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and the breadth thereof fix cubits: he fet it plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. Then Nebuchadnezzar the king fent to gather together the princes, the governors and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counsellors, the theriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image, which Nebuchadnezzar the king had fet up.

2....And they were gathered together unto the dedication of the image, and they flood before the image. that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then an herald cried alond, To you it is commanded, O people, nations and languages, that at what time ye hear the found of the cornet, flute, harp, fackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and alt kinds of mufic, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath fet up and whofo falleth not down and wor fhippeth, fhall the fame hour be caft into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

3....Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accufed the Jews. They fpake, and laid to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live forever. There are certain Jews whom thou haft fet over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Melhech, and Abednego: thefe men, O king, have not regarded thee: they ferve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou haft fet up.

4....Then Nebuchadnezzar, in his rage and fury, commanded to bring Shadrach, Mefhech and Abednego. Then they brought thefe men before the king. Nebuchadnezzar fpake and laid unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Melhech and Abednego? Do not ye ferve my gods, nor worship the golden image that I have fet up?

5...Now if ye be ready to fall down and worship the image that I have made, well; but if ye worship not,

ye fhall be caft the fame hour into the midf of a burning fiery furnace: and who is that God that shall de liver you out of my hands ?

6....Shadrach, Methech and Abednego anfwered and faid to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to anfwer thee in this matter. If it be lo, our God, whom we ferve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not ferve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou haft fet up.

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7....Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his vifage was changed again ft Shadrach, Methech and Abednego: therefore he commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated. And he commanded the moft mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Mefhech and Abednego, and to caft them into the burning fiery furnace.

8....Then thefe men were bound in their coats, and their other garments, and were caft into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. And because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire flew thofe men who took up Shadrach, Mefhech and Abednego. And thele three men, Shadrach, Mefhech and Abednego, tell down. bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

9....Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was aftoried, and rofe up in hafte, and faid unto his counsellors, Did not we caft three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and faid unto the king, True, O king. He anfwered and faid, Lo, I fee four men loofe, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the fon of God.

10....Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and faid, Shadrach, Mefhech and Abednego, ye fervants of the most high God, come forth and come hither. Then Shadrach, Mefhech and Abednego came forth out of the mid of the fire.

11.... And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counfellors, being gathered together, faw these men, upon whofe body the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head finged, neither were their coats changed, nor the fmell of fire had paffed on them.

12....Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and faid, Bleffed be the God of Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego, who hath fent his Angel, and delivered his fervants, who trufted in him, that they might not ferve nor worship. any God except their own God. Then the king promoted Shadrach, Mefhech and Abednego in the pros, ince of Babylon.

REMARKS.

The young men, Shradrach, Meshech and Abednego chose to endure the pains of a most terrible death rather than to tranfgrefs the laws of God: and they experienced his friendfhip and miraculous protection. And God is ftill, the fame, and will ever befriend and protect the youth, who chooses rather to fuffer than to

fin.

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CHAPTER XXX.

THE IMPIOUS FEAST OF BELSHAZZAR.

1....

A. M. 3470.

BELSHAZZAR the king made a great

feaft to a thoufand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, while he tafted the wine, commanded to bring the gold and filver veffels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerufalem; that the king and his princes, his wives and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought those golden veffels, and drank wine therein, and praifed the gods of gold, and of filver, of 'brals, of iron, of wood, and of ftone.

2....In the fame bour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over again ft the candlestick,upon the plaifter of the wall of the king's palace; and the king faw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loofed, and his knees fmote one against another.

3....The king cried aloud to bring in the affrologers, the Chaldeans, and the foothfayers. And the king faid to the wife men of Babylon, Whofoever shall read this writing, and fhew me the interpretation thereof, fhall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

4....Then came in all the king's wife men ; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. Then was king Bellhazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed, and his lords were aftonied.

5....Now the queen, by reafon of the words of the

king and his lords, came into the banquet houfe; and the queen faid, O king, live forever let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed. There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the fpirit of the holy Gods: and in the days of thy father, light and underftanding and wifdom, like the wildom of the gods, was found in him:

6....Whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, male mafter of all the magicians, aftrologers, Chaldeans and foothfayers; forafmuch as an excellent fpirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and fhewing of hard fentences, and dilfolving of doubts were found in the fame Daniel, whom the king named Beliefhazzar: now let Daniel be cal led, and he will fhew the interpretation. Then was Daniel brought in before the king..

7....And the king faid unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel who was of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, that the fpirit of the gods is in thee, and that light, and understanding,and excellent wifdom are found in thee.

8....And now the wife men, the aftrologers have been brought in before me, that they fhould read this. writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof but they could not fhew the interpretation oi the thing Now, if thou cauft read the writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof, thou fhalt be clothed with fcarlet, and have a chain of golá about thy neck, and be the third ruler in the kingdom.

9....Then Daniel anfwered and faid before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyfelt, and give thy rewards to another yet I will read the writing to the king, and make. known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the moft high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a king

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