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Today's Bible Reading :: Daniel 4 - 6 (ESV)

Daniel 4Listen to the passage

Daniel 5Listen to the passage

Daniel 6Listen to the passage

Daniel 4

Nebuchadnezzar Praises God

Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:1 - [fn] King Nebuchadnezzar to all peoples, nations, and languages, that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you!
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:2 - It has seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has done for me.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:3 - How great are his signs,
how mighty his wonders!
His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and his dominion endures from generation to generation.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Second Dream

Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:4 - [fn] I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and prospering in my palace.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:5 - I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:6 - So I made a decree that all the wise men of Babylon should be brought before me, that they might make known to me the interpretation of the dream.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:7 - Then the magicians, the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers came in, and I told them the dream, but they could not make known to me its interpretation.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:8 - At last Daniel came in before me—he who was named Belteshazzar after the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods[fn]—and I told him the dream, saying,
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:9 - “O Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too difficult for you, tell me the visions of my dream that I saw and their interpretation.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:10 - The visions of my head as I lay in bed were these: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height was great.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:11 - The tree grew and became strong, and its top reached to heaven, and it was visible to the end of the whole earth.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:12 - Its leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant, and in it was food for all. The beasts of the field found shade under it, and the birds of the heavens lived in its branches, and all flesh was fed from it.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:13 - “I saw in the visions of my head as I lay in bed, and behold, a watcher, a holy one, came down from heaven.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:14 - He proclaimed aloud and said thus: ‘Chop down the tree and lop off its branches, strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the beasts flee from under it and the birds from its branches.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:15 - 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:16 - Let his mind be changed from a man’s, and let a beast’s mind be given to him; and let seven periods of time pass over him.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:17 - The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.’
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:18 - This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, saw. And you, O Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known to me the interpretation, but you are able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in you.”

Daniel Interprets the Second Dream

Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:19 - Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was dismayed for a while, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king answered and said, “Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation alarm you.” Belteshazzar answered and said, “My lord, may the dream be for those who hate you and its interpretation for your enemies!
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:20 - The 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,
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:21 - whose 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—
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:22 - it is you, O king, who have grown and become strong. Your greatness has grown and reaches to heaven, and your dominion to the ends of the earth.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:23 - And because the king saw a watcher, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘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 seven periods of time pass over him,’
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:24 - this is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king,
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:25 - that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:26 - And as it was commanded to 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:27 - Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

Nebuchadnezzar’s Humiliation

Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:28 - All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:29 - At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon,
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:30 - and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:31 - While 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,
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:32 - and 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, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:33 - Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He 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

Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:34 - At the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever,
for his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
and his kingdom endures from generation to generation;
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:35 - all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,
and he does according to his will among the host of heaven
and among the inhabitants of the earth;
and none can stay his hand
or say to him, “What have you done?”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:36 - At the same time my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my majesty and splendor returned to me. My counselors and my lords sought me, and I was established in my kingdom, and still more greatness was added to me.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 4:37 - Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
ESV Footnotes
Ch 3:31 in Aramaic
Ch 4:1 in Aramaic
Or Spirit of the holy God; also verses 9, 18

Daniel 5

The Handwriting on the Wall

Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:1 - King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:2 - Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father[fn] 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:3 - Then they brought in the 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:4 - They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:5 - Immediately the 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 the hand as it wrote.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:6 - Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:7 - The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared[fn] to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:8 - Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:9 - Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:10 - The queen,[fn] because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:11 - There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods.[fn] In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:12 - because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”

Daniel Interprets the Handwriting

Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:13 - Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:14 - I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods[fn] is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:15 - Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:16 - But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:17 - Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:18 - O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:19 - And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:20 - But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:21 - He 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, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:22 - And you his son,[fn] Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:23 - but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the 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. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:24 - “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:25 - And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:26 - This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered[fn] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:27 - Tekel, you have been weighed[fn] in the balances and found wanting;
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:28 - Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:29 - Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:30 - That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 5:31 - [fn] And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
ESV Footnotes
Or predecessor; also verses 11, 13, 18
Aramaic answered and said; also verse 10
Or queen mother; twice in this verse
Or Spirit of the holy God
Or Spirit of God
Or successor
Mene sounds like the Aramaic for numbered
Tekel sounds like the Aramaic for weighed
Peres (the singular of Parsin) sounds like the Aramaic for divided and for Persia
Ch 6:1 in Aramaic

Daniel 6

Daniel and the Lions’ Den

Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:1 - It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:2 - and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:3 - Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:4 - Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:5 - 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.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:6 - Then these high officials and satraps came by agreement[fn] to the king and said to him, “O King Darius, live forever!
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:7 - All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:8 - Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:9 - Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:10 - When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:11 - Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:12 - Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, “O king! Did you not sign an 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 the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:13 - Then they answered and said before the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:14 - Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:15 - 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 injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:16 - Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared[fn] to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:17 - And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:18 - Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:19 - Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:20 - 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 the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:21 - Then Daniel said to the king, “O king, live forever!
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:22 - My God sent his angel and shut the lions’ mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:23 - 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 no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:24 - And the king commanded, and those 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.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:25 - Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: “Peace be multiplied to you.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:26 - I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel,
for he is the living God,
enduring forever;
his kingdom shall never be destroyed,
and his dominion shall be to the end.
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:27 - He delivers and rescues;
he works signs and wonders
in heaven and on earth,
he who has saved Daniel
from the power of the lions.”
Unchecked Copy BoxDan 6:28 - So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.
ESV Footnotes
Or came thronging; also verses 11, 15
Aramaic answered and said; also verse 20
ESV

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2025 by Crossway Books and Bibles, a Publishing Ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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