Dan 5:28-6:28, Rev 17-18 | ESV | STEP | Peres , your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians .

28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to ^athe Medes and ^bPersians.” ^{▼▼ Peres (the singular of Parsin) sounds like the Aramaic for divided and for Persia}

29 Then ^dBelshazzar gave the command, and Daniel ^ewas clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

30 ^fThat very night ^gBelshazzar the ^hChaldean king was killed. 31 ^{▼▼Ch 6:1 in Aramaic} And ^jDarius ^kthe Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Daniel 6

Daniel and the Lions’ Den

1 It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom ^l120 ^msatraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them ⁿthree high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these ^osatraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became ^pdistinguished above all ^qthe other high officials and ^rsatraps, because ^san excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned ^tto set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then ^uthe high officials and ^vthe satraps ^wsought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, ^xbut they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, ^yand no error or fault was found in him. 5 Then these men said, “We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God.”

6 Then these ^zhigh officials and ^aasatraps came by agreement ^{▼▼Or came thronging; also verses 11, 15} to the king and said to him, “O ^acKing Darius, live forever! 7 All the ^adhigh officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the ^aecounselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an ^afinjunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. 8 Now, O king, establish ^agthe injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to ^ahthe law of ^aithe Medes and the Persians, ^ajwhich cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and ^akinjunction.

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where ^alhe had windows in his upper chamber open ^amtoward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees ^anthree times a day and prayed and ^aogave thanks before his God, as he had done previously. 11 Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God. 12 Then they ^apcame near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign ^aqan injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?” The king answered and said, “The thing stands fast, according to the law of ^arthe Medes and Persians, ^aswhich cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, ^at“Daniel, who is one ^auof the exiles ^avfrom Judah, ^awpays no attention to you, O king, or ^axthe injunction you have signed, but makes his petition ^aythree times a day.”

14 Then ^azthe king, when he heard these words, ^bawas much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him. 15 Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, “Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no ^bbinjunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”

16 Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared ^{▼▼Aramaic answered and said; also verse 20} to Daniel, “May ^bdyour God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 ^beAnd a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^bfand the king sealed it ^bgwith his own signet and with the signet of his ^bhlords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; ^bino diversions were brought to him, and ^bjsleep fled from him.

19 Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions. 20 As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, “O Daniel, servant of ^bkthe living God, ^blhas your God, whom you serve continually, ^bmbeen able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, ^bn“O king, live forever! 22 My God ^bosent his angel ^bpand shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless ^bqbefore him; ^brand also before you, O king, I have done no harm.” 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 ^bsno kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and ^btthose men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lions—they, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces.

25 Then King Darius wrote to all ^buthe peoples, nations, and languages ^bvthat dwell in all the earth: ^bw“Peace be multiplied to you. 26 ^bxI make a decree, that in all my royal dominion ^bypeople are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

for ^bzhe is ^cathe living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
^cband his dominion shall be ^ccto the end.
27 He delivers and rescues;
he works ^cdsigns and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has ^cesaved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and ^cfthe reign of ^cgCyrus the Persian.

Revelation of John 17

The Great Prostitute and the Beast

1 Then ^chone of the seven angels who had ^cithe seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of ^cjthe great prostitute ^ckwho is seated on many waters, 2 ^clwith whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and ^cmwith the wine of whose sexual immorality ^cnthe dwellers on earth have become drunk.” 3 And ^cohe carried me away in the Spirit ^cpinto a wilderness, and I saw a woman sitting on ^cqa scarlet beast that was full of ^crblasphemous names, and ^csit had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman ^ctwas arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned ^cuwith gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand ^cva golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. 5 And on her forehead was written a name of ^cwmystery: ^cx“Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk ^cywith the blood of the saints, the blood of ^czthe martyrs of Jesus. ^{▼▼Greek the witnesses to Jesus}

When I saw her, I marveled greatly. 7 But the angel said to me, “Why do you marvel? I will tell you ^dbthe mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. 8 The beast that you saw ^dcwas, and is not, and ^ddis about to rise from ^dethe bottomless pit ^{▼▼Greek the abyss} and ^dggo to destruction. And ^dhthe dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in ^dithe book of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because ^djit was and is not and is to come. 9 ^dkThis calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; 10 they are also seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. 11 As for the beast ^dlthat was and is not, it is an eighth but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction. 12 And ^dmthe ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings ^dnfor one hour, together with the beast. 13 These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. 14 They ^dowill make war on the Lamb, and ^dpthe Lamb will conquer them, for he is ^dqLord of lords and ^drKing of kings, and those with him are ^dscalled and chosen and faithful.”

15 And the angel ^{▼▼Greek he} said to me, ^du“The waters that you saw, where the prostitute is seated, are peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. 16 And ^dvthe ten horns that you saw, they and the beast ^dwwill hate the prostitute. They will make her ^dxdesolate and ^dynaked, and ^dzdevour her flesh and ^eaburn her up with fire, 17 for ^ebGod has put it into their hearts to carry out his purpose by being of one mind and ^echanding over their royal power to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled. 18 And the woman that you saw is ^edthe great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth.”

Revelation of John 18

The Fall of Babylon

1 After this I saw ^eeanother angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and ^efthe earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,

^eg“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become ^eha dwelling place for demons,
a haunt ^eifor every unclean spirit,
a haunt ^ejfor every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For all nations have drunk ^{▼▼Some manuscripts fallen by}
^elthe wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and ^emthe kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and ^enthe merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,

^eo“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
5 for ^epher sins are heaped high as heaven,
and ^eqGod has remembered her iniquities.
6 ^erPay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her ^esdouble for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her ^etin the cup she mixed.
7 ^euAs she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
^ev‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
8 For this reason her plagues will come ^ewin a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and ^exshe will be burned up with fire;
for ^eymighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
9 And ^ezthe kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, ^fawill weep and wail over her ^fbwhen they see the smoke of her burning. 10 ^fcThey will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say,

“Alas! Alas! ^fdYou great city,
you mighty city, Babylon!
For ^fein a single hour your judgment has come.”
11 And ^ffthe merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, since no one buys their cargo anymore, 12 cargo of gold, silver, jewels, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron and marble, 13 cinnamon, spice, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and slaves, that is, human souls. ^{▼▼Or and slaves, and human lives}

14 “The fruit for which your soul longed
has gone from you,
and all your delicacies and your splendors
are lost to you,
never to be found again!”
15 ^fhThe merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, ^fiwill stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,

16 “Alas, alas, for the great city
^fjthat was clothed in fine linen,
in purple and scarlet,
adorned with gold,
with jewels, and with pearls!
17 For ^fkin a single hour all this wealth ^flhas been laid waste.”
And ^fmall shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off 18 and ^fncried out ^foas they saw the smoke of her burning,

^fp“What city was like the great city?”
19 And they threw ^fqdust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out,

“Alas, alas, for the great city
^frwhere all who had ships at sea
grew rich by her wealth!
For ^fsin a single hour she has been laid waste.
20 ^ftRejoice over her, O heaven,
and you saints and ^fuapostles and prophets,
for ^fvGod has given judgment for you against her!”
21 Then ^fwa mighty angel ^fxtook up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,

“So will Babylon ^fythe great city be thrown down with violence,
and will be found no more;
22 and ^fzthe sound of harpists and musicians, of flute players and trumpeters,
will be heard in you no more,
and a craftsman of any craft
will be found in you no more,
and ^gathe sound of the mill
will be heard in you no more,
23 and the light of a lamp
will shine in you no more,
and ^gbthe voice of bridegroom and bride
will be heard in you no more,
for ^gcyour merchants were the great ones of the earth,
and all nations were deceived ^gdby your sorcery.
24 And ^gein her was found the blood of prophets and of saints,
and of ^gfall who have been slain on earth.”