Amplified Bible (AMP)

Israel Reaps the Whirlwind

1 Set the trumpet to your lips [announcing impending judgment]!

Like a [great] vulturethe enemy comesagainst the house of the Lord,

Because they have broken My covenant

And transgressedandrebelled against My law.

2 Then they will cry out to Me,

“My God, we of Israel know You!”

3 Israel has rejected the good;

The enemy shall pursue him.

4 They set up kings, but not from Me [therefore without My blessing];

They have appointed princes, but I did not know it.

With their silver and their gold they made idols for themselves,

That they might be cut off.

5 He has rejected your [pagan] calf, O Samaria,saying,

“My wrath burns against them.”

How long will they be incapable of innocence?

6 For even this [loathsome calf] is from Israel.

A craftsman made it, so it is not God;

Surely the calf of Samaria will be broken to piecesandgo up in flames.

7 For they sow the wind [in evil]

And they reap the whirlwind [in disaster].

The standing grain has no growth;

It yields no grain.

If it were to yield, strangers would swallow it up.

8 Israel is [as if] swallowed up [by enemies];

They are now among the nations

Like a vessel [of cheap, coarse pottery] that is useless.

9 For they have gone up to Assyria,

Like a wild donkey wandering aloneandtaking her own way;

Ephraim has hired lovers (pagan allies).

10 Yes, even though [with presents] they hirealliesamong the nations,

Now I will gather them up;

And [in a little while] they will beginto grow weakanddiminish

Because of the burden imposed by the king of princes [the king of Assyria].

11 For Ephraim has constructed many altars for sin;

They are altars intended for sinning [which multiply his guilt].

12 I wrote for him the ten thousandpreceptsof My law,

But they are regarded as a strange thing [which does not concern him].

13 As for My sacrificial offerings,

They sacrifice the meat [as a mere formality] and eat it,

But the Lordis not pleased with themanddoes not accept them.

Now He will rememberandtake into account their wickednessandguilt,

And punish them for their sins.

They will return [in captivity] to [another] Egypt [that is, Assyria].

14 For Israel has forgotten his Maker and built palaces [and pagan temples],

And Judah has built many fortified cities;

But I will send a fire upon their cities so that it may consume their palacesandfortresses.

Ephraim Punished

1 Do not rejoice, O Israel, with exultation as do the [pagan] peoples,

For you have played the prostitute,turningaway from your God.

You have lovedprostitutes’earnings on every threshing floor [attributing the harvest to the Baals instead of to God].

2 The threshing floor and the wine press will no longer feed them,

And the new wine will fail them [because they failed to honor the God who provides].

3 They will not remain in the land of the Lord,

But Ephraim will return to [another] Egypt [in bondage]

And they will eat [ceremonially] uncleanfoodin Assyria.

4 They will not pour out drink offerings of wine to the Lord;

Their sacrifices will not please Him.

Their bread will belike mourners’ bread [eaten at funerals];

All who eat it will be [ceremonially] unclean,

For their bread will be for themselves;

It will not enter the house of the Lord[to be consecrated].

5 What will you do on the day of the appointed festival

And on the day of the feast of the Lord[when you are in exile]?

6 For behold, they will go away because of devastationanddestruction;

Egypt will gather them up, Memphis will bury them.

Weeds will take over their treasures of silver;

Thornswill growin their tents.

7 The days of punishment have come;

The days of retribution are at hand;

Let Israel know this!

The prophet is [considered] a fool;

The man [of God] who is inspired is [treated as if] demented,

Because of the abundance of your wickednessandguilt,

Andbecauseyour deep antagonism [toward God and the prophets] is so great.

8 Ephraim was a watchman with my God, a [true] prophet [to warn the nation];

But the snare of a bird catcher was laid in all his paths.

And there isonlydeep hostility in the house of his God (the land of Israel).

9 They have deeply corrupted (perverted) themselves

As in the days of Gibeah.

The Lordwill remember their wickednessandguilt;

He will punish their sins.

10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness [an unexpected and refreshing delight];

I saw your fathers (ancestors) as the first ripe fruit on the fig tree in its firstseason,

But they came to Baal-peor and consecrated themselves to shamefulness [the worship of Baal],

And [because of their spiritual and physical adultery] they became as detestableandloathsome as the thing they loved.

11 As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird;

No birth, no pregnancy, and [because of their impurity] no conception.

12 Even though they bring up their children,

Yet I will bereave them until not one is left.

Indeed, woe (judgment is coming) to them when I look awayandwithdraw [My blessing] from them!

13 Ephraim, as I have seen,

Is planted in a pleasant [and prosperous] meadow like Tyre;

But Ephraim will bring out his children to the executioner [for slaughter].

14 Give them [the punishment they deserve], O Lord! What will You give?

Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts.

15 All their wickedness [says the Lord] is focused in Gilgal;

Indeed, I came to hate them there!

Because of the wickedness of their [idolatrous] practices

I will drive them out of My house (the land of Israel)!

I will love them no longer;

All their princes are rebels.

16 Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up,

They will bear no fruit.

Even though they give birth,

I will slay the precious children of their womb.

17 My God will reject themandcast them away

Because they did not listen to Him;

And they will be wanderers (fugitives) among the nations.

Retribution for Israel’s Sin

1 Israel is a luxuriantandprolific vine;

He produces fruit for himself.

The more his fruit,

The more altars he made [to Baal];

The richer his land,

The better he made the [idolatrous] pillars.

2 Their heart is divided (faithless);

Now they must bear their guiltandpunishment.

The Lordwill break down [the horns of] their altars;

He will destroy theiridolatrouspillars.

3 Surely now they will say [in despair], “We have no [true] king,

For we do not revere the Lord;

And as for the king, what can he do for us [to rescue us]?”

4 They have spokenempty (disingenuous)words,

Swearing falsely to make covenants [they intend to break];

Therefore, judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.

5 The people of Samaria will fearandtremble

For the [idolatrous] calf ofBeth-aven (House of Wickedness).

Indeed, its people will mourn over it

And its idolatrous priests will cry outandwail over it,

Over its glory, because the glory [of their calf god] has departed from it.

6 The golden calf itself will be carried to Assyria

As tribute to King Jareb;

Ephraim will be seized with shame

And Israel will be ashamed of his own counsel [to worship the calf and separate Israel from Judah].

7 As for Samaria, her king will be cut offandfloat away

Like a twig on the surface of the water.

8 Also the high places of Aven (Beth-aven), the sin of Israel, will be destroyed;

The thorn and the thistle will grow on their [pagan] altars,

And [in despair] they will say to the mountains,

“Cover us!” And to the hills, “Fall on us!”

9 O Israel, you have [willfully] sinned since the days of Gibeah;

There they (Israel) stand!

Will not the battle against the sons of wickedness overtake them at Gibeah?

10 When it is my desire [to defend My righteousness], I will chastise them;

And [hostile] peoples will be gathered against them

When they are boundandpunished for their double guilt [their revolt against the Lordand their worship of idols].

11 Ephraim is a trained heifer that loves to tread out the grain,

But I will come over her fair neckwith a heavy yoke[for hard field work].

I will harness Ephraim;

Judah will plow and Jacob will harrowandrake for himself.

12 Sow with a view to righteousness [that righteousness, like seed, may germinate];

Reap in accordance with mercyandlovingkindness.

Break up your uncultivated ground,

For it is time to seekandsearch diligently for the Lord[and to long for His blessing]

Until He comes to rain righteousnessandHis gift of salvation on you.

13 You have plowedandplanted wickedness, you have reaped the [willful] injustice [of oppressors],

You have eaten the fruit of lies.

Because you have trusted in your own wayandyour chariots, and in your many warriors,

14 Therefore an uproar will arise among your people,

And all your fortresses will be destroyed,

As Shalman destroyed Beth-arbel on the day of battle,

When mothers were dashed in pieces with their children.

15 In this way it will be done to you at [idolatrous] Bethel because of your great wickedness;

At daybreak the king of Israel will be completely cut off.

God is the Loving Father of His People

1 When Israel was a child [a young nation], I loved him,

And I called My son out of Egypt.

2 The more they [the prophets] called them [to repentance and obedience],

The more they went away from them;

They kept sacrificing to the Baals

And burning incense to the carved images.

3 Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk,

Taking them in My arms [nurturing the young nation];

But they did not know that I healed them.

4 I led themgentlywith cords of a man, with bonds of love [guiding them],

And I was to them as one who lifts upandeases the yoke [of the law] over their jaws;

And I bent down to them and fed them.

5 They will not return to the land of Egypt,

But Assyria will be their king [bringing them into captivity]

Because they refused to returnto Me.

6 The sword will whirl againstandfall on their cities,

And will demolish the bars of their gatesandfortifications

And will consume them because of their counsels.

7 My people are bent on turning from Me;

Though the prophets call them tothe Oneon high,

None at all exaltsHim.

8 How can I give you up, O Ephraim?

How can I surrender you, O Israel?

How can I make you like Admah?

How can I treat you likeZeboiim?

My heart recoils within Me;

All My compassions are kindled together [for My nation of Israel].

9 I will not execute the fierceness of My anger;

I will not return to Ephraim to destroy him again.

For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst [who will not revoke My covenant],

And I will not come in wrathorenter the city [in judgment].

10 They will walk after the Lord[in obedience and worship],

Who will roar like a lion;

He will roar [summoning them]

AndHissons will come trembling from the west.

11 They will come tremblingandhurriedly like birds from Egypt

And like doves from the land of Assyria;

And I will settle them in their houses [in the land of their inheritance], declares the Lord.

12 Ephraim surrounds Me with lies

And the house of Israel with deceit;

Judah is also unruly against God,

Even against the faithful Holy One.

Ephraim Reminded

1 Ephraim feeds on the [emptiness of the] wind

And [continually] pursues the [parching] east wind [which brings destruction];

Every day he multiplies lies and violence.

Further, he makes a covenant with Assyria

And (olive) oil is carried to Egypt [to seek alliances].

2 The Lordalso has a dispute [a legal complaint and an indictment] with Judah,

And He will punish Jacob in accordance with his ways;

He will repay him in accordance with his deeds.

3 Intheir mother’swomb he took his brother by the heel,

And in his maturity he contended with God.

4 He wrestled with the angel and prevailed;

He wept [in repentance] and sought His favor.

He met Him at Bethel

And there God spoke with [him and through him with] us–

5 Even the Lord, the God of hosts,

The name of Him [who spoke with Jacob] is the Lord.

6 Therefore, return [in repentance] to your God,

Observeandhighly regard kindness and justice,

And wait [expectantly] for your God continually.

7 A merchant, in whose hand are falseandfraudulent balances;

He loves to oppressandexploit.

8 Ephraim said, “I have indeed become rich [and powerful as a nation];

I have found wealth for myself.

In all my labors they will not find in me

Any wickedness thatwould besin.”

9 But Ihave beenthe Lordyour God since [you became a nation in] the land of Egypt;

I will make you live in tents again,

As in the days of the appointedandsolemnfestival.

10 I have also spoken to [you through] the prophets,

And I gave [them] many visions [to make My will known],

And through the prophets I gave parables [to appeal to your sense of right and wrong].

11 Is there wickedness (idolatry) in Gilead?

Surely the people there are worthless.

In Gilgal [they defy Me when] they sacrifice bulls,

Yes, [after My judgment] their [pagan] altars are like the stone heaps

In the furrows of the fields.

12 Now Jacob (Israel) fled into the open country of Aram (Paddan-aram),

And [there] Israel (Jacob) workedandserved for a wife,

And for a wife he keptsheep.

13 And by a prophet (Moses) the Lordbrought Israel up from Egypt,

And by a prophet Israel was preserved.

14 Ephraim has provoked most bitter anger;

So his Lord will leave his bloodguilt on him [invoking punishment]

And bring back to him his shameanddishonor.

Ephraim’s Idolatry

1 When Ephraim spoke,there wastremblingandterror.

He exalted himself [above the other tribes] in Israel;

But through [the worship of] Baal he became guilty and died [spiritually, and then came ruin, sealing Israel’s doom as a nation].

2 And now they sin more and more,

And make for themselves molten images,

Idols skillfully made from their silver [as it pleased them],

All of them the work of the craftsmen.

They say of these [very works of their hands], “Let those who sacrifice kissandshow respect to the calves [as if they were living gods]!”

3 Therefore they will be [swiftly dissipated] like the morning cloud

Or like dew which soon disappears,

Like chaff which swirls with the whirlwind from the threshing floor,

And like smoke from the chimneyorthrough the window [worthless and without substance –they will vanish].

4 Yet Ihave beenthe Lordyour God

Since [the time you became a nation in] the land of Egypt;

And you were not to know any god except Me,

For there is no savior besides Me.

5 I knewandregarded youandcared for you in the wilderness,

In the land of drought.

6 Whenthey hadtheir pasture, they became satisfied,

And being satisfied, their heart became proud (self-centered);

Therefore they forgot Me.

7 So I will be like a lion to them;

Like a leopard I will watchandlie in wait [ready to attack] by the road [to Assyria].

8 I will encounter them like a bear robbed of her cubs,

And I will tear open their chests;

There I will also devour them like a lioness,

As a wild beast would tear them.

9 It is your destruction, O Israel,

Becauseyou areagainst Me, [and have rebelled] against your help.

10 Where now is your king

That he may save you [when you are attacked] in all your cities?

And your judges of whom you asked,

“Give me a king and princes”?

11 I gave you a king in My anger,

And I took him away in My wrath [as punishment].

12 The wickedness of Ephraim [which is not yet completely punished] is bound up [as in a bag];

His sin is stored up [for judgment and destruction].

13 The pains of childbirth come on him;

But he is not a wise son,

For it is not the time to delay [his chance at a new birth] as the womb opens [but he ignores the opportunity to change].

14 Shall I ransom them from the power of Sheol (the place of the dead)?

Shall I redeem them from death?

O death, where are your thorns?

O Sheol, where is your sting?

Compassion is hidden from My eyes [because of their failure to repent].

15 For though he flourishes among the reeds (his fellow tribes),

An east wind (Assyria) will come,

The breath of the Lordrising from the desert;

And Ephraim’s spring will become dry

And his fountain will be dried up.

Assyria will plunder his treasury of every precious object.

16 Samaria will be found guilty [and become desolate],

Because she rebelled against her God;

They will fall by the sword,

Their infants will be dashed in pieces,

And their pregnant women will be ripped open.

Israel’s Future Blessing

1 O Israel, return [in repentance] to the Lordyour God,

For you have stumbledandfallen [visited by tragedy], because of your sin.

2 Take the words [confessing your guilt] with you and return to the Lord.

Say to Him, “Take away all our wickedness;

Accept what is goodandreceive us graciously,

So that we may present the fruit of our lips (gratitude).

3 “Assyria will not save us;

We will not ride on horses [relying on military might],

Nor will we say again to [the idols who are] the work of our hands,

‘You are our gods.’

For in You [O Lord] the orphan finds loveandcompassionandmercy.”

4 I will heal their apostasyandfaithlessness;

I will love them freely,

For My anger has turned away from Israel.

5 I shall be like the dew to Israel;

He will blossom like the lily,

And he will take root likethe cedars ofLebanon.

6 His shoots will sprout,

And his beauty will be like the olive tree

And his fragrance likethe cedars ofLebanon.

7 Those who live in his shadow

Will again raise grain,

And they will blossom like the vine.

His renownwill belike the wine of Lebanon.

8 O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?

It is I who have answered and will care for youandwatch over you.

I am like a luxuriant cypress tree;

With Me your fruit is found [which is to nourish you].

9 Whoever is [spiritually] wise, let him understand these things;

Whoeveris [spiritually] discerningandunderstanding, let him know them.

For the ways of the Lordare right,

And the righteous will walk in them,

But transgressors will stumbleandfall in them.

The Choice Young Men

1 In the third year of the reign ofJehoiakim king of Judah,Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it.

2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles of the house of God; and he brought them into the land ofShinar, to the house of his god, and brought the articles into the treasury of his god.

3 And the [Babylonian] king told Ashpenaz, the chief of hisofficials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some from the royal family and from the nobles,

4 young men without blemish and handsome in appearance, skillful in all wisdom, endowed with intelligenceanddiscernment, and quick to understand, competent to stand [in the presence of the king]andable to serve in the king’s palace. He alsoordered Ashpenazto teach them the literature and language of theChaldeans.

5 The king assigned a daily ration for them from his finest food and from the wine which he drank. They were to be educatedandnourished this way for three years so that at the end of that time they were [prepared] to enter the king’s service.

6 Among them from the sons of Judah were: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.

7 The commander of the officials gave them [Babylonian] names: Daniel he named Belteshazzar, Hananiahhe namedShadrach, Mishaelhe namedMeshach, and Azariahhe namedAbed-nego.

Daniel’s Resolve

8 But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile (taint, dishonor) himself with theking’s finest food or with the wine which the king drank; so he asked the commander of the officials that he might [be excused so that he would] not defile himself.

9 Now God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander of the officials,

10 and the commander of the officials said to Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has prearranged your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the young men who are your own age? Then you would make me forfeit my head to the king.”

11 But Daniel said to the overseer whom the commander of the officials had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

12 “Please, test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.

13 Then let our appearance and the appearance of the young men who eat the king’s finest food be observedandcompared by you, and deal with your servants in accordance with what you see.”

14 So the man listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days.

15 At the end of ten days it seemed that they were looking better andhealthier than all the young men who ate the king’s finest food.

16 So the overseer continued to withhold their fine food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

17 As for these four young men, God gave them knowledge and skill in allkinds ofliterature and wisdom; Daniel also understood allkinds ofvisions and dreams.

18 At the end of the time set by the king to bring all the young men in [before him], the commander of the officials presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.

19 The king spoke with them, and among them all not one was found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; so they were [selected and] assigned to stand before the kingandenter his personal service.

20 In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them ten times better than all the [learned] magicians and enchanters (Magi) in his whole realm.

21 And Daniel remained there until thefirst year of [the reign of] King Cyrus [over Babylon; now this was at the end of the seventy-year exile of Judah (the Southern Kingdom) in Babylonia, as foretold by Jeremiah].

DANIEL 2

The King’s Forgotten Dream

1 In the second year (604b.c.) of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams which troubledanddisturbed his spirit and [interfered with] his ability to sleep.

2 Then the king gave a command to call the magicians, the enchanters, the sorcerers, and theChaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king.

3 The king said to them, “I had a dream, and my spirit is troubledandanxious to know the [content and meaning of the] dream.”

4 Then the Chaldeans said to the king inAramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.”

5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “My command is firmandunchangeable: if you do not reveal to me the [content of the] dream along with its interpretation, you shall be cut into pieces and your houses shall be made a heap of rubbish.

6 But if you tell [me] the [content of the] dream along with its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So tell me the dream and its interpretation.”

7 They answered again, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will explain its interpretation [to you].”

8 The king replied, “I know for certain that you are bargaining for time, because you have seen that my command [to you] is firmandirrevocable.

9 If you will not reveal to me the [content of the] dream, there is but one sentence for you; for you have [already] prepared lying and corrupt words [and you have agreed together] to speak [them] before me [hoping to delay your execution] until the situation is changed. Therefore, tell me the dream [first], and then I will know [with confidence] that you can give me its interpretation.”

10 The Chaldeans answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king this matter, for no king, lord or ruler has ever asked such a thing as this of any magician or enchanter or Chaldean.

11 Furthermore, what the king demands is an unusualanddifficult thing indeed! No one except the gods can reveal it to the king, and their dwelling is not with [mortal] flesh.”

12 Because of this the king was indignant and extremely furious and gave a command to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

13 So the decree went out that the wise men were to be killed; and they looked for Daniel and his companions to put them to death.

14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and wisdom to Arioch, the captain of the king’sbodyguard, who had gone out to execute the wise men of Babylon;

15 he said to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the decree from the king so harshandurgent?” Then Arioch explained the matter to Daniel.

16 So Daniel went in and asked the king to appoint a dateandgive him time, so that he might reveal to the king the interpretationof the dream.

17 Then Daniel returned to his house and discussed the matter with Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

18 in order that they might seek compassion from the God of heaven regarding this secret, so that Daniel and his companions would not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

The Secret Is Revealed to Daniel

19 Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

20 Daniel answered,

“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,

For wisdom and power belong to Him.

21 “It is He who changes the times and the seasons;

He removes kings and establishes kings.

He gives wisdom to the wise

And [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding!

22 “It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things;

He knows what is in the darkness,

And the light dwells with Him.

23 “I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers,

For You have given me wisdom and power;

Even now You have made known to me what we requested of You,

For You have made known to us [the solution to] the king’s matter.”

24 So Daniel went to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon; he went and said this to him: “Do not execute the wise men of Babylon! Bring me before the king, and I will reveal to the king the interpretation [of his dream].”

25 Then Arioch hurriedly brought Daniel before the king and said this to him: “I have found a man among the exiles of Judah who can explain to the king the interpretation [of the dream].”

26 The king said to Daniel, whose [Babylonian] name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to reveal to me the [content of the] dream which I have seen and its interpretation?”

27 Daniel answered the king and said, “Regarding the mystery about which the king has inquired, neither the wise men, enchanters, magicians, nor astrologers are able to answer the king,

28 but there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has shown King Nebuchadnezzar what will take place in the latter days (end of days). This was your dream and the vision [that appeared] in your mind while on your bed.

29 As for you, O king, as you were lying on your bed thoughts came into your mind about what will take place in the future; and He who reveals secrets has shown you what will occur.

30 But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because my wisdom is greater than that of any other living man, but in order to make the interpretation known to the king, and so that you may understand [fully] the thoughts of your mind.

The King’s Dream

31 “You, O king, were looking, and behold, [there was] a single great statue; this image, which was large and of unsurpassed splendor, stood before you, and its appearance was awesomeandterrifying.

32 As for thisstatue, its headwas madeof fine gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze,

33 its legs of iron, its feet partly of iron and partly of clay [pottery].

34 As you were looking, astone was cut out without [human] hands, and it struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them.

35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were crushed together and became like the chaff from the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away so that not a trace of them could be found. And the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

The Interpretation–Babylon the First Kingdom

36 “This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation.

37 You, O king, are the king of [earthly] kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory;

38 and wherever the sons of men dwell, and the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, He has given them into your hand and has made you ruler over them all. You [king of Babylon] are the head of gold.

Medo-Persia and Greece

39 After you will arise another kingdom (Medo-Persia) inferior to you, and then a third kingdom of bronze (Greece under Alexander the Great), which will rule over all the earth.

Rome

40 Then a fourth kingdom (Rome) will be strong as iron, for iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things; and like iron which crushes things in pieces, it will break and crush all these [others].

41 And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it will be a divided kingdom; but there will be in it some of the durabilityandstrength of iron, just as you saw the iron mixed with common clay.

42 As the [ten] toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so some of the kingdom will be strong, andanotherpart of it will be brittle.

43 And as you saw the iron mixed with common clay, so they will combine with one another in the seed of men; but they will not merge [for such diverse things or ideologies cannot unite], even as iron does not mix with clay.

The Divine Kingdom

44 In the days of those [final ten] kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will its sovereignty be left for another people; but it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, and it will stand forever.

45 Just as you saw that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands and that it crushed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver and the gold, the great God has revealed to the king what will take place in the future; so the dream is true and its interpretation is trustworthy.”

Daniel Promoted

46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell face downward and paid respect to Daniel [as a great prophet of the highest God], and gave orders for an offering and fragrant incense to be presented to him [in honor of his God].

47 The king answered Daniel and said, “Most certainly your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery!”

48 Then the king promoted Daniel [to an exalted position] and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

49 And Daniel made a request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego over the affairs of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the court of the king.

DANIEL 3

The King’s Golden Image

1 Nebuchadnezzar the king made agold [-plated] image, whose height [including the pedestal] was sixty cubits (ninety feet) and its width six cubits (nine feet). He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.

2 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sentwordto assemble thesatraps, the prefects and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistratesandlawyers and all the chief officials of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

3 Then the satraps, the prefects, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistratesandlawyers, and all the chief officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before it.

4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “You are commanded, O peoples, nations, andspeakers of everylanguage,

5 that at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon (four-stringed harp), dulcimer, bagpipe, and all kinds of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.

6 Whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.”

7 So when the people heard the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, dulcimer, bagpipe and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations, andspeakers of everylanguage fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

Worship of the Image Refused

8 At that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought [malicious] accusations against the Jews.

9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “O king, live forever!

10 You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer, bagpipe, and all kinds of music is to fall down and worship the golden image.

11 Whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

12 There are certain Jews whom you have appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon,namelyShadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. These men, O king, pay no attention to you; they do not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up.”

13 Then Nebuchadnezzar in a furious rage gave a command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; and these men were brought before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image which I have made, very good. But if you do not worship, you shall be thrown at once into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can rescue you out of my hands?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you on this point.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to rescue us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will rescue us from your hand, O king.

18 But even ifHe doesnot, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!”

Daniel’s Friends Protected

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and his facial expression changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then he gave a command that the furnace was to be heated seventimes hotter than usual.

20 He commanded certain strong men in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego and to throw them into the furnace of blazing fire.

21 Then these [three] men were tied up in their trousers, their coats, their turbans, and their other clothes, and were thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.

22 Because the king’s command was urgent and the furnace was extremely hot, the flame of the fire killed the men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.

23 But these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell into the midst of the furnace of blazing firestilltied up.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king [looked and] was astounded, and he jumped up and said to his counselors, “Did we not throw three men who were tied up into the midst of the fire?” They replied to the king, “Certainly, O king.”

25 He answered, “Look! I see four men untied, walking around in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt! And the appearance of the fourth is likea son of the gods!”

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar approached the door of the blazing furnace and said, “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, servants of the Most High God, come out [of there]! Come here!” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came out of the midst of the fire.

27 The satraps, the prefects, the governors and the king’s counselors gathered around them and saw that in regard to these men the fire had no effect on their bodies–their hair was not singed, their clothes were not scorchedordamaged, even the smell of smoke was not on them.

28 Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and rescued His servants who believed in, trusted in,andrelied on Him! They violated the king’s command and surrendered their bodies rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation, or language that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego shall be cut into pieces and their houses be made a heap of rubbish, for there is no other god who is able to save in this way!”

30 Then the king caused Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego to prosper in the province of Babylon.

HOSEA 8