The Daily Audio Bible

1 In the third year of the realm of Jehoiakim, king of Judah (In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah), Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem, and besieged it.

² And the Lord betook in his hand Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, and he took a part of the vessels of the house of God; and he bare out those into the land of Shinar, into the house of his god, and he took the vessels into the house of treasure of his god. (And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, into his power, and he took some of the vessels of the House of God; and he carried them back to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he put the vessels in the treasure house of his god.)

³ And the king said to Ashpenaz, sovereign of his honest servants and chaste, that he should bring in of the sons of Israel, and of the king’s seed, and the children of tyrants, [or (of) strong men,] (And the king said to Ashpenaz, the ruler of his honest and chaste servants, that is, the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring in some of the Israelites, yea, some of the king’s descendants, and some of the young men of the strong men,)

⁴ in which were no wem, fair in shape, and learned in all wisdom, wary in knowing, and taught in chastising, either learning, and that might stand in the palace of the king, that he should teach them the letters and language of Chaldees. (in whom there was no blemish, or fault, comely in shape, and learned in all wisdom, yea, knowledgeable, and taught in learning, or in the disciplines, and who might stand in the palace of the king, so that he could teach them the letters and the language of the Chaldeans.)

⁵ And the king ordained to them lifelode by each day of his meats, and of the wine whereof he drank; that they nourished by three years, should stand afterward before the sight of the king. (And the king ordained for them the daily sustenance of his food, and the wine which he drank; and that after they were nourished for three years, they would stand before the king.)

⁶ Therefore Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, of the sons of Judah, were among them. (And so Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, of the sons of Judah, were among them.)

⁷ And the sovereign of the honest servants and chaste putted to them names (And the ruler of the honest and chaste servants, that is, the master of the eunuchs, gave them new names); to Daniel he putted Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach, and to Azariah, Abednego.

⁸ Forsooth Daniel purposed in his heart, that he should not be defouled of the board of the king, neither of the wine of his drink; and he prayed the sovereign of the honest servants and chaste, that he should not be defouled. (But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not be defiled with the king’s food, nor with his wine to drink; and he beseeched the ruler of the eunuchs, that he might not be so defiled.)

⁹ Forsooth God gave grace and mercy to Daniel, in the sight of the prince of honest servants and chaste. (And God made the ruler of the eunuchs to show grace and mercy to Daniel.)

¹⁰ And the prince of honest servants and chaste said to Daniel, I dread my lord the king, that ordained to you meat and drink; and if he see your faces leaner than (the) other young waxing men, your even-eld(er)s, ye shall condemn mine head to the king. (And the ruler of the eunuchs said to Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who ordained for you food and drink; for if he shall see your faces leaner than the other young men, yea, your fellows, then ye shall condemn my head to the king.)

¹¹ And Daniel said to Melzar, whom the prince of honest servants and chaste had ordained on Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, (And Daniel said to Melzar, whom the ruler of the eunuchs had ordained over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,)

¹² I beseech, assay thou us thy servants by ten days, and pottages be given to us to eat, and water to drink; (I beseech thee, assay thou us thy servants for ten days, and let vegetables be given to us to eat, and water to drink;)

¹³ and behold thou our cheers, and the cheers of children that eat the king’s meat; and as thou seest, so do thou with thy servants. (and look thou upon our faces, and upon the faces of the young men who eat the king’s food; and as thou seest fit, so do thou with thy servants.)

¹⁴ And when he heard such a word, he assayed them (for) ten days.

¹⁵ Forsooth after ten days the cheers of them appeared better and fatter, than all the children that ate the king’s meat. (And after ten days their faces appeared better and fatter, than all the other young men who ate the king’s food.)

¹⁶ Certainly Melzar took [away] the meats, and the wine of the drink of them, and gave them pottages. (And so Melzar took away the food, and the wine, and gave them vegetables to eat, and water to drink.)

¹⁷ Forsooth to these children God gave knowing and learning in each book, and in all wisdom; but to Daniel God gave understanding of all visions and dreams. (And to these young men God gave knowledge from each book, and learning from all wisdom; but to Daniel alone God gave understanding of all visions and dreams.)

¹⁸ Therefore when the days were [ful]filled, after which the king said, that they should be brought in, the sovereign of honest servants and chaste brought in them, in the sight of Nebuchadnezzar. (And so when the days were fulfilled, after which the king had said, that they should be brought in, the ruler of the eunuchs brought them in, before Nebuchadnezzar.)

¹⁹ And when the king had spoken to them, such were not found of all, as Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and they stood in the sight of the king. (And when the king had spoken to them, such was not found from any of the others, as from Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah; and so they stood before the king, that is, and so they entered into his service.)

²⁰ And each word of wisdom and of understanding, which the king asked of them, he found in them tenfold, over all false diviners and astronomers, that were in all his realm (over all the fortunetellers, and the astrologers, who were in all his kingdom).

²¹ Forsooth Daniel was (there) till to the first year of king Cyrus.

2 In the second year of the realm of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar saw a dream; and his spirit was afeared, and his dream fled away from him. (In the second year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, Nebuchadnezzar had a dream; and his spirit was afraid, and then his dream fled away from him.)

² Therefore the king commanded, that the (false) diviners, and astronomers, and witches, and Chaldees should be called together, that they should tell to the king his dreams; and when they were come, they stood before the king. (And so the king commanded, that the fortunetellers, and the astrologers, and the witches, and the Chaldeans should be called together, so that they could tell the king about his dream; and when they had come, they stood before the king.)

³ And the king said to them, I saw a dream, and I am shamed in mind, and I know not what I saw. (And the king said to them, I had a dream, and I am confused, and I do not know what I saw/and I do not know what it meant.)

⁴ And Chaldees answered the king by Syriack language, King, live thou without end; say thy dream to thy servants, and we shall show to thee the expounding thereof. (And the Chaldeans answered the king in the Syrian, or in the Aramaic, language and said, O King, may thou live forever; first tell thy dream to thy servants, and then we shall tell thee its interpretation.)

⁵ And the king answered, and said to [the] Chaldees, The word is gone away from me; if ye show not to me the dream, and the expounding thereof, ye shall perish, and your houses shall be forfeited. (And the king answered, and said to the Chaldeans, The dream hath gone away from me/This is what I have decided; if ye do not tell me the dream, and its interpretation, then ye shall die, and your houses shall be laid waste.)

⁶ Forsooth if ye tell the dream, and the expounding thereof, ye shall take of me meeds and gifts, and much honour; therefore show ye to me the dream, and the interpreting thereof. (But if ye tell me the dream, and its interpretation, then ye shall receive from me rewards and gifts, and much honour; and so tell me the dream, and its interpretation.)

⁷ They answered the second time, and said, The king say the dream to his servants, and we shall show the interpreting thereof. (They answered a second time, and said, Let the king tell his servants the dream, and then we shall tell its interpretation.)

⁸ The king answered, and said, Certainly I know, that ye again-buy the time, and know that the word is gone away from me. (And the king answered, Certainly I see, that ye be trying to gain time, for ye know that the dream hath gone away from me/because ye know that this is what I have decided.)

⁹ Therefore if ye show not to me the dream, one sentence is of you, for ye make an interpreting both false and full of deceit, that ye speak to me till the time pass; therefore say ye the dream to me, that I know that ye speak also the very interpreting thereof. (And so if ye do not tell me the dream, one punishment shall be for all of you, for ye make an interpretation both false and full of deceit, and ye shall just speak to me until the time pass; and so tell me the dream, so that I know that ye also say its true interpretation.)

¹⁰ Therefore [the] Chaldees answered before the king, and said, King, no man is on earth that may [ful]fill thy word; but neither any great man and mighty of kings asketh such a word of any (false) diviner, and astronomer, and of a man of Chaldea. (And so the Chaldeans answered the king, and said, O king, there is no one on earth who can fulfill thy request; nor would any great king, or mighty man, ask such a request of any fortuneteller, or astrologer, or a man of Chaldea.)

¹¹ For the word which thou, (O) king, askest, is grievous, neither any shall be found that shall show it in the sight of the king (nor shall anyone be found who can tell it to the king), except (the) gods, whose living is not with men.

¹² And when this word was heard, the king commanded, in strong vengeance and in great ire, that all [the] wise men of Babylon should perish. (And when this word was heard, the king commanded, with strong vengeance and with great anger, that all the wise men of Babylon should be put to death.)

¹³ And by the sentence gone out, the wise men were (to be) slain; and Daniel and his fellows were sought, that they should perish. (And by the order gone out, the wise men were to be killed; and Daniel and his fellows were sought, so that they could be put to death.)

¹⁴ Then Daniel asked of the law and sentence of Arioch, prince of [the] chivalry of the king, that was gone out to slay the wise men of Babylon. (And Daniel asked about the law and the sentence, or the order, to Arioch, the leader of the king’s cavalry, or of his bodyguard, who had gone out to kill the wise men of Babylon.)

¹⁵ And he asked him, that had taken power of the king, for what cause so cruel a sentence went out from the face of the king. Therefore when Arioch had showed the thing to Daniel, (And he asked him, who had received the power of life and death from the king, for what cause such a cruel order had gone out from the king. And so when Arioch had told the reason to Daniel,)

¹⁶ Daniel entered, and prayed the king, that he should give time to him to show the solving to the king. (Daniel entered in, and beseeched the king, that he would give him some time, so that he could tell the interpretation to the king. And the king agreed.)

¹⁷ And he entered into his house, and showed the need to Hananiah, and Mishael, and Azariah, his fellows,

¹⁸ that they should ask mercy of the face of God of heaven on this sacrament, (or hid truth); and that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with other wise men of Babylon. (that they should ask for mercy from the God of heaven, and that he explain this secret, or this hidden truth, so that Daniel and his fellows would not die along with the other wise men of Babylon.)

¹⁹ Then the private^[a] was showed to Daniel by a vision in night. And Daniel blessed (the) God of heaven, (Then the mystery, or the secret, was revealed to Daniel by a vision in the night. And Daniel blessed the God of heaven,)

²⁰ and said, The name of the Lord be blessed from the world, and till into the world, for wisdom and strength be his; (and said, The Lord’s name be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and strength be his;)

²¹ and he changeth times and ages, he translateth realms and ordaineth; he giveth wisdom to wise men, and knowing to them that understand teaching, either chastising; (and he changeth times and ages, he transfereth kingdoms and ordaineth them; he giveth wisdom to the wise, and knowledge to those who understand teaching, or the disciplines;)

²² he showeth deep things and hid (he revealeth secrets, or mysteries, and hidden things), and he knoweth things set in darknesses, and light is with him.

²³ God of our fathers, I acknowledge to thee, and I praise thee, for thou hast given wisdom and strength to me; and now thou hast showed to me those things which we prayed thee, for thou hast opened to us the word of the king. (God of our forefathers, I acknowledge to thee, and I praise thee, for thou hast given wisdom and strength to me; and now thou hast shown me those things for which we prayed to thee, for thou hast opened to us the matter concerning the king.)

⁸ And in faith all of one will, in prayer be ye each suffering with other, lovers of brotherhood, merciful, mild, meek; [Forsooth in faith all of one understanding, or will, in prayer be ye compassionate, or each suffering with other, lovers of fraternity, merciful, mild, meek;]

⁹ not yielding evil for evil, neither cursing for cursing, but on the contrary blessing; for in this thing ye be called, that ye wield blessing by heritage.

¹⁰ For he that will love life, and see good days, constrain his tongue from evil, and his lips, that they speak not guile [that they speak no guile].

¹¹ And bow he from evil, and do good; seek he peace, and perfectly follow it [and perfectly sue it].

¹² For the eyes of the Lord be on just men, and his ears on the prayers of them; but the face of the Lord is on men that do evils [forsooth the cheer of the Lord is on men doing evils].

¹³ And who is it that shall harm you, if ye be followers and lovers of goodness [if ye shall be good followers]?

¹⁴ But also if ye suffer any thing for rightwiseness, ye be blessed; but dread ye not the dread of them, that ye be not disturbed.^[a]

¹⁵ But hallow ye the Lord Christ in your hearts, and evermore be ye ready to [do] satisfaction to each man asking you reason of that faith and hope that is in you, but with mildness and dread,

¹⁶ having good conscience; that in that thing that they backbite of you, they be confounded, which challenge falsely your good conversation in Christ.

¹⁷ For it is better that ye do well, and suffer, if the will of God will, than doing evil. [Soothly it is better, if the will of God will, ye well-doing, to suffer, than evil-doing.]

¹⁸ For also Christ once died for our sins, he just for unjust, that he should offer to God us [that he should offer us to God], made dead in flesh, but made quick in Spirit.

¹⁹ For which thing he came in Spirit, and also to them that were closed together in prison;

²⁰ which were sometime unbelieveful, when they abided the patience of God in the days of Noah, when the ship was made [when the ark, or ship, was made], in which a few, that is to say, eight souls were made safe by water.

²¹ And so baptism of like form maketh us safe [The which thing and baptism of like form maketh us safe]; not the putting away of the filths of flesh, but the asking of a good conscience in God, by the again-rising of our Lord Jesus Christ,

²² that is in the right half of God, and swalloweth death [he swallowing death], that we should be made heirs of everlasting life. He went into heaven [He gone into heaven], and angels, and powers, and virtues, be made subject to him.

4 Therefore for Christ suffered in flesh, be ye also armed by the same thinking; for he that suffered in flesh ceased from sins,

² that that is left now of time in flesh live not now to the desires of men, but to the will of God. [that he live not now to the desires of men, but to the will of God, that that is more of time in flesh.]

³ For the time that is passed [Soothly the time passed] is enough to the will of heathen men to be ended, which walked in lecheries, and lusts, in much drinking of wine, in unmeasurable eatings [in oft eatings], and drinkings, and unleaveful worshipping of maumets [and unleaveful worshippings of idols].

⁴ In which now they be astonished, in which thing they wonder, for ye run not together into the same confusion of lechery, and blaspheme [blaspheming].

⁵ And they shall give reason to him, that is ready to deem the quick and the dead.

⁶ For why for this thing it is preached also to dead men, that they be deemed by men in flesh, and that they live by God in spirit.^[b]

⁶⁵ [Teth]. Lord, thou hast done goodness with thy servant; by thy word. (Lord, thou hast been kind to thy servant; yea, according to thy word.)

⁶⁶ Teach thou me goodness, and lore, either chastising, and knowing; for I believed to thy behests. (Teach thou me goodness, and knowledge, or discipline; for I trust in thy commandments.)

⁶⁷ Before that I was made meek, I trespassed; therefore I kept thy speech. (Before that I was punished, I trespassed; but thereafter, I have obeyed thy word.)

⁶⁸ Thou art good; and in thy goodness teach thou me thy justifyings. (Thou art good, and thou doest good; teach thou me thy statutes.)

⁶⁹ The wickedness of them that be proud, is multiplied on me; but in all mine heart I shall seek thy behests. (The wicked lies of them, who be proud, be multiplied against me; but I shall follow thy precepts with all my heart.)

⁷⁰ The heart of them is crudded, either made hard, as milk; but I bethought (on) thy law. (Their hearts be like curdled milk; but I delight in thy Law.)

⁷¹ It is good to me, that thou hast made me meek; that I learn thy justifyings. (It was good for me, that thou hast punished me; so that I would learn thy statutes.)

⁷² The law (out) of thy mouth is better to me; than thousands of gold and silver. (The Law from thy mouth meaneth more to me/is more valuable to me, than a fortune in gold and silver.)

⁷³ [Jod]. Thine hands made me, and formed me; give thou understanding to me, that I learn thy behests. (Thy hands made me, and formed me; now give thou me understanding, so that I can learn thy commandments.)

⁷⁴ They that dread thee shall see me, and they shall be glad; for I hoped more on thy words. (They who fear thee/They who revere thee, shall be glad when they see me; for I trust in thy words.)

⁷⁵ Lord, I knew, that thy dooms be equity; and in thy truth thou hast made me meek. (Lord, I know, that thy judgements be just; and that thou hast punished me because of thy faithfulness.)

⁷⁶ Thy mercy be made, that it comfort me; by thy speech to thy servant. (Let thy love comfort me; yea, according to thy word to thy servant.)

⁷⁷ Thy merciful doings come to me, and I shall live; for thy law is my thinking. (Let thy mercy come to me, and then I shall live; for thy Law is my delight.)

⁷⁸ They that be proud be shamed, for unjustly they did wickedness against me; but I shall be exercised in thy behests. (Let they who be proud be shamed, for unjustly, or for no reason, they did wickedly against me; but I shall think about thy precepts.)

⁷⁹ They that dread thee be turned to me; and they that know thy witnessings. (Let they who fear thee/Let they who revere thee, turn to me; yea, all who know thy teachings.)

⁸⁰ Mine heart be made unwemmed in thy justifyings; that I be not shamed. (Let my heart obey thy statutes, and be without blemish, or without fault; and so I shall not shamed.)

¹⁴ Blessed is the man, which is ever dreadful; but he that is of hard heart, shall fall into evil. (Blessed is the person, who is ever fearful of the Lord/who is always reverential toward the Lord; but he who hath a hard heart, shall fall into evil.)