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NOVEMBER 29
your food and drink. For why should he see 7 They answered again and said, “Let the
your faces looking worse than the young men king tell his servants the dream, and we will
who are your age? Then you would endanger give its interpretation.”
my head before the king.” 8 The king answered and said, “I know for
11 So Daniel said to the steward whom the certain that you would gain time, because you
chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, see that my decision is firm: if you do not
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Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, “Please test make known the dream to me, there is only
your servants for ten days, and let them give one decree for you! For you have agreed to
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us vegetables to eat and water to drink. Then speak lying and corrupt words before me till
let our appearance be examined before you, the time has changed. Therefore tell me the
and the appearance of the young men who eat dream, and I shall know that you can give me
the portion of the king’s delicacies; and as you its interpretation.”
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see fit, so deal with your servants.” So he con- 10 The Chaldeans answered the king, and
sented with them in this matter, and tested said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell
them ten days. the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or
15 And at the end of ten days their features ruler has ever asked such things of any magi-
appeared better and fatter in flesh than all the cian, astrologer, or Chaldean. It is a difficult
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young men who ate the portion of the king’s thing that the king requests, and there is no
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delicacies. Thus the steward took away their other who can tell it to the king except the
portion of delicacies and the wine that they gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.”
were to drink, and gave them vegetables. 12 For this reason the king was angry and
17 As for these four young men, God gave very furious, and gave the command to
them knowledge and skill in all literature and destroy all the wise men of Babylon. So the
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wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all decree went out, and they began killing the
visions and dreams. wise men; and they sought Daniel and his
18 Now at the end of the days, when the king companions, to kill them.
had said that they should be brought in, the 14 Then with counsel and wisdom Daniel
chief of the eunuchs brought them in before answered Arioch, the captain of the king’s
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Nebuchadnezzar. Then the king interviewed guard, who had gone out to kill the wise men
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them, and among them all none was found like of Babylon; he answered and said to Arioch
Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; there- the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the
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fore they served before the king. And in all mat- king so urgent?” Then Arioch made the deci-
ters of wisdom and understanding about which sion known to Daniel.
the king examined them, he found them ten times 16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to
better than all the magicians and astrologers who give him time, that he might tell the king the
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were in all his realm. Thus Daniel continued interpretation. Then Daniel went to his house,
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until the first year of King Cyrus. and made the decision known to Hananiah,
Now in the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s Mishael, and Azariah, his companions, that
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2 reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; and his they might seek mercies from the God of heav-
spirit was so troubled that his sleep left him. en concerning this secret, so that Daniel and
2 Then the king gave the command to call the his companions might not perish with the rest
magicians, the astrologers, the sorcerers, and of the wise men of Babylon. Then the secret
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the Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So
they came and stood before the king. And the Daniel blessed the God of heaven.
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king said to them, “I have had a dream, and my 20 Daniel answered and said:
spirit is anxious to know the dream.”
4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in “Blessed be the name of God forever
Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants and ever,
the dream, and we will give the interpretation.” For wisdom and might are His.
5 The king answered and said to the 21 And He changes the times and the
Chaldeans, “My decision is firm: if you do not seasons;
make known the dream to me, and its inter- He removes kings and raises up kings;
pretation, you shall be cut in pieces, and your He gives wisdom to the wise
houses shall be made an ash heap. However, And knowledge to those who have
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if you tell the dream and its interpretation, you understanding.
shall receive from me gifts, rewards, and great 22 He reveals deep and secret things;
honor. Therefore tell me the dream and its He knows what is in the darkness,
interpretation.” And light dwells with Him.
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