²⁴ Then King Nebuchadnezzar was ^(A)astonished and rose up ^(B)in haste. He declared to his ^(C)counselors, “Did we not cast three men ^(D)bound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” ²⁵ He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, ^(E)walking in the midst of the fire, and they ^(F)are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like ^(G)a son of the gods.”

²⁶ Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, ^(H)“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the ^(I)Most High God, come out, and come here!” Then ^(J)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. ²⁷ And the ^(K)satraps, the prefects, the governors, and ^(L)the king's counselors gathered together and saw that ^(M)the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their ^(N)cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. ²⁸ Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of ^(O)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who ^(P)has sent his angel and ^(Q)delivered his servants, who ^(R)trusted in him, and set aside^[a] the king's command, and yielded up their bodies rather than ^(S)serve and worship any god except their own God. ²⁹ Therefore ^(T)I make a decree: Any ^(U)people, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of ^(V)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ^(W)shall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” ³⁰ Then the king promoted ^(X)Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in ^(Y)the province of Babylon.

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

4 ^[b] King Nebuchadnezzar to all ^(Z)peoples, nations, and languages, ^(AA)that dwell in all the earth: ^(AB)Peace be multiplied to you! ² It has seemed good to me to show the ^(AC)signs and wonders that the ^(AD)Most High God has done for me.

Nebuchadnezzar's Second Dream

^4 [c] I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. ⁵ I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and ^(AI)the visions of my head alarmed me. ⁶ So ^(AJ)I made a decree that ^(AK)all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. ⁷ Then ^(AL)the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but ^(AM)they could not make known to me its interpretation. ⁸ At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named ^(AN)Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is ^(AO)the spirit of the holy gods^[d]—and I told him the dream, saying, ⁹ “O Belteshazzar, ^(AP)chief of the magicians, because I know that ^(AQ)the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no ^(AR)mystery is too difficult for you, tell me ^(AS)the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. ^10 (AT)The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and ^(AU)behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. ^11 (AV)The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. ^12 (AW)Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. ^(AX)The beasts of the field found shade under it, and ^(AY)the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

¹³ “I saw in ^(AZ)the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, ^(BA)a watcher, ^(BB)a holy one, came down from heaven. ¹⁴ He ^(BC)proclaimed aloud and said thus: ^(BD)‘Chop down the tree and ^(BE)lop off its branches, ^(BF)strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. ^(BG)Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. ¹⁵ But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. ¹⁶ Let his mind be changed from a man's, and let a beast's mind be given to him; ^(BH)and let seven periods of time ^(BI)pass over him. ¹⁷ The sentence is by the decree of ^(BJ)the watchers, the decision by the word of ^(BK)the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High ^(BL)rules the kingdom of men ^(BM)and gives it to whom he will and ^(BN)sets over it the lowliest of men.’ ¹⁸ This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O ^(BO)Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because ^(BP)all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for ^(BQ)the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

¹⁹ Then Daniel, whose name was ^(BR)Belteshazzar, was ^(BS)dismayed for a while, and ^(BT)his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, ^(BU)may the dream be for those who hate you ^(BV)and its interpretation for your enemies! ^20 (BW)The tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, ^21 (BX)whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— ^22 (BY)it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. ^(BZ)Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, ^(CA)and your dominion to the ends of the earth. ²³ And because the king saw ^(CB)a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ^(CC)‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till ^(CD)seven periods of time pass over him,’ ²⁴ this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, ^25 (CE)that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made ^(CF)to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and ^(CG)seven periods of time shall pass over you, till ^(CH)you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. ²⁶ And as it was commanded ^(CI)to leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. ²⁷ Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by ^(CJ)practicing righteousness, ^(CK)and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, ^(CL)that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Greeting

^1 (A)The elder to the elect lady and her children, ^(B)whom I love in truth, and not only I, but also all who ^(C)know ^(D)the truth, ^2 (E)because of the truth that abides in us and will be with us forever:

^3 (F)Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us, from God the Father and from Jesus Christ the Father's Son, in truth and love.

Walking in Truth and Love

^4 (G)I rejoiced greatly to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as we were commanded by the Father. ⁵ And now I ask you, dear lady—^(H)not as though I were writing you a new commandment, but the one we have had from the beginning—^(I)that we love one another. ⁶ And ^(J)this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just ^(K)as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it. ⁷ For ^(L)many deceivers ^(M)have gone out into the world, ^(N)those who do not confess the coming of Jesus Christ in the flesh. Such a one is the deceiver and the antichrist. ⁸ Watch yourselves, ^(O)so that you may not lose what we^[a] have worked for, but ^(P)may win a full reward. ⁹ Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, ^(Q)does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching ^(R)has both the Father and the Son. ¹⁰ If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, ^(S)do not receive him into your house or give him any greeting, ¹¹ for whoever greets him ^(T)takes part in his wicked works.

Final Greetings

^12 (U)Though I have much to write to you, I would rather not use paper and ink. ^(V)Instead I hope to come to you and talk face to face, ^(W)so that our joy may be complete.

¹³ The children of your elect sister greet you.