art was made like the beasts, and Id asses: they fed him with grass wet with the dew of heaven, till God ruled in the kingdom of men, it whomsoever he will. Belshazzar, hast not humbled ewest all this; but hast lifted up heaven; and they have brought ore thee, and thou, and thy lords, oncubines, have drunk wine in d the gods of silver, and gold, of e, which see not, nor hear, nor se hand thy breath is, and whose hot glorified. Then was the part 1; and this writing was written. ing that was written, ME'NE, RISIN. This is the interpretaGod hath numbered thy kingKEL, Thou art weighed in the ing. U-PHAR'SIN, Thy kingo the Medes and Persians. Then 1 they clothed Daniel with scarld about his neck, and made a im, that he should be the third that night was Belshazzar the ain. And Dari'us the Me'dian nav ferred above the to find occasion or man for thirt 3. Now whe PART FIRST.' 97 LESSON XXXIV. DANIEL PRESERVED FROM THE LIONS. [Daniel vi. 1.] 1. IT pleased Dari'us to set over the kingdom a hundred and enty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; and over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first; that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm. Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him. Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his God. 2. Then these presidents and princes assembled together to the king, and said thus unto him, King Dari'us, live for- · ever ! All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors, and the princes, the counsellors, and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute, and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, save of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not. Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree. 3. Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward 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 making supplication before his God. Then they came near, and spake before the king concerning the king's decree; Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any god or man within thirty days, save of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing is true, ac 9 Then the king commanded, and cast him into the den of lions. and said unto Daniel, Thy God, ually, he will deliver thee. And laid upon the mouth of the den; with his own signet, and with the he purpose might not be changed the king went to his palace, and neither were instruments of music his sleep went from him. Then n the morning, and went in haste And when he came to the den, he voice unto Daniel and the king , O Daniel, servant of the living hou servest continually, able to de to the king, O king, live forever! el, and hath shut the lions' mouths, e: forasmuch as before him innoand also before thee, O king, have as the king exceeding glad for him, should take Daniel up out of the n up out of the den, and no mann him, because he believed in his manded, and they brought those Daniel, and they cast them into the children, and their wives; and the hem, and brake all their bones in at the bottom of the den. |