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Daniel Interprets the Dream
24 Then Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon and said to him, “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king and I will declare the interpretation to the king.”
25 So Arioch quickly ushered Daniel into the king’s presence and said to him, “I have found a man among the sons of the exiles from Judah, who can make known the interpretation to the king.”
26 The king then asked Daniel (who was renamed Belteshazzar), “Are you able to reveal to me the dream that I saw, as well as its interpretation?”
27 Daniel answered the king, saying: “The mystery about which the king inquired is such that neither wise men, astrologers, magicians, or sorcerers can disclose it to the king. 28 But, there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries. He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar the things that will happen in the latter days. The dream and the visions that went through your head as you lay on your bed are these.
29 “To you, O king—as you lay on your bed—came thoughts about what will come to pass in the future. The Revealer of mysteries has made known to you what is going to happen. 30 But as for me, this mystery is not revealed to me because I posses more wisdom than any other living person, but in order that the king may know the interpretation and understand the thoughts of your heart.
The Statue of Four Kingdoms
31 “You looked, O king, and behold, there before you stood a huge statue—an enormous and dazzling image, whose appearance was awesome. 32 The head of that statue was of pure gold, its breast and its arms of silver, its belly and its thighs of bronze, 33 its legs of iron, and its feet partly iron and partly clay. 34 While you were watching, a stone was cut out, but not by hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were crushed together, and became like chaff from summer threshing-floors that the wind blows away. Not a trace of them could be found. Then the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.
36 “This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 You, O king, are the king of kings to whom the God of heaven has given sovereignty, power, might and glory. 38 Wherever mankind, beasts of the field, and fowls of the heaven dwell, He has given them into your hand, and made you ruler over them all. You are the head of gold.
39 “Now after you another kingdom will arise, one inferior to yours. Next, a third kingdom, one of bronze, will rule over all the earth. 40 Finally, there will be a fourth kingdom, strong as iron—for iron shatters and breaks everything—and just as iron smashes everything, so will it shatter and crush all the others. 41 Just as you saw that the feet and toes were partly potter’s clay and partly iron, so this will be a divided kingdom. It will have some of the strength of the iron, for you saw the iron mixed with clay. 42 As the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so this kingdom will be partly strong and partly brittle. 43 Just as you saw iron mixed with clay, people will mix with one another, but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay.
44 “Now in the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will this kingdom be left to another people. It will crush and bring to an end all of these kingdoms. But it will endure forever. [a] 45 For just as you saw a stone cut out of a mountain, yet not by hands, crush the iron, bronze, clay, silver and gold, the great God has made known to the king what will happen in the future. Now the dream is certain, and its interpretation is trustworthy.”
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and paid homage to Daniel and gave orders that an offering and incense be provided for him. 47 In response the king said to Daniel, “Surely your God is the God of gods, the Lord of kings,[b] and the revealer of mysteries, for you were able to reveal this secret!”
48 Then the king promoted Daniel and lavished on him many marvelous gifts and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief over all the wise men of Babylon. 49 Moreover, at Daniel’s request the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel remained at the royal court.
A Gold Idol and a Blazing Furnace
3 King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide. He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon. 2 Then King Nebuchadnezzar summoned the satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the authorities of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. 3 Then the satraps, administrators, governors, counselors, treasurers, judges, magistrates and all the authorities of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had erected. They stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 Then the herald loudly proclaimed, “You are commanded O peoples, nations and languages, 5 that when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, you must fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 Whoever does not fall down and worship will that same hour be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.” 7 Therefore, as soon as all the peoples heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and pipes, and all kinds of music, all the peoples, nations and languages fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.
8 At that time certain Chaldeans came forward and denounced the Jews. 9 They spoke up and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, “May the king live forever! 10 You, O king, made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes and all kinds of music, must fall down and worship the golden image, 11 and that whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are certain Jews whom you appointed over the administration of the province of Babylon—Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego—those men pay no heed to you, O king. They do not serve your gods, nor will they worship the golden image that you have set up.”
13 Furious with rage, Nebuchadnezzar ordered Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego to be summoned. When these men were brought before the king, 14 Nebuchadnezzar responded to them saying, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, that you don’t serve my gods or worship the golden image that I set up? 15 Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp and pipes and all kinds of music you must fall down and worship the image that I have made. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire! Then what god will be able to deliver you out of my hands?”
16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego replied to the king saying, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you concerning this matter. 17 If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to save us from the furnace of blazing fire and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 Yet even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image that you set up.”
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage and the appearance of his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times hotter than it was normally heated 20 and commanded some of the mighty men in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego and to cast them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, tunics, hats and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22 But because the king’s order was so urgent and the furnace so extremely hot, a raging flame killed those men who carried up Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, fell bound into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and leapt to his feet. He asked his ministers, “Didn’t we cast three men bound into the middle of the fire?”
They replied to the king, “Surely, O king.”
25 But he answered saying, “Look! I see four men walking about unbound and unharmed in the middle of the fire, and the fourth has the appearance like a son of the gods!”
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and exclaimed, “Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, servants of the Most High God, come out and come here!”
So Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego came out from the middle of the fire. 27 When the satraps, administrators, governors and royal ministers had gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect on the bodies of these men. Not a hair of their head was singed, nor were their robes scorched, nor was there a smell of fire on them.
28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, “Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him! They defied the king’s edict and to gave up their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God. 29 Therefore I hereby decree that any people, nation or language that says anything slanderous against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego will be torn limb from limb and their house made a pile of rubble, because there is no other god that is able to deliver in this way.”
30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego in the province of Babylon.
7 Now the end of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for prayer. 8 Above all, keep your love for one another constant, for “love covers a multitude of sins.” [a] 9 Be hospitable one to another without grumbling. 10 As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of the many-sided grace of God. 11 Whoever speaks, let it be as one speaking the utterances of God. Whoever serves, let it be with the strength that God supplies. So in all things may God be glorified through Messiah Yeshua—all glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.
12 Loved ones, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal taking place among you to test you—as though something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, rejoice insofar as you share in the sufferings of Messiah, so that at the revelation of His glory you may also rejoice and be glad. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Messiah,[b] you are fortunate, for the Spirit of glory[c] and of God rests on you. 15 For let none of you suffer as a murderer or thief or evildoer or as a troublemaker. 16 But if anyone suffers for following Messiah,[d] let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this name. 17 For the time has come for judgment to begin with the house of God.[e] If judgment begins with us first, what will be the end for those who disobey the Good News of God?
18 Now, “if it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what shall become of the ungodly and the sinner?”[f]
19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will—let them trust their souls to a faithful Creator while continuing to do good.
Shepherds Lead by Example
5 Therefore I appeal to the elders among you—as a fellow elder and witness of Messiah’s sufferings, and a partaker also of the glory about to be revealed— 2 shepherd God’s flock among you. Watch over it not under compulsion but willingly before God, not for dishonest gain but eagerly. 3 Don’t lord it over[g] those apportioned to you, but become examples to the flock. 4 When the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. 5 Likewise, you younger ones, submit yourselves to the elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for
“God opposes the proud,
but gives grace to the humble.”[h]
6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, so that He may lift you up at the appropriate time. 7 Cast all your worries on Him,[i] for He cares for you. 8 Stay alert! Watch out! Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, searching for someone to devour. 9 Stand up against him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being laid upon your brothers and sisters throughout the world. 10 After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace—who has called you into His eternal glory in Messiah—will Himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. 11 All power to Him forever![j] Amen.
Final Greetings
12 Through Silvanus,[k] whom I consider our faithful brother, I have written to you briefly, encouraging and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 13 Messiah’s community in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings. So does my son Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.
Shalom to you all who are in Messiah. Amen.
KAF כ
81 My soul faints with longing for Your salvation,
but I still hope in Your word.
82 My eyes are worn out longing for Your promise,
saying, “When will You comfort me?”
83 Though I became like a wineskin dried in smoke,
I do not forget Your decrees.
84 How many are the days of Your servant?
When will You execute judgment on my persecutors?
85 The proud have dug pits for me—
that is not in accord with Your Torah!
86 All Your mitzvot are faithful.
They persecute me with a lie—help me!
87 They almost finished me off on earth.
But I—I will not forsake Your precepts.
88 Revive me with Your lovingkindness,
so I may keep Your mouth’s testimony.
LAMED ל
89 Forever, Adonai,
Your word stands firm in the heavens.
90 Your faithfulness endures from generation to generation.
You established the earth, and it stands.
91 Your judgments stand today,
for all things are Your servants.
92 If Your Torah had not been my delight,
I would have perished in my affliction.
93 I will never forget Your precepts.
For with them You have kept me alive.
94 I am Yours, save me!
For I have sought out Your precepts.
95 The wicked wait for me to destroy me.
But I will study Your testimonies.
96 I have seen a limit to all perfection,
yet Your commandment is boundless.
15 Like a roaring lion or a prowling bear
is a wicked ruler over helpless people.
16 An oppressive leader lacks judgment.
One who hates unjust gain will prolong his life.
Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.