Est 8:17, Jer 31:27, Dan 3-6, Hos 2:23, Amo 9:9, Mic 5:7 | ESV | STEP | And in every province and in every city , wherever the king’s command and his edict reached , there was gladness and joy among the Jews , a feast and a holiday . And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews , for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and ^aa holiday. ^bAnd many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, ^cfor fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

Jeremiah 31:27

27 ^d“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when ^eI will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with ^fthe seed of man and the seed of beast.

Daniel 3

Nebuchadnezzar’s Golden Image

1 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits ^{▼▼A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters} and its breadth six cubits. He set it up on ^hthe plain of Dura, in ⁱthe province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar sent to gather ^jthe satraps, the prefects, and ^kthe governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 Then ^lthe satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. And they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 4 And the herald ^mproclaimed aloud, “You are commanded, O ⁿpeoples, nations, and languages, 5 that when you hear the ^osound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you ^pare to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately ^qbe cast into a burning fiery furnace.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, all ^rthe peoples, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

The Fiery Furnace

8 Therefore at that time certain ^sChaldeans ^tcame forward and maliciously accused the Jews. 9 They declared ^{▼▼Aramaic answered and said; also verses 24, 26} to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever! 10 You, O king, ^vhave made a decree, that every man who ^whears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, ^xshall fall down and worship the golden image. 11 And whoever does not fall down and worship ^yshall be cast into a burning fiery furnace. 12 There are certain Jews whom you have ^zappointed over the affairs of ^aathe province of Babylon: ^abShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, ^acpay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar ^adin furious rage commanded that ^aeShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego be brought. So they brought these men before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, “Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? 15 Now if you are ready when ^afyou hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well and good. ^{▼▼Aramaic lacks well and good} But if you do not worship, ^ahyou shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace. And ^aiwho is the god who will deliver you out of my hands?”

16 ^ajShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If this be so, ^akour God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. ^{▼▼Or If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, he will deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and out of your hand, O king.} 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was ^amfilled with fury, and the expression of his face ^anwas changed against ^aoShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was usually heated. 20 And he ordered some of the mighty men of his army ^apto bind ^aqShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21 Then these men were ^arbound in their cloaks, their tunics, ^{▼▼The meaning of the Aramaic words rendered cloaks and tunics is uncertain; also verse 27} their hats, and their other garments, and they were thrown into the burning fiery furnace. 22 Because the king’s order was ^aturgent and the furnace overheated, the flame of the fire killed those men who took up ^auShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell ^avbound into the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was ^awastonished and rose up ^axin haste. He declared to his ^aycounselors, “Did we not cast three men ^azbound into the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25 He answered and said, “But I see four men unbound, ^bawalking in the midst of the fire, and they ^bbare not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like ^bca son of the gods.”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace; he declared, ^bd“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the ^beMost High God, come out, and come here!” Then ^bfShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire. 27 And the ^bgsatraps, the prefects, the governors, and ^bhthe king’s counselors gathered together and saw that ^bithe fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their ^bjcloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, “Blessed be the God of ^bkShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who ^blhas sent his angel and ^bmdelivered his servants, who ^bntrusted in him, and set aside ^{▼▼Aramaic and changed} the king’s command, and yielded up their bodies rather than ^bpserve and worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore ^bqI make a decree: Any ^brpeople, nation, or language that speaks anything against the God of ^bsShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego ^btshall be torn limb from limb, and their houses laid in ruins, for there is no other god who is able to rescue in this way.” 30 Then the king promoted ^buShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in ^bvthe province of Babylon.

Daniel 4

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

1 ^{▼▼Ch 3:31 in Aramaic} King Nebuchadnezzar to all ^bxpeoples, nations, and languages, ^bythat dwell in all the earth: ^bzPeace be multiplied to you! 2 It has seemed good to me to show the ^casigns and wonders that the ^cbMost High God has done for me.

3 How great are ^cchis signs,
how mighty his ^cdwonders!
^ceHis kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
^cfand his dominion endures from generation to generation.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

4 ^{▼▼Ch 4:1 in Aramaic} I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace. 5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and ^chthe visions of my head alarmed me. 6 So ^ciI made a decree that ^cjall the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream. 7 Then ^ckthe magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but ^clthey could not make known to me its interpretation. 8 At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named ^cmBelteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is ^cnthe spirit of the holy gods ^{▼▼Or Spirit of the holy God; also verses 9, 18}—and I told him the dream, saying, 9 “O Belteshazzar, ^cpchief of the magicians, because I know that ^cqthe spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no ^crmystery is too difficult for you, tell me ^csthe visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation. 10 ^ctThe visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and ^cubehold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great. 11 ^cvThe tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth. 12 ^cwIts leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. ^cxThe beasts of the field found shade under it, and ^cythe birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.

13 “I saw in ^czthe visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, ^daa watcher, ^dba holy one, came down from heaven. 14 He ^dcproclaimed aloud and said thus: ^dd‘Chop down the tree and ^delop off its branches, ^dfstrip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. ^dgLet the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches. 15 But leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, amid the tender grass of the field. Let him be wet with the dew of heaven. Let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth. 16 Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; ^dhand let seven periods of time ^dipass over him. 17 The sentence is by the decree of ^djthe watchers, the decision by the word of ^dkthe holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High ^dlrules the kingdom of men ^dmand gives it to whom he will and ^dnsets over it the lowliest of men.’ 18 This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O ^doBelteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because ^dpall the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for ^dqthe spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

19 Then Daniel, whose name was ^drBelteshazzar, was ^dsdismayed for a while, and ^dthis thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, ^dumay the dream be for those who hate you ^dvand its interpretation for your enemies! 20 ^dwThe tree you saw, which grew and became strong, so that its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth, 21 ^dxwhose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in which was food for all, under which beasts of the field found shade, and in whose branches the birds of the heavens lived— 22 ^dyit is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. ^dzYour greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, ^eaand your dominion to the ends of the earth. 23 And because the king saw ^eba watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ^ec‘Chop down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump of its roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron and bronze, in the tender grass of the field, and let him be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till ^edseven periods of time pass over him,’ 24 this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, 25 ^eethat you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made ^efto eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and ^egseven periods of time shall pass over you, till ^ehyou know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will. 26 And as it was commanded ^eito leave the stump of the roots of the tree, your kingdom shall be confirmed for you from the time that you know that Heaven rules. 27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by ^ejpracticing righteousness, ^ekand your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, ^elthat there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, ^em“Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by ^enmy mighty power as a royal residence and for ^eothe glory of my majesty?” 31 ^epWhile the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 ^eqand you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, ^eruntil you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. ^esHe was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.

Nebuchadnezzar Restored

34 ^etAt the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and ^eumy reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored ^evhim who lives forever,

^ewfor his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and ^exhis kingdom endures from generation to generation;
35 ^eyall the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and ^ezhe does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
^faand none can stay his hand
or ^fbsay to him, “What have you done?”
36 At the same time ^fcmy reason returned to me, and for ^fdthe glory of my kingdom, ^femy majesty and splendor returned to me. ^ffMy counselors and ^fgmy lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was ^fhadded to me. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, ^fipraise and extol and honor the ^fjKing of heaven, ^fkfor all his works are right and his ways are just; and ^flthose who walk in pride he is able to humble.

Daniel 5

The Handwriting on the Wall

1 ^fmKing Belshazzar ^fnmade a great feast for a thousand of his ^folords and drank wine in front of the thousand.

2 ^fpBelshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that ^fqthe vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father ^{▼▼Or predecessor; also verses 11, 13, 18} had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in ^fsthe golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and ^ftpraised the ^fugods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 ^fvImmediately ^fwthe fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw ^fxthe hand as it wrote. 6 ^fyThen the king’s color changed, ^fzand his thoughts alarmed him; ^gahis limbs gave way, and ^gbhis knees knocked together. 7 ^gcThe king called loudly to bring in ^gdthe enchanters, the ^geChaldeans, and ^gfthe astrologers. The king declared ^{▼▼Aramaic answered and said; also verse 10} to the wise men of Babylon, ^gh“Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and ^gishall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but ^gjthey could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly ^gkalarmed, and his ^glcolor changed, and his ^gmlords were perplexed.

10 The queen, ^{▼▼Or queen mother; twice in this verse} because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, ^go“O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you ^gpor your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom ^gqin whom is the spirit of the holy gods. ^{▼▼Or Spirit of the holy God} In the days of your father, ^gslight and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king— ^gtmade him chief of the magicians, ^guenchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 ^gvbecause an excellent spirit, knowledge, and ^gwunderstanding ^gxto interpret dreams, explain riddles, and ^gysolve problems were found in this Daniel, ^gzwhom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of ^hathe exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that ^hbthe spirit of the gods ^{▼▼Or Spirit of God} is in you, and that ^hdlight and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now ^hethe wise men, the ^hfenchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but ^hgthey could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 ^hhBut I have heard that you can give interpretations and ^hisolve problems. ^hjNow if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, ^hkyou shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and ^hlshall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, ^hm“Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. 18 O king, the ^hnMost High God ^hogave ^hpNebuchadnezzar your father ^hqkingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, ^hrall peoples, nations, and languages ^hstrembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But ^htwhen his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, ^huhe was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 ^hvHe was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, ^hwuntil he knew that the ^hxMost High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son, ^{▼▼Or successor} ^hzBelshazzar, ^iahave not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against ^ibthe Lord of heaven. And ^icthe vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. ^idAnd you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, ^iebut the God in whose hand is your breath, and ^ifwhose are all your ways, ^igyou have not honored.

24 “Then from his presence ^ihthe hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered ^{▼▼ Mene sounds like the Aramaic for numbered} the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, ^ijyou have been weighed ^{▼▼ Tekel sounds like the Aramaic for weighed} in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to ^ilthe Medes and ^imPersians.” ^{▼▼ Peres (the singular of Parsin) sounds like the Aramaic for divided and for Persia}

29 Then ^ioBelshazzar gave the command, and Daniel ^ipwas 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 ^iqThat very night ^irBelshazzar the ^isChaldean king was killed. 31 ^{▼▼Ch 6:1 in Aramaic} And ^iuDarius ^ivthe 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 ^iw120 ^ixsatraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom; 2 and over them ^iythree high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these ^izsatraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss. 3 Then this Daniel became ^jadistinguished above all ^jbthe other high officials and ^jcsatraps, because ^jdan excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned ^jeto set him over the whole kingdom. 4 Then ^jfthe high officials and ^jgthe satraps ^jhsought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, ^jibut they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, ^jjand 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 ^jkhigh officials and ^jlsatraps came by agreement ^{▼▼Or came thronging; also verses 11, 15} to the king and said to him, “O ^jnKing Darius, live forever! 7 All the ^johigh officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the ^jpcounselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an ^jqinjunction, 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 ^jrthe injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to ^jsthe law of ^jtthe Medes and the Persians, ^juwhich cannot be revoked.” 9 Therefore King Darius signed the document and ^jvinjunction.

10 When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where ^jwhe had windows in his upper chamber open ^jxtoward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees ^jythree times a day and prayed and ^jzgave 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 ^kacame near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign ^kban 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 ^kcthe Medes and Persians, ^kdwhich cannot be revoked.” 13 Then they answered and said before the king, ^ke“Daniel, who is one ^kfof the exiles ^kgfrom Judah, ^khpays no attention to you, O king, or ^kithe injunction you have signed, but makes his petition ^kjthree times a day.”

14 Then ^kkthe king, when he heard these words, ^klwas 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 ^kminjunction 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 ^koyour God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!” 17 ^kpAnd a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, ^kqand the king sealed it ^krwith his own signet and with the signet of his ^kslords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel. 18 Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; ^ktno diversions were brought to him, and ^kusleep 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 ^kvthe living God, ^kwhas your God, whom you serve continually, ^kxbeen able to deliver you from the lions?” 21 Then Daniel said to the king, ^ky“O king, live forever! 22 My God ^kzsent his angel ^laand shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless ^lbbefore him; ^lcand 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 ^ldno kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God. 24 And the king commanded, and ^lethose 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 ^lfthe peoples, nations, and languages ^lgthat dwell in all the earth: ^lh“Peace be multiplied to you. 26 ^liI make a decree, that in all my royal dominion ^ljpeople are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,

for ^lkhe is ^llthe living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
^lmand his dominion shall be ^lnto the end.
27 He delivers and rescues;
he works ^losigns and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has ^lpsaved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
28 So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and ^lqthe reign of ^lrCyrus the Persian.

Hosea 2:23

23 and ^lsI will sow her for myself in the land.
And ^ltI ^luwill have mercy on No Mercy, ^{▼▼Hebrew Lo-ruhama}
and ^lwI will say to Not My People, ^{▼▼Hebrew Lo-ammi} ^ly‘You are my people’;
and he shall say, ‘You are my God.’”

Amos 9:9

9 “For behold, I will command,
^lzand shake the house of Israel among all the nations
as one shakes with a sieve,
but no pebble shall fall to the earth.

Micah 5:7

A Remnant Shall Be Delivered

7 Then ^mathe remnant of Jacob shall be
in the midst of many peoples
like dew from the Lord,
like showers on the grass,
which delay not for a man
nor wait for the children of man.