administration of the province of Babylon; but Daniel remained in the king's court.

130. THE DELIVERANCE OF DANIEL'S FAITHFUL FRIENDS

Nebuchadrezzar the king made a statue of gold ninety feet high and nine feet wide. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon, and sent for the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces. So they all gathered together and stood before the statue that Nebuchadrezzar had set up.

Then the herald cried aloud, 'To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations: "The moment you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lute, harp, bag-pipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, you shall fall down and worship the golden statue, and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the midst of a burning fiery furnace." So when all the people heard the sound of the trumpet, flute, lute, harp, bag-pipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, all the peoples, nations, and races fell down and worshipped the golden statue that King Nebuchadrezzar had set up.

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But at that time certain Chaldeans approached the king and made this accusation against the Jews: 'O king, live forever! O king, you have decreed that every man who hears the sound of the trumpet, flute, lute, bag-pipe, and all kinds of musical instruments shall fall down and worship the golden statue, and that whoever does not fall down and worship shall be thrown into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. There are certain Jews, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed

nego, whom you have placed in charge of the administration of the province of Babylon; these men, O king, have not listened to your command; they do not serve your gods nor worship the golden statue which you have set up.'

Then Nebuchadrezzar in his rage and fury gave command to lead in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. When they were led before the king, Nebuchadrezzar said to them, 'Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you do not serve my god nor worship the golden statue which I have set up? If you are now ready, as soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, flute, lute, harp, psaltery, and bag-pipe, and all kinds of musical instruments, to fall down and worship the statue which I have made, well; but if you do not worship, you shall at once be thrown into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and where is there a god who can deliver you out of my hands?' Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, 'O king, there is no need of our answering you on this point. Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace; he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, know, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor worship the golden statue which you have set up.'

Then Nebuchadrezzar was furious and the expression of his face changed, as he looked at Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered that the furnace should be heated seven times hotter than ordinarily. He also commanded certain strong men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and throw them into the burning fiery furnace. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, their robes, and their other garments, and were thrown into the midst of the burning fiery fur

nace.

Since the king's command was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flames destroyed the men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. But the three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

Then Nebuchadrezzar the king was astonished and rose up hastily and said to his counsellors, 'Did we not throw three men bound into the midst of the fire?' They answered, 'True, O king.' He said, 'Now I see four men unbound walking in the midst of the fire, and they are unhurt, and the fourth looks like an angel.'

Then Nebuchadrezzar went near the door of the burning fiery furnace and said, 'Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come out here.' Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the midst of the fire. And the assembled satraps, prefects, governors, and counsellors saw that the fire had no power over the bodies of these men, and that the hair of their heads was not singed and that their cloaks were not harmed, and that there was no smell of fire. And Nebuchadrezzar said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent his angel to deliver his servants who trusted in him and refused to obey the king's command and have offered their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god except their own, Therefore I decree that every people, nation, and race that shall say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their house shall be made a refuse heap, for there is no other god who is so able to deliver as is this one.' Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

131. THE HANDWRITING ON THE WALL

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine before them all. Under the influence of wine, he gave command to bring the gold and silver utensils which his father Nebuchadrezzar had taken from the temple at Jerusalem, that the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought the golden vessels which were taken from the temple of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

At that moment the fingers of a man's hand appeared and wrote opposite the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the palm of the hand that wrote.

Then the king grew pale, and his thoughts troubled him, and the joints of his back were relaxed and his knees knocked together. The king called for the conjurers, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers and said to the wise men of Babylon, 'Whoever shall read this writing and explain its meaning shall be clothed in purple and have a chain of gold about his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.' Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing nor interpret its meaning to the king. So King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, and his appearance was altered, and his nobles were thrown into confusion.

Now the queen, because of what the king and his nobles had said, came into the banquet house and said, 'O king, live forever; let not your thoughts trouble you nor let your appearance be altered. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy

gods, and in the days of your father he was found to have light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods. Now let Daniel be called, and he will explain the meaning.'

So Daniel was brought in before the king, and the king said to him, ‘Are you that Daniel, one of the men who were carried away captive, whom the king my father brought from Judah? I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you possess insight and understanding and extraordinary wisdom. The wise men and the conjurers have been brought in before me to read this writing and to interpret its meaning; but they are unable. I have heard that you can give interpretations and answer difficult questions. Now if you can read the writing and interpret its meaning, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold about your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.'

Then Daniel answered the king, 'Keep your gifts and give your rewards to another; without them I will read the writing to the king and interpret its meaning. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadrezzar your father the kingdom and power and glory and majesty. Because of the power that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and races trembled and feared him. He killed or kept alive as he wished; and he raised up or put down whoever he pleased. But when he was filled with pride and became arrogant, he was deposed from his kingly throne and his glory was taken from him, and he was driven away from men, and his mind became like that of the beasts, and he lived with the wild asses; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdom of men and that he sets up over it whomever he will.

'But you, his son, O Belshazzar, have not been hum