so that they may be offering incense to the God of heaven and may be praying for the good fortune of the king and his family.

“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven:

Deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple of your God.

So Daniel went in and requested the king to grant him time, that he might disclose the interpretation to the king.

Then in a night vision the mystery was revealed to Daniel. So Daniel praised the God of heaven,

Whoever does not bow down and pay homage will immediately be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire!”

Now at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and brought malicious accusations against the Jews.

And whoever does not bow down and pay homage must be thrown into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire.

Now if you are ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, trigon, harp, pipes, and all kinds of music, you must bow down and pay homage to the statue that I had made. If you don’t pay homage to it, you will immediately be thrown into the midst of the furnace of blazing fire. Now, who is that god who can rescue you from my power?”

I am delighted to tell you about the signs and wonders that the most high God has done for me.

After twelve months, he happened to be walking around on the battlements of the royal palace of Babylon.

I have heard about you, how there is a spirit of the gods in you, and how you have insight, discernment, and extraordinary wisdom.

“But you, his son Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, although you knew all this.

Therefore the palm of a hand was sent from him, and this writing was inscribed.

In the morning, at the earliest sign of daylight, the king got up and rushed to the lions’ den.

‘These large beasts, which are four in number, represent four kings who will arise from the earth.

Now let the king be aware that the Jews who came up to us from you have gone to Jerusalem. They are rebuilding that rebellious and odious city. They are completing its walls and repairing its foundations.

Then, as soon as the copy of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read in the presence of Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their colleagues, they proceeded promptly to the Jews in Jerusalem and stopped them with threat of armed force.

Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak began to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. The prophets of God were with them, supporting them.

They responded to us in the following way: ‘We are servants of the God of heaven and earth. We are rebuilding the temple which was previously built many years ago. A great king of Israel built it and completed it.