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Daniel Saved from the Lions

19 Then at dawn, the king got up and at first light hurried to the den of lions. 20 When he came near the den where Daniel was, he cried out anxiously to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you faithfully serve been able to deliver you from the lions?”(A) 21 Daniel then said to the king, “O king, live forever! 22 My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths so that they would not hurt me, because I was found blameless before him; also before you, O king, I have done no wrong.”(B) 23 Then the king was exceedingly glad and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him because he had trusted in his God.(C) 24 The king gave a command, and those who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. Before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.(D)

25 Then King Darius wrote to all peoples and nations of every language throughout the whole world: “May you have abundant prosperity!(E) 26 I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people shall tremble and fear before the God of Daniel:

For he is the living God,
    enduring forever.
His kingdom shall never be destroyed,
    and his dominion has no end.(F)
27 He delivers and rescues;
    he works signs and wonders in heaven and on earth;
he has saved Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”

28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.(G)

Visions of the Four Beasts

In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream:[a](H) I,[b] Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.(I) The first was like a lion and had eagles’ wings. Then, as I watched, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a human being, and a human mind was given to it.(J) Another beast appeared, a second one, that looked like a bear. It was raised up on one side, had three tusks[c] in its mouth among its teeth, and was told, “Arise, devour many bodies!” After this, as I watched, another appeared, like a leopard. The beast had four wings of a bird on its back and four heads, and dominion was given to it.(K) After this I saw in the visions by night a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth and was devouring, breaking in pieces, and stamping what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that preceded it, and it had ten horns.(L) I was considering the horns when another horn appeared, a little one that came up among them. Three of the original horns were plucked up from before it. There were eyes like human eyes in this horn and a mouth speaking arrogantly.(M)

Judgment before the Ancient One

As I watched,
thrones were set in place,
    and an Ancient One[d] took his throne;
his clothing was white as snow
    and the hair of his head like pure wool;
his throne was fiery flames,
    and its wheels were burning fire.(N)
10 A stream of fire issued
    and flowed out from his presence.
A thousand thousands served him,
    and ten thousand times ten thousand stood attending him.
The court sat in judgment,
    and the books were opened.(O)

11 I watched then because of the noise of the arrogant words that the horn was speaking. And as I watched, the beast was put to death and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.(P) 12 As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. 13 As I watched in the night visions,

I saw one like a human being[e]
    coming with the clouds of heaven.
And he came to the Ancient One[f]
    and was presented before him.(Q)
14 To him was given dominion
    and glory and kingship,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
    should serve him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion
    that shall not pass away,
and his kingship is one
    that shall never be destroyed.(R)

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me,[g] and the visions of my head terrified me.(S) 16 I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter:(T) 17 “As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. 18 But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever.”(U)

19 Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet; 20 and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and concerning the other horn that came up and before which three others had fallen—the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly and that seemed greater than the others. 21 As I looked, that horn made war with the holy ones and was prevailing over them,(V) 22 until the Ancient One[h] came; then judgment was given for the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived when the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom.(W)

Footnotes

  1. 7.1 Q ms Theodotion: MT adds the beginning of the words; he said
  2. 7.2 Theodotion: Aram Daniel answered and said, I
  3. 7.5 Or ribs
  4. 7.9 Aram an Ancient of Days
  5. 7.13 Aram one like a son of man
  6. 7.13 Aram the Ancient of Days
  7. 7.15 Aram troubled in its sheath
  8. 7.22 Aram the Ancient of Days

19 At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den. 20 When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”(A)

21 Daniel answered, “May the king live forever!(B) 22 My God sent his angel,(C) and he shut the mouths of the lions.(D) They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.(E) Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty.”

23 The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound(F) was found on him, because he had trusted(G) in his God.

24 At the king’s command, the men who had falsely accused Daniel were brought in and thrown into the lions’ den,(H) along with their wives and children.(I) And before they reached the floor of the den, the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.(J)

25 Then King Darius wrote to all the nations and peoples of every language(K) in all the earth:

“May you prosper greatly!(L)

26 “I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence(M) the God of Daniel.(N)

“For he is the living God(O)
    and he endures forever;(P)
his kingdom will not be destroyed,
    his dominion will never end.(Q)
27 He rescues and he saves;(R)
    he performs signs and wonders(S)
    in the heavens and on the earth.
He has rescued Daniel
    from the power of the lions.”(T)

28 So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus[a](U) the Persian.(V)

Daniel’s Dream of Four Beasts

In the first year of Belshazzar(W) king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions(X) passed through his mind(Y) as he was lying in bed.(Z) He wrote(AA) down the substance of his dream.

Daniel said: “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me were the four winds of heaven(AB) churning up the great sea. Four great beasts,(AC) each different from the others, came up out of the sea.

“The first was like a lion,(AD) and it had the wings of an eagle.(AE) I watched until its wings were torn off and it was lifted from the ground so that it stood on two feet like a human being, and the mind of a human was given to it.

“And there before me was a second beast, which looked like a bear. It was raised up on one of its sides, and it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. It was told, ‘Get up and eat your fill of flesh!’(AF)

“After that, I looked, and there before me was another beast, one that looked like a leopard.(AG) And on its back it had four wings like those of a bird. This beast had four heads, and it was given authority to rule.

“After that, in my vision(AH) at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron(AI) teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled(AJ) underfoot whatever was left.(AK) It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns.(AL)

“While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little(AM) one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being(AN) and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(AO)

“As I looked,

“thrones were set in place,
    and the Ancient of Days(AP) took his seat.(AQ)
His clothing was as white as snow;(AR)
    the hair of his head was white like wool.(AS)
His throne was flaming with fire,
    and its wheels(AT) were all ablaze.
10 A river of fire(AU) was flowing,
    coming out from before him.(AV)
Thousands upon thousands attended him;
    ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.
The court was seated,
    and the books(AW) were opened.

11 “Then I continued to watch because of the boastful words the horn was speaking.(AX) I kept looking until the beast was slain and its body destroyed and thrown into the blazing fire.(AY) 12 (The other beasts had been stripped of their authority, but were allowed to live for a period of time.)

13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[b](AZ) coming(BA) with the clouds of heaven.(BB) He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority,(BC) glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him.(BD) His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom(BE) is one that will never be destroyed.(BF)

The Interpretation of the Dream

15 “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.(BG) 16 I approached one of those standing there and asked him the meaning of all this.

“So he told me and gave me the interpretation(BH) of these things: 17 ‘The four great beasts are four kings that will rise from the earth. 18 But the holy people(BI) of the Most High will receive the kingdom(BJ) and will possess it forever—yes, for ever and ever.’(BK)

19 “Then I wanted to know the meaning of the fourth beast, which was different from all the others and most terrifying, with its iron teeth and bronze claws—the beast that crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. 20 I also wanted to know about the ten horns(BL) on its head and about the other horn that came up, before which three of them fell—the horn that looked more imposing than the others and that had eyes and a mouth that spoke boastfully.(BM) 21 As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them,(BN) 22 until the Ancient of Days came and pronounced judgment in favor of the holy people of the Most High, and the time came when they possessed the kingdom.(BO)

Footnotes

  1. Daniel 6:28 Or Darius, that is, the reign of Cyrus
  2. Daniel 7:13 The Aramaic phrase bar enash means human being. The phrase son of man is retained here because of its use in the New Testament as a title of Jesus, probably based largely on this verse.