CHAPTER 112.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR AND BELSHAZZAR.

NEBUCHADNEZZAR was very proud, and he walked in the Palace of the Kingdom of Babylon, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the Kingdom, by the might of my power, and for the honor of my majesty? And while the word was in the King's mouth, there fell a vOICE FROM HEAVEN, saying, O King, to thee it is spoken-THE KINGDOM IS DEPARTED FROM THEE. And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that THE MOST HIGH RULETH IN THE KINGDOM OF MEN, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.

The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar, and he was driven from men, and did eat grass as oxen, till his hairs were grown as eagles feathers, and his nails like bird's claws. And at the end of seven years his understanding returned unto him, and he blessed the Lord God, and he was restored to his Throne.

And after Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar was King of Babylon, and Belshazzar the King, made a great feast to a thousand of his Lords, and drank wine before the thousand. And they drank wine out of the Holy Vessels of the Temple which had been brought away from Jerusalem. They drank wine, and praised the Gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the King's Palace: and the King

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saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the King's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that his knees smote one against another.

Then came in all the King's wise men, but they could not read the writing, and the Queen by reason of the words of the King, came into the banquet-house, and said, O King live for ever, there is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the Holy Gods. Let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation. And the King said unto Daniel, If thou canst read the writing and make known the interpretation, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shall be third ruler in the kingdom.

Then Daniel answered, and said, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another, yet I will read the writing unto the King, and make known to him the interpretation. O thou King, the most high God, gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father, a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour,-but when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his Kingly Throne, and they took his glory from him, and he was driven from men, and his heart was made like the beasts, till he knew that God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knowest all this. And this is the meaning of the writing:-THOU ART WEIGHED IN THE BALANCES AND ART FOUND WANTING.

Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

In that night, while they were thus feasting; was Belshazzar the King of the Chaldeans, slain,-and Darius the Mede, took the great City of Babylon, as we have read, and destroyed Belshazzar and his Nobles, and the kingdom was transferred from the Chaldeans to the Medes and Persians, in the year before Christ, 538.

CHAPTER 113.

DANIEL IN THE DEN OF LIONS.

IT pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty Princes, and over these three Presidents, of whom Daniel was first. And Daniel was preferred above all the Presidents and Princes, and was set over the whole Realm. And the Presidents and Princes sought to find occasion against Daniel for envy. And they besought the King, and he established a decree, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not, that if any man should ask any petition, save of the King, for thirty days, he should be cast into the den of lions.

Now when Daniel knew that the King had signed this decree, he went into his house, and his window being open in his chamber towards Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime. Then these men assembled and found Daniel praying, and accused him before the King. And the King laboured to deliver him, but they said, The Law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree which the King establisheth may be changed.

Then the King commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of lions. Now the King spake and said unto Daniel, Thy God whom thou

servest continually, he will deliver thee. And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the King sealed it with his own signet, and with the signet of his Lords.

Then the King went to the Palace, and passed the night fasting, neither were instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep went from him. Then the King arose very early in the morning, and went in haste unto the den of lions. And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unté Daniel, and said, O Daniel servant of the living God, Is thy God able to deliver thee from the lions?

Then said Daniel unto the King, O King live for ever. My God hath sent his Angel, and hath shut the lions mouths that they have not hurt me, forasmuch as before him innocency was found in me; and also before thee O King have I done no hurt. Then was the King exceeding glad, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him because he believed in his God.

And the King commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions, them, their children, and their wives, and the lions had the mastery of them, and brake all their hones in pieces or ever they came at the bottom of the den.

Then King Darius wrote unto all People, Nations, and Languages, that dwelt in all the earth; Peace be multiplied unto you. I make a Decree that in every Dominion of my Kingdom, men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God, and stedfast for ever, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed, and his Dominion shall be even unto the end.

So Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius, and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian,

CHAPTER 114.

DANIEL'S VISIONS.

IN the first year of Belshazzar, King of Babylon, Daniel had a Dream. I saw in my vision by night and behold, four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another. The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings, and a second was like to a bear. And after this, behold another like a leopard, it had four heads, and dominion was given to it. After this I saw, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, and it had great iron teeth, it devoured and brake to pieces, and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and there came up among them another little horn, which destroyed three horns, and spake great things.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him, the judgment was set, and the books were opened. I beheld then, because of the great words which the horn spake, the beast was slain. As concerning the rest of the beasts they had their dominion taken away.

I saw and beheld one like the Son of Man came in the clouds of Heaven, and there was given him Dominion and glory, and a Kingdom, that all People, Nations, and Languages should serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. The four Beasts were the four Kingdoms alluded to in the image in Nebuchadnezzar's

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