The Daily Audio Bible

Daniel Obeys God

1 In the third year that Jehoiakim was king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came against Jerusalem. His army was all around the city. ² The Lord let him take King Jehoiakim of Judah, with some of the objects of the house of God. He brought them to the house of his god in the land of Shinar, and put the objects into the store-room of his god. ³ Then the king told Ashpenaz, his head ruler, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, both those of the king’s family and of the important leaders. ⁴ They were to be young men, perfect in body, good-looking, with wisdom, understanding, much learning, and able to serve in the king’s house. The king told Ashpenaz to teach them the writings and language of the Babylonians. ⁵ And the king gave them a share of his best food and wine every day. They were to be taught for three years, and after that they were to serve the king. ⁶ Among these were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the sons of Judah. ⁷ The king’s head ruler gave them new names. To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar. To Hananiah he gave the name Shadrach. To Mishael he gave the name Meshach. And to Azariah he gave the name Abed-nego.

⁸ But Daniel made up his mind that he would not make himself unclean with the king’s best food and wine. So he asked the head ruler to allow him not to make himself unclean. ⁹ Now God gave Daniel favor and pity in the eyes of the head ruler. ¹⁰ The head ruler said to him, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has said you were to have so much and he would see that you were not looking as good as the other young men who are as old as you. The king would cut off my head because of you.” ¹¹ Then Daniel said to the man whom the head ruler had chosen to watch over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, ¹² “Test your servants for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare how we look with the young men who are eating the king’s best food. And do with us what you think is best by what you see.”

¹⁴ So he listened to them, and tested them for ten days. ¹⁵ At the end of ten days they looked even better. They were fatter than all the young men who had been eating the king’s best food. ¹⁶ So the man who watched over them took away the best food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.

¹⁷ God gave these four young men much learning and understanding in all kinds of writings and wisdom. Daniel even had understanding in all kinds of special dreams. ¹⁸ At the end of the time set by the king to bring them in, the head ruler brought them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they became the king’s own helpers. ²⁰ Every time the king asked them questions that needed wise and understanding answers, he found that they knew ten times more than all the wonder-workers under his rule who used their secret ways. ²¹ And Daniel was there until the first year of King Cyrus.

Nebuchadnezzar’s Dream

2 In the second year that Nebuchadnezzar was king, he had a dream. His spirit was troubled and he could not sleep. ² Then the king called for the wonder-workers, those who used secret ways, those who learned from stars, to tell the king what he had dreamed. So they came in and stood in front of the king. ³ The king said to them, “I had a dream that troubles me, and I want to know what the dream means.”

⁴ Then those who learn from stars said to the king in the Aramaic language, “O king, live forever! Tell the dream to your servants, and we will tell you what it means.” ⁵ The king answered, saying, “My word is sure. If you do not tell me what my dream was and what it means, you will be torn apart and your houses will be laid waste. ⁶ But if you tell me the dream and what it means, I will give you gifts and riches and great honor. So tell me the dream and what it means.” ⁷ They answered the king a second time, saying, “Let the king tell the dream to his servants, and we will tell you what it means.” ⁸ The king said, “I am sure that you are trying to get more time, because you see that my word is sure. ⁹ You know that if you do not tell me what I dreamed, there is only one penalty for you. You have agreed among yourselves to keep telling me lies until things change. So tell me the dream. Then I will know that you can tell me what it means.” ¹⁰ Those who learn from stars answered the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who can do this for the king. For no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any wonder-worker or one who learns from stars. ¹¹ What the king asks is too hard. No one can do it for you except the gods, who do not live among men.” ¹² Because of this the king became very angry and said that all the wise men of Babylon must be destroyed. ¹³ So the law was sent out that the wise men must be killed. They looked for Daniel and his friends, to kill them also.

God Shows Daniel the Meaning of the Dream

¹⁴ Then Daniel spoke with wisdom and understanding to Arioch, the captain of the soldiers who watched over the king, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon. ¹⁵ He said to Arioch, the king’s captain, “Why is the king’s law so hard?” Then Arioch told him what had happened. ¹⁶ So Daniel went in and asked the king for time, so that he could tell the king what the dream meant.

¹⁷ Then Daniel went to his house and told his friends, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, what had happened. ¹⁸ He told them to ask for loving-pity from the God of heaven about this secret, so that Daniel and his friends might not be killed with the other wise men of Babylon. ¹⁹ Then the secret was made known to Daniel in a special dream during the night. He gave honor and thanks to the God of heaven. ²⁰ Daniel said, “Let the name of God be honored forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. ²¹ He changes the times and the years. He takes kings away, and puts kings in power. He gives wisdom to wise men and much learning to men of understanding. ²² He makes known secret and hidden things. He knows what is in the darkness. Light is with Him. ²³ I give thanks and praise to You, O God of my fathers. For You have given me wisdom and power. Even now You have made known what we asked of You. You have made the king’s dream known to us.”

Teaching for All Christians

⁸ Last of all, you must share the same thoughts and the same feelings. Love each other with a kind heart and with a mind that has no pride. ⁹ When someone does something bad to you, do not do the same thing to him. When someone talks about you, do not talk about him. Instead, pray that good will come to him. You were called to do this so you might receive good things from God. ¹⁰ For “If you want joy in your life and have happy days, keep your tongue from saying bad things and your lips from talking bad about others. ¹¹ Turn away from what is sinful. Do what is good. Look for peace and go after it. ¹² The Lord watches over those who are right with Him. He hears their prayers. But the Lord is against those who sin.” ^{(A) 13} Who will hurt you if you do what is right? ¹⁴ But even if you suffer for doing what is right, you will be happy. Do not be afraid or troubled by what they may do to make it hard for you. ¹⁵ Your heart should be holy and set apart for the Lord God. Always be ready to tell everyone who asks you why you believe as you do. Be gentle as you speak and show respect. ¹⁶ Keep your heart telling you that you have done what is right. If men speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see the good way you have lived as a Christian. ¹⁷ If God wants you to suffer, it is better to suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is wrong.

Christ Suffered for Us

¹⁸ Christ suffered and died for sins once for all. He never sinned and yet He died for us who have sinned. He died so He might bring us to God. His body died but His spirit was made alive. ¹⁹ Christ went and preached to the spirits in prison. ²⁰ Those were the spirits of the people who would not obey in the days of Noah. God waited a long time for them while Noah was building the big boat. But only eight people were saved from dying when the earth was covered with water. ²¹ This is like baptism to us. Baptism does not mean we wash our bodies clean. It means we are saved from the punishment of sin and go to God in prayer with a heart that says we are right. This can be done because Christ was raised from the dead. ²² Christ has gone to heaven and is on the right side of God. Angels and powers of heaven are obeying Him.

Following Christ Will Mean Suffering

4 Since Christ has suffered in His body, we must be ready to suffer also. Suffering puts an end to sin. ² You should no longer spend the rest of your life giving in to the sinful desires of the flesh. But do what God wants as long as you live in this world. ³ In the past you gave enough of your life over to living like the people who do not know God. You gave your life to sex sins and to sinful desires. You got drunk and went to wild parties and to drinking parties and you worshiped false gods. ⁴ Those who do not know God are surprised you do not join them in the sinful things they do. They laugh at you and say bad things against you. ⁵ Remember, they will give an answer to Him Who judges all who are living or dead. ⁶ For this reason, the Good News was preached to the dead. They stood in the flesh before the One Who judges so they might live in the Spirit as God wants.

⁶⁵ You have done good to Your servant, O Lord, because of Your Word. ⁶⁶ Teach me what I should know to be right and fair for I believe in Your Law. ⁶⁷ Before I suffered I went the wrong way, but now I obey Your Word. ⁶⁸ You are good and You do good. Teach me Your Law. ⁶⁹ The proud have put together a lie against me. I will keep Your Law with all my heart. ⁷⁰ Their heart is covered with fat, but I find joy in Your Law. ⁷¹ It is good for me that I was troubled, so that I might learn Your Law. ⁷² The Law of Your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

⁷³ Your hands made me and put me together. Give me understanding to learn Your Law. ⁷⁴ May those who fear You see me and be glad, for I have put my hope in Your Word. ⁷⁵ O Lord, I know that what You decide is right and good. You punish me because You are faithful. ⁷⁶ May Your loving-kindness comfort me because of Your promise to Your servant. ⁷⁷ Let Your loving-pity come to me so I may live. For Your Law is my joy. ⁷⁸ May the proud be ashamed, because they do wrong to me for no reason, but I will think about Your Law. ⁷⁹ May those who fear You and those who know Your Law turn to me. ⁸⁰ Let my heart be without blame in Your Law. Do not let me be put to shame.

¹⁴ Happy is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who makes his heart hard will fall into trouble.