ever;
30 And blessed is thy glorious, holy name
and to be highly praised and highly exalted for ever;
31 Blessed art thou in the temple of thy holy glory
and to be extolled and highly glorified for ever.
32 Blessed art thou, who sittest upon cherubim and lookest upon the deeps,
and to be praised and highly exalted for ever.
33 Blessed art thou upon the throne of thy kingdom
and to be extolled and highly exalted for ever.
34 Blessed art thou in the firmament of heaven
and to be sung and glorified for ever.
35 “Bless the Lord, all works of the Lord,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
36 Bless the Lord, you heavens,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
37 Bless the Lord, you angels of the Lord,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
38 Bless the Lord, all waters above the heaven,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
39 Bless the Lord, all powers,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
40 Bless the Lord, sun and moon,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
41 Bless the Lord, stars of heaven,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
42 Bless the Lord, all rain and dew,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
43 Bless the Lord, all winds,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
44 Bless the Lord, fire and heat,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
45 Bless the Lord, winter cold and summer heat,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
46 Bless the Lord, dews and snows,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
47 Bless the Lord, nights and days,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
48 Bless the Lord, light and darkness,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
49 Bless the Lord, ice and cold,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
50 Bless the Lord, frosts and snows,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
51 Bless the Lord, lightnings and clouds,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
52 Let the earth bless the Lord;
let it sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
53 Bless the Lord, mountains and hills,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
54 Bless the Lord, all things that grow on the earth,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
55 Bless the Lord, you springs,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
56 Bless the Lord, seas and rivers,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
57 Bless the Lord, you whales and all creatures that move in the waters,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
58 Bless the Lord, all birds of the air,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
59 Bless the Lord, all beasts and cattle,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
60 Bless the Lord, you sons of men,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
61 Bless the Lord, O Israel,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
62 Bless the Lord, you priests of the Lord,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
63 Bless the Lord, you servants of the Lord,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
64 Bless the Lord, spirits and souls of the righteous,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
65 Bless the Lord, you who are holy and humble in heart,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever.
66 Bless the Lord, Hanani′ah, Azari′ah, and Mish′ael,
sing praise to him and highly exalt him for ever;
for he has rescued us from Hades and saved us from the hand of death,
and delivered us from the midst of the burning fiery furnace;
from the midst of the fire he has delivered us.
67 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his mercy endures for ever.
68 Bless him, all who worship the Lord, the God of gods,
sing praise to him and give thanks to him,
for his mercy endures for ever.”[h]
24 Then King Nebuchadnez′zar was astonished and rose up in haste. He said to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?” They answered the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered, “But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods.”
26 Then Nebuchadnez′zar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego, servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego came out from the fire. 27 And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men; the hair of their heads was not singed, their mantles[i] were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnez′zar said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego, who has sent his angel and delivered his servants, who trusted in him, and set at nought the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I make a decree: Any people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins; for there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed′nego in the province of Babylon.
Footnotes
- 1.8 would not defile himself. When the Greek persecution broke out, the king tried to get the Jews to break their laws about food and drink, and such breaches of the law were taken to be apostasy; cf. 2 Macc 6.18–7.42.
- Daniel 2:4 Heb adds in Aramaic, indicating that the text from this point to the end of chapter 7 is in Aramaic
- Daniel 2:43 Aramaic by the seed of men
- Daniel 3:17 Or Behold, our God . . . king. Or If our God is able to deliver us, he will deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and out of your hand, O king.
- Daniel 3:21 The meaning of the Aramaic word is uncertain
- Daniel 3:21 The meaning of the Aramaic word is uncertain
- 3.23 After this verse the section (sixty-eight verses) printed in italics is contained only in the Greek. It is here translated from Theodotion’s version. Concordance of verse numberings:
RSV Vulgate RSV Vulgate 1-28 24-51 36 59 29-30 52 37 58 31 53 38-45 60-67 32 55 46 68-69 33 54 47 71 34 56 48 72 35 57 49-50 70 51-68 73-90 - 3.68 The reader will notice that the roman figures used for the remaining verses of this chapter take up again the numbering of the protocanonical text. Verses 24-30 are numbered 91-97 in the Greek and Vulgate; they are written in Aramaic, not Hebrew.
- Daniel 3:27 The meaning of the Aramaic word is uncertain
The Revised Standard Version of the Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1965, 1966 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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