The Daily Audio Bible
Today's audio is from the CSB. Switch to the CSB to read along with the audio.
The Choice Young Men
1 In the third year of the reign of (A)Jehoiakim king of Judah, (B)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The (C)Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the (D)vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of (E)Shinar, to the house of his [a]god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his [b](F)god.
3 Then the king [c]ordered Ashpenaz, the chief of his [d]officials, to bring in some of the sons of Israel, including some of the [e]royal (G)family and of the nobles, 4 youths in whom was (H)no defect, who were good-looking, showing (I)intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for [f]serving in the king’s [g]court; and he ordered him to teach them the [h]literature and (J)language of the (K)Chaldeans. 5 The king appointed for them a daily ration from the (L)king’s choice food and from the wine which he drank, and appointed that they should be [i]educated three years, at the end of which they were to [j](M)enter the king’s personal service. 6 Now among them from the sons of Judah were (N)Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah. 7 Then the commander of the officials assigned new names to them; and to Daniel he assigned the name (O)Belteshazzar, to Hananiah (P)Shadrach, to Mishael (Q)Meshach and to Azariah (R)Abed-nego.
Daniel’s Resolve
8 But Daniel [k]made up his mind that he would not (S)defile himself with the (T)king’s choice food or with the (U)wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself. 9 Now God granted Daniel [l](V)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 appointed your food and your drink; for why should he see your faces looking more haggard than the youths who are your own age? Then you would [m]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 (W)given some vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then let our appearance be [n]observed in your presence and the appearance of the youths who are eating the king’s choice food; and deal with your servants according to what you see.”
14 So he listened to them in this matter and tested them for ten days. 15 At the end of ten days their appearance seemed (X)better and [o]they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. 16 So the overseer continued to [p]withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept (Y)giving them vegetables.
17 As for these four youths, (Z)God gave them knowledge and intelligence in every branch of [q]literature and wisdom; Daniel even understood all kinds of (AA)visions and dreams.
18 Then at the end of the days which the king had [r]specified [s]for presenting them, the commander of the officials [t]presented them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked with them, and out of them all not one was found like (AB)Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they [u](AC)entered the king’s personal service. 20 As for every matter of (AD)wisdom [v]and understanding about which the king consulted them, he found them (AE)ten times (AF)better than all the [w](AG)magicians and conjurers who were in all his realm. 21 And Daniel [x]continued until the (AH)first year of Cyrus the king.
The King’s Forgotten Dream
2 Now in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar [y](AI)had dreams; and his spirit was troubled and his (AJ)sleep [z]left him. 2 Then the king [aa]gave orders to call in the [ab](AK)magicians, the conjurers, the sorcerers and the [ac]Chaldeans to tell the king his dreams. So they came in and stood before the king. 3 The king said to them, “I [ad](AL)had a dream and my spirit [ae]is anxious to [af]understand the dream.”
4 Then the Chaldeans spoke to the king in [ag](AM)Aramaic: “(AN)O king, live forever! (AO)Tell the dream to your servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 5 The king replied to the Chaldeans, “[ah]The command from me is firm: if you do not make known to me the dream and its interpretation, you will be [ai](AP)torn limb from limb and your houses will be made a rubbish heap. 6 But if you declare the dream and its interpretation, you will receive from me (AQ)gifts and a reward and great honor; therefore declare to me the dream and its interpretation.” 7 They answered a second time and said, “Let the king (AR)tell the dream to his servants, and we will declare the interpretation.” 8 The king replied, “I know for certain that you are [aj]bargaining for time, inasmuch as you have seen that [ak]the command from me is firm, 9 that if you do not make the dream known to me, there is only (AS)one [al]decree for you. For you have agreed together to speak lying and corrupt [am]words before me until the [an]situation is changed; therefore tell me the dream, that I may (AT)know that you can declare to me its interpretation.” 10 The Chaldeans answered [ao]the king and said, “There is not a man on earth who could declare the matter [ap]for the king, inasmuch as no great king or ruler has ever asked anything like this of any [aq](AU)magician, conjurer or Chaldean. 11 Moreover, the thing which the king demands is [ar]difficult, and there is no one else who could declare it [as]to the king except (AV)gods, whose (AW)dwelling place is not with mortal flesh.”
12 Because of this the king became (AX)indignant and very furious and gave orders to destroy all the wise men of Babylon. 13 So the [at]decree went forth that the wise men should be slain; and they looked for (AY)Daniel and his friends to [au]kill them.
14 Then Daniel replied with discretion and discernment to (AZ)Arioch, the captain of the king’s [av]bodyguard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon; 15 he said to Arioch, the king’s commander, “For what reason is the [aw]decree from the king so [ax]urgent?” Then Arioch informed Daniel about the matter. 16 So Daniel went in and requested of the king that he would [ay]give him time, in order that he might declare the interpretation to the king.
17 Then Daniel went to his house and informed his friends, (BA)Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, about the matter, 18 so that they might (BB)request compassion from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that Daniel and his friends would not be (BC)destroyed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.
The Secret Is Revealed to Daniel
19 Then the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a night (BD)vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven; 20 Daniel said,
“Let the name of God be (BE)blessed forever and ever,
For (BF)wisdom and power belong to Him.
21 “It is He who (BG)changes the times and the epochs;
He (BH)removes kings and [az]establishes kings;
He gives (BI)wisdom to wise men
And knowledge to [ba]men of understanding.
22 “It is He who (BJ)reveals the profound and hidden things;
(BK)He knows what is in the darkness,
And the (BL)light dwells with Him.
23 “To You, O (BM)God of my fathers, I give thanks and praise,
For You have given me (BN)wisdom and power;
Even now You have made known to me what we (BO)requested of You,
For You have made known to us the king’s matter.”
8 [a]To sum up, (A)all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, (B)brotherly, (C)kindhearted, and (D)humble in spirit; 9 (E)not returning evil for evil or (F)insult for insult, but [b]giving a (G)blessing instead; for (H)you were called for the very purpose that you might (I)inherit a blessing. 10 For,
“(J)The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
11 “(K)He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
12 “(L)For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
13 (M)Who is [c]there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good? 14 But even if you should (N)suffer for the sake of righteousness, (O)you [d]are blessed. (P)And do not fear their [e]intimidation, and do not be troubled, 15 but [f]sanctify (Q)Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready (R)to make a [g]defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the (S)hope that is in you, yet (T)with gentleness and [h](U)reverence; 16 [i]and keep a (V)good conscience so that in the thing in which (W)you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame. 17 For (X)it is better, (Y)if [j]God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong. 18 For (Z)Christ also died for sins (AA)once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might (AB)bring us to God, having been put to death (AC)in the flesh, but made alive (AD)in the [k]spirit; 19 in [l]which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison, 20 who once were disobedient, when the (AE)patience of God (AF)kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of (AG)the ark, in which a few, that is, (AH)eight (AI)persons, were brought safely through the [m]water. 21 (AJ)Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—(AK)not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God [n]for a (AL)good conscience—through (AM)the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 (AN)who is at the right hand of God, (AO)having gone into heaven, (AP)after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.
Keep Fervent in Your Love
4 Therefore, since (AQ)Christ has [o]suffered in the flesh, (AR)arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because (AS)he who has [p]suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2 (AT)so as to live (AU)the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the (AV)will of God. 3 For (AW)the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, [q](AX)having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and [r]abominable idolatries. 4 In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of (AY)dissipation, and they (AZ)malign you; 5 but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge (BA)the living and the dead. 6 For (BB)the gospel has for this purpose been [s]preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.
Teth.
65 You have dealt well with Your servant,
O Lord, according to Your word.
66 Teach me good [a](A)discernment and knowledge,
For I believe in Your commandments.
67 (B)Before I was afflicted I went astray,
But now I keep Your word.
68 You are (C)good and (D)do good;
(E)Teach me Your statutes.
69 The arrogant [b]have (F)forged a lie against me;
With all my heart I will (G)observe Your precepts.
70 Their heart is [c](H)covered with fat,
But I (I)delight in Your law.
71 It is (J)good for me that I was afflicted,
That I may learn Your statutes.
72 The (K)law of Your mouth is better to me
Than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
Yodh.
73 (L)Your hands made me and [d]fashioned me;
(M)Give me understanding, that I may learn Your commandments.
74 May those who [e]fear You (N)see me and be glad,
Because I [f](O)wait for Your word.
75 I know, O Lord, that Your judgments are (P)righteous,
And that (Q)in faithfulness You have afflicted me.
76 O may Your lovingkindness [g]comfort me,
According to Your [h]word to Your servant.
77 May (R)Your compassion come to me that I may live,
For Your law is my (S)delight.
78 May (T)the arrogant be ashamed, for they subvert me (U)with a lie;
But I shall (V)meditate on Your precepts.
79 May those who [i]fear You turn to me,
Even those who know Your testimonies.
80 May my heart be [j](W)blameless in Your statutes,
So that I will not (X)be ashamed.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.