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Bible Reading Plan
Daily Bible Reading
September 23 - Straight Thru the Bible
csb
Daniel 2:31-4:27
Chapter 2
31 "My king, as you were watching, a colossal statue appeared. That statue, tall and dazzling, was standing in front of you, and its appearance was terrifying. 32 The head of the statue was pure gold, its chest and arms were silver, its stomach and thighs were bronze, 33 its legs were iron, and its feet were partly iron and partly fired clay. 34 As you were watching, a stone broke off without a hand touching it,[h](al) struck the statue(am) on its feet of iron and fired clay, and crushed them.(an) 35 Then the iron, the fired clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold were shattered and became like chaff(ao) from the summer threshing floors. The wind carried them away, and not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled(ap) the whole earth.
36 "This was the dream; now we will tell the king its interpretation. 37 Your Majesty, you are king of kings.(aq) The God of heaven has given you sovereignty, power,(ar) strength, and glory. 38 Wherever people live—or wild animals, or birds of the air—He has handed them over to you and made you ruler over them all.(as) You are the head of gold.
39 "After you, there will arise another kingdom, inferior to yours, and then another, a third kingdom, of bronze, which will rule the whole earth.(at) 40 A fourth kingdom will be as strong as iron; for iron crushes and shatters everything, and like iron that smashes, it will crush and smash all the others.[i](au) 41 You saw the feet and toes, partly of a potter's fired clay and partly of iron—it will be a divided kingdom, though some of the strength of iron will be in it. You saw the iron mixed with clay, 42 and that the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly fired clay—part of the kingdom will be strong, and part will be brittle. 43 You saw the iron mixed with clay—the peoples will mix with one another[j] but will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with fired clay.
44 "In the days of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed,(av) and this kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms(aw) and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever. 45 You saw a stone(ax) break off from the mountain without a hand touching it,[k](ay) and it crushed the iron, bronze, fired clay, silver, and gold. The great God has told the king what will happen in the future.[l](az) The dream is true, and its interpretation certain."
Nebuchadnezzar's Response
46 Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell down, paid homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present an offering and incense to him.(ba) 47 The king said to Daniel, "Your God is indeed God of gods, Lord of kings,(bb) and a revealer of mysteries,(bc) since you were able to reveal this mystery." 48 Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many generous gifts. He made him ruler over the entire province of Babylon and chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.(bd) 49 At Daniel's request, the king appointed Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego(be) to manage the province of Babylon. But Daniel remained at the king's court.(bf)
Chapter 3
Nebuchadnezzar's Gold Statue
1 King Nebuchadnezzar made a gold statue,(a) 90 feet high and nine feet wide.[a] He set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon.(b) 2 King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to assemble the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers(c) of the provinces to attend the dedication of the statue King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. 3 So the satraps, prefects, governors, advisers, treasurers, judges, magistrates, and all the rulers of the provinces assembled for the dedication of the statue the king had set up. Then they stood before the statue Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
4 A herald loudly proclaimed, "People of every nation and language, you are commanded: 5 When you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither,[b] lyre,[c] harp, drum,[d] and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship(d) the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. 6 But whoever does not fall down and worship will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire."(e)
7 Therefore, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and every kind of music, people of every nation and language fell down and worshiped the gold statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up.
The Furnace of Blazing Fire
8 Some Chaldeans took this occasion to come forward and maliciously accuse[e](f) the Jews. 9 They said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "May the king live forever. 10 You as king have issued a decree(g) that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music must fall down and worship the gold statue. 11 Whoever does not fall down and worship will be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire. 12 There are some Jews you have appointed to manage the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.(h) These men have ignored you,(i) the king; they do not serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up."
13 Then in a furious rage(j) Nebuchadnezzar gave orders to bring in Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. So these men were brought before the king. 14 Nebuchadnezzar asked them, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, is it true that you don't serve my gods or worship the gold statue(k) I have set up? 15 Now if you're ready, when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, drum, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the statue I made. But if you don't worship it, you will immediately be thrown into a furnace of blazing fire—and who is the god who can rescue you from my power?"(l)
16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, "Nebuchadnezzar, we don't need to give you an answer to this question. 17 If the God we serve exists,[f] then He can rescue(m) us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He can rescue us from the power of you, the king. 18 But even if He does not rescue us,[g] we want you as king to know that we will not serve(n) your gods(o) or worship the gold statue you set up."
19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with rage,(p) and the expression on his face changed toward Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He gave orders to heat the furnace seven times more than was customary, 20 and he commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and throw them into the furnace of blazing fire. 21 So these men, in their trousers, robes, head coverings,[h] and other clothes, were tied up and thrown into the furnace of blazing fire. 22 Since the king's command was so urgent[i](q) and the furnace extremely hot, the raging flames[j] killed those men who carried Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego up. 23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego fell, bound, into the furnace of blazing fire.
Delivered from the Fire
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar jumped up in alarm.(r) He said to his advisers, "Didn't we throw three men, bound, into the fire?"
"Yes, of course, Your Majesty," they replied to the king.
25 He exclaimed, "Look! I see four men, not tied, walking around in the fire unharmed;(s) and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."[k](t)
26 Nebuchadnezzar then approached the door of the furnace of blazing fire and called: "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, you servants of the Most High God—come out!" So Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out of the fire.(u) 27 When the satraps, prefects, governors, and the king's advisers gathered around, they saw that the fire had no effect(v) on[l] the bodies of these men: not a hair of their heads was singed, their robes were unaffected, and there was no smell of fire on them. 28 Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed, "Praise to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego! He sent His angel[m](w) and rescued His servants who trusted in Him.(x) They violated the king's command and risked their lives rather than serve or worship any god except their own God.(y) 29 Therefore I issue a decree(z) that anyone of any people, nation, or language who says anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego will be torn limb from limb and his house made a garbage dump.(aa) For there is no other god who is able to deliver like this." 30 Then the king rewarded Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.(ab)
Chapter 4
Nebuchadnezzar's Proclamation
1 [a]King Nebuchadnezzar,
To those of every people, nation, and language, who live in all the earth:(a)
May your prosperity increase.(b) 2 I am pleased to tell you about the miracles and wonders(c) the Most High God has done for me.
3 How great are His miracles,
and how mighty His wonders!(d)
His kingdom is an eternal kingdom,(e)
and His dominion is from generation to generation.
The Dream
4 [b]I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at ease in my house and flourishing in my palace.(f) 5 I had a dream, and it frightened me; while in my bed, the images and visions in my mind alarmed me.(g) 6 So I issued a decree(h) to bring all the wise men of Babylon to me in order that they might make the dream's interpretation known to me.(i) 7 When the diviner-priests, mediums, Chaldeans, and astrologers came in, I told them the dream, but they could not make its interpretation known to me.(j)
8 Finally Daniel, named Belteshazzar(k) after the name of my god—and the spirit of the holy gods is in him(l)—came before me. I told him the dream: 9 "Belteshazzar, head of the diviners, because I know that you have a spirit of the holy gods(m) and that no mystery puzzles you,(n) explain to me the visions of my dream that I saw, and its interpretation. 10 In the visions of my mind as I was lying in bed, I saw this:
There was a tree in the middle of the earth,
and its height was great.
11 The tree grew large and strong;
its top reached to the sky,
and it was visible to the ends of the[c] earth.
12 Its leaves were beautiful, its fruit was abundant,
and on it was food for all.
Wild animals found shelter under it,
the birds of the air(o) lived in its branches,
and every creature was fed from it.(p)
13 "As I was lying in my bed, I also saw in the visions of my mind an observer, a holy one,[d](q) coming down from heaven. 14 He called out loudly:
Cut down the tree and chop off its branches;
strip off its leaves and scatter its fruit.
Let the animals flee from under it,
and the birds from its branches.(r)
15 But leave the stump with its roots in the ground,(s)
and with a band of iron and bronze around it,
in the tender grass of the field.
Let him be drenched with dew from the sky
and share the plants of the earth(t)
with the animals.
16 Let his mind be changed from that of a man,
and let him be given the mind of an animal
for seven periods of time.[e][f](u)
17 This word is by decree of the observers;
the matter is a command from the holy ones.
This is so the living will know
that the Most High is ruler
over the kingdom of men.
He gives it to anyone He wants
and sets the lowliest of men over it.(v)
18 This is the dream that I, King Nebuchadnezzar, had. Now, Belteshazzar, tell me the interpretation, because none of the wise men of my kingdom can make the interpretation known to me.(w) But you can, because you have the spirit of the holy gods."
The Dream Interpreted
19 Then Daniel, whose name is Belteshazzar, was stunned for a moment, and his thoughts alarmed him. The king said, "Belteshazzar, don't let the dream or its interpretation alarm you."
Belteshazzar answered, "My lord, may the dream apply to those who hate you, and its interpretation to your enemies!(x) 20 The tree you saw, which grew large and strong, whose top reached to the sky and was visible to all the earth, 21 whose leaves were beautiful and its fruit abundant—and on it was food for all, under it the wild animals lived, and in its branches the birds of the air lived— 22 that tree is you, the king. For you have become great and strong: your greatness has grown and even reaches the sky, and your dominion extends to the ends of the earth.(y)
23 "The king saw an observer, a holy one, coming down from heaven and saying, ‘Cut down the tree and destroy it, but leave the stump with its roots in the ground and with a band of iron and bronze around it, in the tender grass of the field. Let him be drenched with dew from the sky, and share food with the wild animals for seven periods of time.' 24 This is the interpretation, Your Majesty, and this is the sentence of the Most High that has been passed against my lord the king:(z) 25 You will be driven away from people to live with the wild animals. You will feed on grass like cattle(aa) and be drenched with dew from the sky for seven periods of time, until you acknowledge that the Most High is ruler over the kingdom of men, and He gives it to anyone He wants.(ab) 26 As for the command to leave the tree's stump with its roots, your kingdom will be restored[g] to you as soon as you acknowledge that Heaven[h] rules.(ac) 27 Therefore, may my advice seem good to you my king. Separate yourself from your sins by doing what is right,(ad) and from your injustices by showing mercy to the needy.(ae) Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity."(af)
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