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24 Therefore Daniel went in unto Aryoch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the chachamim of Babylon; he went and said thus unto him: Destroy not the chachamim of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the pesher (interpretation, explanation).
25 Then Aryoch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the Bnei Golus of Yehudah, that will give da’as unto the king of the pesher (interpretation, explanation).
26 The king answered and said to Daniel whose name was Beltshatzar, Art thou able to give da’as unto me of the chalom (dream) which I have seen, and the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof?
27 Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, The raz which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the enchanters, the magicians, the soothsayers, show unto the king;
28 But there is a G-d in Shomayim that revealeth razim, and maketh known to the king Nevuchadnetzar what shall be in the acharit hayamim. Thy chalom (dream), and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these:
29 As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and He that revealeth razim (secrets) maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.
30 But as for me, this raz is not revealed to me for any chochmah that I have more than any living, but in order that the pesher (interpretation, explanation) may be known to the king, and that thou mightest understand the thoughts of thy heart.
31 Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great tzelem (image, idol, statue). This great tzelem, whose brightness was extraordinary, stood before thee; and the form thereof was awesome.
32 This tzelem’s head was of fine gold, his chest and his arms of silver, his middle and his thighs of bronze,
33 His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.
34 Thou sawest till that an even (stone [Moshiach; see Tehillim 118:22; Yeshayah 53:3, Tehillim 2:9]) was cut out without hands, which struck the tzelem upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.
35 Then was the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no trace was found of them; and the even (stone) that struck the tzelem became a great mountain, and filled kol ha’aretz.
36 This is the chalom (dream); and we will tell the pesher thereof before the king.
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the G-d of Shomayim hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee shalit (ruler) over them all. Thou art this head of gold.
39 And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of bronze, which shall bear rule over kol ha’aretz.
40 And the fourth mamlachah shall be strong as iron; forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and crush.
41 And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay and part of iron, the mamlachah shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with baked clay.
42 And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the mamlachah shall be partly strong, and partly fragile.
43 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with baked clay, so the zera of the people will be a mixture and will not remain united, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
44 And in the days of these melachim shall the G-d of Shomayim set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these mamlechot (kingdoms), and it shall stand for ever [Lk 1:32-33].
45 Forasmuch as thou sawest that the even (stone) was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great G-d hath made known to the king what shall come to pass after this; and the chalom (dream) is certain, and the pesher (interpretation, explanation) thereof trustworthy.
46 Then the king Nevuchadnetzar fell upon his face, prostrate before Daniel, and paid him honor and ordered that a minchah and incense be presented to him.
47 The king answered unto Daniel, and said, Of a surety it is, that your G-d is G-d of g-ds, and L-rd of melachim, and a revealer of razim (secrets), seeing thou couldest reveal this raz.
48 Then the king exalted Daniel to a high position, and gave him many great mattanot (gifts), and made him shalit (ruler) over the whole province of Babylon, and placed him in charge of all the chachamim of Babylon.
49 Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, over the affairs of the province of Babylon, but Daniel remained at the royal court.
3 Nevuchadnetzar the king made a tzelem of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits; he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.
2 Then Nevuchadnetzar the king sent to gather together the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the tzelem which Nevuchadnetzar the king had set up.
3 Then the satraps, the prefects, and governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces, were gathered together unto the dedication of the tzelem that Nevuchadnetzar the king had set up; and they stood before the tzelem that Nevuchadnetzar had set up.
4 Then a karoz (herald) cried aloud, To you it is ommanded, O people, nations, and languages,
5 That at what time ye hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, pipes, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden tzelem that Nevuchadnetzar the king hath set up;
6 And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery attun (furnace).
7 Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshiped the golden tzelem that Nevuchadnetzar the king had set up.
8 Wherefore at that time certain Kasdim (Chaldeans) came near, and accused the Yehudim.
9 They spoke and said to the king Nevuchadnetzar, O king, live for ever.
10 Thou, O king, hast made a decree, that every man that shall hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, and pipes, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden tzelem;
11 And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery attun (furnace).
12 There are certain Yehudim whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have disregarded thee; they serve (pay-lammed-chet, serve as deity) not thy g-ds, nor worship the golden tzelem which thou hast set up.
13 Then Nevuchadnetzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.
14 Nevuchadnetzar spoke and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do ye not serve my g-ds, nor worship the golden tzelem which I have set up?
15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, psaltery, and pipes, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the tzelem which I have made, well; but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery attun; and who is that G-d that shall deliver you out of my hands?
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nevuchadnetzar, we are not needful to answer thee in this matter.
17 If it be so, Eloheinu whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.
18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not be the ones serving as deity (pey-lammed-chet) thy g-ds, nor worship the golden tzelem which thou hast set up.
19 Then was Nevuchadnetzar full of fury, and the expression on his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; therefore he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the attun seven times hotter than usual.
20 And he commanded certain gibborim (mighty men) of valor that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery attun.
21 Then these anashim (men) were bound in their mantles, their tunics, and their turbans, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was severe, and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flames of the eish (fire) violently killed those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.
24 Then Nevuchadnetzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spoke, and said unto his counselors, Did not we cast shloshah anashim (three men) bound into the midst of the eish (fire)? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.
25 He answered and said, Lo, I see anashim arba’ah (four men) free (not bound, loose), walking in the midst of the eish (fire), and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Bar Elohin (Ben Elohim, Hebrew).
26 Then Nevuchadnetzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace, and spoke, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of El Elyon (G-d Most High), come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the eish (fire).
27 And the satraps, governors, and administrators, and the king’s counselors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the eish (fire) had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their garments affected, nor the smell of eish (fire) had passed on them.
28 Then Nevuchadnetzar spoke, and said, Baruch Elohim shel Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Who hath sent His malach, and delivered His servants that trusted in Him, and frustrated the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve ([as deity], peylammed-chet) nor worship any g-d, except their own G-d.
29 Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the G-d of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a pile of rubble, because there is no other g-d that can deliver like this.
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.
7 The Ketz (End) of all things now has drawn near. Let your thinking be one of zililut da’as (sobermindedness), therefore, and exercise kibush hayetzer (self-control), for the sake of your tefillos.
8 Above all else, have fervent ahavah among yourselves, for AHAVAH KOL PEYSHA’IM T’CHASSEH ("love covers all wrongs” MISHLE 10:12).
9 Practice hachnosas orchim (hospitality) with one another without kevetching,
10 Each one according as he received a mattanah (gift), as k’lei kodesh ministering to one another, mefakkechim tovim (good stewards, supervisors) of the varied Chen v’Chesed Hashem.
11 If anyone speaks, let it be as though it were the oracles of Hashem; if anyone ministers, let it be as by the chozek (strength) which Hashem supplies, that in all things Hashem may be glorified through Rebbe Melech HaMoshiach Yehoshua. Lo HaKavod V’HaOz L’Olemei Olamim. Omein (To whom be the glory and the power into the ages of the ages. Omein.)
12 Chaverim, do not be surprised at the masah (trial) of eish (fire) among you coming for you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you.
13 But in so far as you share in the yissurim (sufferings) of Moshiach, in the Chevlei HaMoshiach, be glad that also in the Hisgalus (Revelation, Apocalypse) of his Kavod, you may have simcha and sasson.
14 If you are reproached for the Shem HaMoshiach, ashrei (happy, blessed) are you, because the Ruach of Kavod and of Hashem [YESHAYAH 11:2] rests upon you.
15 Let not any of you suffer as a rotzeach (murderer) or a ganav (thief) or an oseh ra’ah (an evil doer) or as one who is mitarev (meddlesome).
16 But if any one of you suffers as a ma’amin b’Moshiach (believer in Moshiach), let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify Hashem by this Name.
17 Because the time has come to begin the Mishpat from the Beis Hashem; and if the Mishpat begins with us, what will be the toitzaa (outcome) of the ones without mishma’at (obedience) to the Besuras HaGeulah of Hashem?
18 And if indeed the Tzaddik is saved with difficulty, where will appear the man without chasidus [in Moshiach], the choteh and the rashah [see quoted MISHLE 11:31]?
19 Therefore, the ones undergoing sevalot (sufferings, yissurim) according to the ratzon Hashem, let them commit their nefashot to a trustworthy Yotzer (Creator) while they continue to do ma’asim tovim.
5 Therefore, I give this word of chozek to the Zekenim (Elders [see SHEMOT 12:21]) among you I, as a fellow Zaken (Elder) and as an Eidus (Witness) of the sevalot (sufferings) of Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach, and also as a partaker of the Kavod about to be unveiled:
2 Exercise the avodas hakodesh ministry of Ro’eh (Shepherd) on behalf of the Eder Hashem (Flock of G-d [YIRMEYAH 13:17]) among you, serving as Mashgichim Ruchaniyim (Spiritual Overseers), not unwillingly, for the sake of dishonest gelt, but willingly, eagerly, in conformity with Hashem,
3 Not as domineering the ones assigned by Hashem to your oversight, but being a mofet (example) for the tzon (flock).
4 After the Sar HaRo’im (Chief of Shepherds) has been manifested [1:20], you will receive the unfading Ateret HaKavod (Crown of Glory).
5 Likewise, bochrim (young men), be submissive to the Zekenim (Elders) and clothe yourselves in the kaftan of anavah (humility) toward one another, because IM LALETZIM HU YALITZ V’LA’ANAYIM YITEN CHEN ("Indeed Hashem scorns the scorners, but gives grace to the humble” MISHLE 3:34).
6 Therefore, be humbled under the mighty hand of Hashem, that you may be exalted in due time.
7 HASHLECH AL ADONOI Y’HAVECHA V’HU Y’CHALKELECHA ("Cast your care on Hashem and He will sustain you" TEHILLIM 55:23), because Hashem cares and is concerned about you.
8 Be shomer in zililut da’as (sober-mindedness). Your adversary Hasatan [Samma’el], prowls around like a roaring arye (lion), seeking whom to swallow.
9 Oppose him, firm in emunah, knowing that in the Olam Hazeh, the same Chevlei [Moshiach] are to be laid upon HaAchim b’Moshiach.
10 Now the Elohei Kol Chen v’Chesed (the G-d of all Grace), the one having bestowed upon you the kri’ah (calling) into His eternal kavod in Moshiach Yehoshua, after you have suffered tzoros for a little while, will Himself restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you.
11 Lo HaKavod V’HaOz L’Olemei Olamim. Omein.
12 To you, through Sila HaAch HaNe’eman (the Faithful Brother in Moshiach), as such I regard him, I have written you briefly, a dvar chizzuk, encouraging you and giving edut (testimony) that this is the true Chen v’Chesed Hashem in which you stand.
13 Drishat Shalom to you from your coequal Nivcharah (Chosen One), she in Babel. Drishat Shalom also from Markos, beni.
14 Greet one another with a neshikat ahavah (kiss of agape). Drishat Shalom to all of you, the ones in Rebbe, Melech HaMoshiach.
81 My nefesh fainteth for Thy salvation: but I hope in Thy davar.
82 Mine eyes fail for Thy word saying, Mosai (when) wilt Thou comfort me?
83 For I am become like a wineskin in the smoke; yet do I not forget Thy chukkot.
84 How many are the days of Thy eved? Mosai (when) wilt Thou execute mishpat on them that persecute me?
85 The zedim (arrogant ones) have dug pits for me, which are not in accordance with Thy torah.
86 All Thy mitzvot are faithful: they persecute me wrongfully; help Thou me.
87 They had almost consumed me ba’aretz; but I forsook not Thy pikkudim.
88 Revive me after Thy chesed; so shall I be shomer over the edut of Thy mouth. Lamed
89 Forever, Hashem, Thy Davar is settled and stands firm in Shomayim.
90 Thy emunah (faithfulness) is to all generations: Thou hast established eretz, and it stands enduring.
91 They continue enduring to this day according to Thine mishpatim: for all things are Thy avadim.
92 Unless Thy torah had been my delight, I should then have perished in mine oni.
93 I will never forget Thy pikkudim: for with them Thou hast revived me.
94 I am Thine, save me: for I have sought out Thy pikkudim.
95 The resha’im have waited for me to destroy me: but I will think on Thy edot.
96 I have seen an end of all perfection: but Thy mitzvah is boundless. Mem
15 As a roaring ari, and a charging dov (bear), so is a wicked moshel (ruler) over the am dal (poor people).
16 The nagid (ruler) lacking tevunot (understanding) is also a great oppressor, but he that hateth betza (ill-gotten gain) shall prolong his yamim (days).
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