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1 In the third year of the reign of Yehoiakim Melech Yehudah came Nevuchadnetzar king of Babylon unto Yerushalayim, and besieged it.
2 And Hashem gave Yehoiakim Melech Yehudah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the Beis HaElohim; which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his g-d; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his g-d.
3 And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the Bnei Yisroel, and of the king’s zera (seed), and of the princes,
4 Yeladim in whom was no blemish, but well-favored, and skillful in all chochmah (wisdom), and cunning in da’as (knowledge), and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the heikhal hamelech (king’s palace), and whom they might teach the sefer and lashon of the Kasdim (Chaldeans).
5 And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king’s food, and of the yayin which he drank, so nourishing them shanim shalosh (three years), that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.
6 Now among these were of the Bnei Yehudah, Daniel, Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah;
7 Unto whom the chief of the eunuchs gave names; for he gave unto Daniel the name of Beltshatzar; and to Chananyah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azaryah, of Abednego.
8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s delicacies, nor with the yayin which he drank; therefore he requested of the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.
9 Now G-d had brought Daniel into chesed and sympathy with the chief of the eunuchs.
10 And the chief of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear adoni hamelech, who hath appointed your meat and your drink; for why should he see your faces worse looking than the yeladim which are of your age? Then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king.
11 Then said Daniel to the steward, whom the chief of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah,
12 Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, yamim asarim (ten days); and let them give us vegetables to eat, and mayim (water) to drink.
13 Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the yeladim that eat of the portion of the king’s meat, and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.
14 So he consented to them in this matter, and tested them yamim asarim (ten days).
15 And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the yeladim which did eat the portion of the king’s meat.
16 Thus the steward took away the portion of their meat, and the yayin that they should drink; and gave them vegetables.
17 As for these four yeladim, G-d gave them knowledge and skill in all sefer and chochmah, and Daniel had understanding in all chazon (visions) and chalomot (dreams).
18 Now at the end of the days that the king had said he would bring them in, then the chief of the eunuchs brought them in before Nevuchadnetzar.
19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah; therefore stood they before the king.
20 And in all matters of chochmah and binah that the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
21 And Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Koresh (Cyrus).
2 And in the second year of the reign of Nevuchadnetzar, Nevuchadnetzar dreamed chalomot (dreams), wherewith his ruach was troubled, and his sleep left him.
2 Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the enchanters, and the sorcerers, and the Kasdim (Chaldeans) for to show the king his chalomot. So they came and stood before the king.
3 And the king said unto them, I have dreamed a chalom (dream) and my ruach was troubled to have da’as of the chalom (dream).
4 Then spoke the Kasdim (Chaldeans) to the king in Aramaic, O king, live for ever; tell thy servants the chalom (dream), and we will show the pesher (interpretation, explanation).
5 The king answered and said to the Kasdim (Chaldeans), The decision from me is firm; if ye will not give me da’as of the chalom (dream), with the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a pile of rubble;
6 But if ye show the chalom (dream), and the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof, ye shall receive of me gifts and rewards and great honor; therefore show me the chalom (dream), and the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof.
7 They answered again and said, Let the king tell his servants the chalom (dream), and we will show the pesher (interpretation, explanation) of it.
8 The king answered and said, I have da’as of certainty that ye would gain time, because ye see the decision from me is firm.
9 But if ye will not give me da’as of the chalom (dream), there is but one decree for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the tide is turned; therefore tell me the chalom (dream), and I shall have da’as that ye can show me the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof.
10 The Kasdim (Chaldeans) answered before the king, and said, There is not a man upon the earth that can show the king’s matter; therefore there is no melech, no matter how rav (great) or powerful, that asked such things of any magician, or enchanter, or Kasdai (Chaldean).
11 And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is none other that can show it before the king, except the g-ds, whose dwelling is not with basar (flesh).
12 For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the chachamim (wise men) of Babylon.
13 And the decree went forth that the chachamim should be slain; and they sought Daniel and his chaverim to be slain.
14 Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Aryoch the captain of the king’s guard, which was gone forth to slay the chachamim of Babylon;
15 He answered and said to Aryoch the king’s captain, Why is the decree so hasty from the king? Then Aryoch made the thing known to Daniel.
16 Then Daniel went in, and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the pesher (interpretation, explanation).
17 Then Daniel went to his bais, and made the decree known to Chananyah, Mishael, and Azaryah, his chaverim,
18 That they would plead for rachamim from the G-d of Shomayim concerning this raz (mystery, secret); that Daniel and his chaverim should not perish with the rest of the chachamim of Babylon.
19 Then was the raz revealed unto Daniel in a chazon of the lailah. Then Daniel said a brakhah to the G-d of Shomayim.
20 Daniel answered and said, Baruch hashem Elohim l’olam va’ed; for chochmah (wisdom) and gevurah (might) are His;
21 And He changeth the times and the zmanim (seasons); He removeth melachim, and setteth up melachim; He giveth chochmah unto the chachamim, and da’as to them that know binah;
22 He revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth what is in the choshech, and the light dwelleth with Him.
23 I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O Thou G-d of my fathers, Who hast given me chochmah and gevurah, and hast given unto me da’as now of what we desired of Thee; for Thou hast now made known unto us the king’s matter.
8 Now, to say over, all of you be an agudah (bound together union) in your thinking, have achdus, be sympathetic, having ahavah (agape) for the Achim b’Moshiach [Tehillim 133:1], being tenderhearted men of mercy v’shiflei ruach (and lowly of spirit),
9 Not rendering ra’ah for ra’ah or lashon hora for lashon hora, but, fahkert (on the contrary), rendering a bracha (blessing), because to this tachlis (purpose) you were given your kri’ah (calling), that you may inherit a bracha (blessing).
10 HAISH HECHAFETZ CHAYYIM OHEV YAMIM LIROT TOV ("For the one wanting to love life and to see good days") NETZOR L’SHONECHA MERAH U’SFATECHA MIDABER MIRMAH ("Let him stop his tongue from speaking lashon hora and his lips from speaking remiyah [guile, fraud, deceit]."
11 “Let him turn away from resha and let him do that which is good, let him seek shalom and pursue it");
12 EINEI ADONOI EL TZADDIKIM V’AZNAV EL SHAV’ATAM ("Because the tzaddikim are before the eyes of Hashem and His ears are open to their tefillos." P’NEI ADONOI B’OSEI RAH L’HACHRIT ME’A’RETZ ZICHRAM ("But the face of the L-rd is against the ones doing evil to cut off their memory from the earth" TEHILLIM 34:13-17).
13 And who is the one harming you if you have kana’ut (zeal) for HaTov (The Good)?
14 But if indeed you should suffer tzoros because of Tzidkat Hashem, you are blessed and happy. But do not fear their pachad (terror), neither be troubled.
15 But reverence in your levavot Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach as Adoneinu, prepared always for a hitstaddekut (an apologetic defense) to everyone coming to you with a she’elah (question), ready with a word concerning the tikvah in you,
16 But with anavah (meekness) and yirat Shomayim, having a clear matzpun (conscience [3:21]), so that, when you are maligned by lashon hora, your abusers may be humiliated by your midas chasidus in Moshiach.
17 For im yirtzeh Hashem (if the L-rd wills), it is better to suffer tzoros for doing mitzvot than for doing ra’ah.
18 Because, indeed, Moshiach suffered once on behalf of chatta’im (sins), a Tzaddik (righteous one) on behalf of the chote’im (unrighteous ones, sinners), that he might bring you to Hashem he, having been in the basar [TEHILLIM 16:9-10] put to death, yet, in the Ruach Hakodesh, having been made alive [4:6]; [see Isa 53:8]
19 In which also to the ruchot (spirits) in mishmar (prison), having gone, Moshiach made the hachrazah (proclamation, kerygma)
20 To ones without mishma’at (obedience) back then when the zitzfleisch (patience) of Hashem was waiting, in the days of Noach, while the Teva (Ark) was being prepared, in which a few, that is shemoneh nefashot (eight souls), were delivered through that mabbul’s mikveh mayim;
21 And Moshiach’s tevilah in the mikveh mayim, which this mabbul prefigures, now delivers you, not by means of the removal of filth from the basar, but through the hitchaiy’vut (pledge) of a clean matzpun toward Hashem, through the Techiyas HaMoshiach Yehoshua,
22 Who is at the right hand of Hashem, having gone into Shomayim, with malachim and rashuyot (authorities) and gevurot under his feet.
4 Therefore, als (since) Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach underwent bodily yissurim (sufferings [4:13]), also you arm yourselves with the same way of thinking as Moshiach, because the one having suffered in the basar (flesh) has finished with chet (sin)
2 So as no longer to live the remaining time of the Olam Hazeh in the basar, in the ta’avot Bnei Adam (lusts of men), but in the ratzon Hashem (will of G-d).
3 For you have already spent sufficient time (time already gone by) in the Olam Hazeh participating in the ta’avot (lusts) of the Goyim, walking in darchei zimah (the ways of licentiousness), ta’avot (lusts), shichrut (drunkenness), orgiastic drinking mesibot (parties), and unlawful avodas elilim (idolatry).
4 The Goyim think it strange [4:12] that you are not running with them into the same mabbul (flood) of dissipation, and so they blaspheme and commit Chillul Hashem.
5 But they will give an account to the One being ready to take his moshav (seat) as the Shofet of HaChayyim v’HaMesim (the Living and the Dead).
6 For, indeed, this is the reason that the Besuras HaGeulah was preached to the mesim (dead ones, i.e., those who have died in the L-rd), that, though judged in the basar according to men [MJ 12:23; Yn 5:25; 1Th 4:13-18], they might live according to G-d in the spirit.
65 Thou hast dealt well with Thy eved, Hashem, according unto Thy word.
66 Teach me good judgment and da’as; for I have believed in Thy mitzvot.
67 Before I was afflicted I went astray; but now have I been shomer over Thy word.
68 Thou art tov, and doest tov; teach me Thy chukkot.
69 The zedim (arrogant ones) have forged a sheker against me; but I will keep Thy pikkudim with my kol lev.
70 Their lev is callous like chelev; I delight in Thy torah.
71 It is tov for me that I have been afflicted l’ma’an (in order that) I might learn Thy chukkot.
72 The torah of Thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of zahav and kesef. ' YOD
73 Thy hands have made me and established me: give me understanding, that I may learn Thy mitzvot.
74 They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me; for I have hoped in Thy Davar.
75 I know, Hashem, Thy mishpatim are tzedek, and Thou in emunah (faithfulness) hast afflicted me.
76 Let now Thy chesed be for my comfort, according to Thy word unto Thy eved.
77 Let Thy rachamim come unto me, that I may live: for Thy torah is my delight.
78 Let the zedim (arrogant ones) be ashamed; for they dealt perversely with me without a cause: but I will meditate on Thy pikkudim (percepts).
79 Let those that fear Thee turn unto me, and those that have known Thy edot.
80 Let my lev be tamim (blameless, complete) in Thy chukkot; that I be not ashamed. Kaf
14 Ashrei adam that is reverent always, but he that hardeneth his lev shall fall into ra’ah.
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