The Daily Audio Bible

1 In the third year of the reign of Joakim king of Juda, Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, and besieged it.

² And the Lord delivered into his hands Joakim the king of Juda, and part of the vessels of the house of God: and he carried them away into the land of Sennaar, to the house of his god, and the vessels he brought into the treasure house of his god.

³ And the king spoke to Asphenez the master of the eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed and of the princes,

⁴ Children in whom there was no blemish, well favoured, and skillful in all wisdom, acute in knowledge, and instructed in science, and such as might stand in the king's palace, that he might teach them the learning, and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

⁵ And the king appointed them a daily provision, of his own meat, and of the wine of which he drank himself, that being nourished three years, afterwards they might stand before the king.

⁶ Now there were among them of the children of Juda, Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias.

⁷ And the master of the eunuchs gave them names: to Daniel, Baltassar: to Ananias, Sidrach: to Misael, Misach: and to Azarias, Abdenago.

⁸ But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not be defiled with the king's table, nor with the wine which he drank: and he requested the master of the eunuchs that he might not be defiled.

⁹ And God gave to Daniel grace and mercy in the sight of the prince of the eunuchs.

¹⁰ And the prince of the eunuchs said to Daniel: I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed you meat and drink: who if he should see your faces leaner than those of the other youths your equals, you shall endanger my head to the king.

¹¹ And Daniel said to Malasar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had appointed over Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias:

¹² Try, I beseech thee, thy servants for ten days, and let pulse be given us to eat, and water to drink:

¹³ And look upon our faces, and the faces of the children that eat of the king's meat: and as thou shalt see, deal with thy servants.

¹⁴ And when he had heard these words, he tried them for ten days.

¹⁵ And after ten days their faces appeared fairer and fatter than all the children that ate of the king's meat.

¹⁶ So Malasar took their portions, and the wine that they should drink: and he gave them pulse.

¹⁷ And to these children God gave knowledge, and understanding in every book, and wisdom: but to Daniel the understanding also of all visions and dreams.

¹⁸ And when the days were ended, after which the king had ordered they should be brought in: the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nabuchodonosor.

¹⁹ And when the king had spoken to them, there were not found among them all such as Daniel, Ananias, Misael, and Azarias: and they stood in the king's presence.

²⁰ And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the diviners, and wise men, that were in all his kingdom.

²¹ And Daniel continued even to the first year of king Cyrus.

2 In the second year of the reign of Nabuchodonosor, Nabuchodonosor had a dream, and his spirit was terrified, and his dream went out of his mind.

² Then the king commanded to call together the diviners and the wise men, and the magicians, and the Chaldeans: to declare to the king his dreams: so they came and stood before the king.

³ And the king said to them: I saw a dream: and being troubled in mind I know not what I saw.

⁴ And the Chaldeans answered the king in Syriac: O king, live for ever: tell to thy servants thy dream, and we will declare the interpretation thereof.

⁵ And the king answering said to the Chaldeans: The thing is gone out of my mind: unless you tell me the dream, and the meaning thereof, you shall be put to death, and your houses shall be confiscated.

⁶ But if you tell the dream, and the meaning of it, you shall receive of me rewards, and gifts, and great honour: therefore tell me the dream, and the interpretation thereof.

⁷ They answered again and said: Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation of it.

⁸ The king answered, and said: I know for certain that you seek to gain time, since you know that the thing is gone from me.

⁹ If therefore you tell me not the dream, there is one sentence concerning you, that you have also framed a lying interpretation, and full of deceit, to speak before me till the time pass away. Tell me therefore the dream, that I may know that you also give a true interpretation thereof.

¹⁰ Then the Chaldeans answered before the king, and said: There is no man upon earth, that can accomplish thy word, O king, neither doth any king, though great and mighty, ask such a thing of any diviner, or wise man, or Chaldean.

¹¹ For the thing that thou askest, O king, is difficult; nor can any one be found that can shew it before the king, except the gods, whose conversation is not with men.

¹² Upon hearing this, the king in fury, and in great wrath, commanded that all the wise men of Babylon should be put to death.

¹³ And the decree being gone forth, the wise men were slain: and Daniel and his companions were sought for, to be put to death.

¹⁴ Then Daniel inquired concerning the law and the sentence, of Arioch the general of the king's army, who was gone forth to kill the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁵ And he asked him that had received the orders of the king, why so cruel a sentence was gone forth from the face of the king. And when Arioch had told the matter to Daniel,

¹⁶ Daniel went in and desired of the king, that he would give him time to resolve the question and declare it to the king.

¹⁷ And he went into his house, and told the matter to Ananias, and Misael, and Azarias his companions:

¹⁸ To the end that they should ask mercy at the face of the God of heaven concerning this secret, and that Daniel and his companions might not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁹ Then was the mystery revealed to Daniel by a vision in the night: and Daniel blessed the God of heaven,

²⁰ And speaking he said: Blessed be the name of the Lord from eternity and for evermore: for wisdom and fortitude are his.

²¹ And he changeth times and ages: taketh away kingdoms and establisheth them, giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to them that have understanding.

²² He revealeth deep and hidden things, and knoweth what is in darkness: and light is with him.

²³ To thee, O God of our fathers, I give thanks, and I praise thee: because thou hast given me wisdom and strength: and now thou hast shewn me what we desired of thee, for thou hast made known to us, the king's discourse.

⁸ And in fine, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, being lovers of the brotherhood, merciful, modest, humble:

⁹ Not rendering evil for evil, nor railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing: for unto this are you called, that you may inherit a blessing.

¹⁰ For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile.

¹¹ Let him decline from evil, and do good: let him seek after peace and pursue it:

¹² Because the eyes of the Lord are upon the just, and his ears unto their prayers: but the countenance of the Lord upon them that do evil things.

¹³ And who is he that can hurt you, if you be zealous of good?

¹⁴ But if also you suffer any thing for justice' sake, blessed are ye. And be not afraid of their fear, and be not troubled.

¹⁵ But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you.

¹⁶ But with modesty and fear, having a good conscience: that whereas they speak evil of you, they may be ashamed who falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.

¹⁷ For it is better doing well (if such be the will of God) to suffer, than doing ill.

¹⁸ Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust: that he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened in the spirit,

¹⁹ In which also coming he preached to those spirits that were in prison:

²⁰ Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.

²¹ Whereunto baptism being of the like form, now saveth you also: not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the examination of a good conscience towards God by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

²² Who is on the right hand of God, swallowing down death, that we might be made heirs of life everlasting: being gone into heaven, the angels and powers and virtues being made subject to him.

4 Christ therefore having suffered in the flesh, be you also armed with the same thought: for he that hath suffered in the flesh, hath ceased from sins:

² That now he may live the rest of his time in the flesh, not after the desires of men, but according to the will of God.

³ For the time past is sufficient to have fulfilled the will of the Gentiles, for them who have walked in riotousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and unlawful worshipping of idols.

⁴ Wherein they think it strange, that you run not with them into the same confusion of riotousness, speaking evil of you.

⁵ Who shall render account to him, who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

⁶ For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to the dead: that they might be judged indeed according to men, in the flesh; but may live according to God, in the Spirit.

¹⁴ Blessed is the man that is always fearful: but he that is hardened in mind, shall fall into evil.