Daniel Susanna-Daniel 1:21
1 There was a man living in Babylon, and his name was Jehoiakim. 2 He took a wife whose name was Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah, a very beautiful woman and one who feared the Lord. 3 Her parents were righteous and taught their daughter according to the Law of Moses. 4 Jehoiakim was exceedingly wealthy, with a spacious garden adjoining his house, and the Jews came to him because he was the most honored of them all. 5 In that year, two elders from the people were appointed as judges, concerning whom the Lord said, “Lawlessness came forth out of Babylon from the elders who were judges, who were supposed to govern the people.” 6 These men were frequently at Jehoiakim’s house, and all who had judgments came to them.
7 Now when the people departed at midday, Susanna would go into her husband’s garden to walk. 8 So the two elders would see her going in and walking about every day, and they desired her. 9 They turned away their heart and averted their eyes from looking to heaven, and from remembering righteous judgments. 10 Both were pierced to the heart for her, but they did not tell each other their pain. 11 They were ashamed to inform one another of their desire, because they wished to have relations with her. 12 So every day they eagerly watched to see her. 13 Finally they said to one another, “Let us go home, for it is time for the midday meal,” and going out, they parted from each other. 14 But turning back, they met again, and when they pressured each other for the reason, they confessed their desire. Together they arranged for a time they could find her alone.
15 Then it came to pass, while they were waiting for an opportune day, she went in as before with only two maids. She also wished to bathe in the garden, for it was hot. 16 For no one was there except the two elders, who hid themselves and were watching her. 17 She said to her maids, “Bring me oil and ointments, and shut the doors of the garden, that I may bathe.” 18 They did as she said and closed the garden doors. They went out by the side doors to bring the things commanded, but did not see the elders, because they were hidden.
19 When the maids left, the two elders arose and ran to her, 20 and said, “Look, the doors of the garden are closed, and no one will see us, and we desire you. Therefore give us your consent and lie with us. 21 If you do not, we will testify that a young man was with you, and because of this you sent your maids away from you.” 22 Then Susanna sighed deeply and said, “I am hemmed in on all sides, for if I do this thing, it is death for me; yet if I do not, I will not escape your hands. 23 But it is better for me not to do it and to fall into your hands, than to sin against the Lord.” 24 Then Susanna cried out with a loud voice, and the two elders cried out against her. 25 One of them ran and opened the garden doors. 26 When the household servants heard the cry in the garden, they rushed in by the side doors to see what had happened to her. 27 So when the elders told their tale, the servants were deeply ashamed, for such a report had never been made about Susanna.
28 Then it came to pass the next day, when the people assembled at the house of Jehoiakim, her husband, the two elders also came full of their lawless purpose against Susanna, to have her put to death. They said before all the people, 29 “Send for Susanna the daughter of Hilkiah, who is the wife of Jehoiakim.” 30 So they sent for her, and she came with her parents, her children, and all her kindred. 31 Now Susanna was very desirable and beautiful to behold. 32 However, she was veiled; thus the lawless men commanded she be unveiled, so as to enjoy her beauty. 33 But her friends and all who saw her wept. 34 Then the two elders arose in the midst of the people and laid their hands upon her head. 35 She wept and looked up to heaven; for her heart trusted in the Lord. 36 The two elders said, “As we were walking in the garden alone, this woman came in with two maids, closed the doors of the garden, and dismissed the maids. 37 Then a young man who was hidden came to her and lay with her. 38 Now we were in a corner of the garden and saw this lawlessness. So we ran to them and saw them having relations. 39 But we could not hold the man, for he was stronger than we. He then opened the doors and rushed out. 40 So we seized this woman and asked her who the young man was, 41 but she was unwilling to tell us.” Thus the assembly believed them, as they were elders and judges among the people. So they condemned her to death.
42 But Susanna cried out with a loud voice and said, “O eternal God, who know both what is secret and all things before they come to be, 43 You know these men testified against me falsely, and behold, I shall die, though I did none of the things they wickedly invented against me.” 44 The Lord heard her voice, 45 and as she was being led away to be put to death, God aroused the holy spirit of a young boy, whose name was Daniel. 46 He cried out with a loud voice, “I am innocent of the blood of this woman.” 47 So all the people turned to him and said, “What is this thing you said?” 48 Then he stood in their midst and said, “Are you such fools, O sons of Israel? Without examination or knowledge of the evidence, have you condemned a daughter of Israel? 49 Return to the place of judgment, for these men testified against her falsely.”
50 So all the people returned with haste. The elders said to him, “Come, sit in our midst and inform us, for God gives you that privilege.” 51 Daniel then said to them, “Separate them far from each other, and I will examine them.” 52 When they were separated from each other, he summoned one of them and said to him, “You old man of evil days, now the sins you committed in earlier days have come home; 53 for you pronounce unjust judgments, condemn the innocent, and set the guilty free. Yet the Lord said, ‘You shall not kill the innocent and the righteous.’ 54 Now then, if indeed you saw her, tell me, under which tree did you see them being intimate with each other?” He replied, “Under a mastic tree.” 55 Daniel then said, “Plainly, you lied against your own head, for even now the angel of God receives the sentence from God, and he shall cut you in two.”
56 Then he removed him, and commanded them to bring the other. He said to him, “You seed of Canaan and not of Judah, beauty deceived you, and desire turned away your heart. 57 This is how both of you deal with the daughters of Israel, and they have been intimate with you through fear; but a daughter of Judah would not endure your lawlessness. 58 Now then, tell me, under what tree did you catch them being intimate with each other?” He replied, “Under the evergreen oak.” 59 Daniel said to him, “Plainly, you also lied against your own head, for the angel of God is waiting with his sword to cut you in two, that he may destroy both of you.”
60 Then the whole assembly cried out with a loud voice and blessed God, who saves those who hope in Him. 61 So they rose up against the two elders, for Daniel convicted them out of their own mouth of bearing false witness; and they did to them the thing they maliciously intended to do against their neighbor. 62 For acting in accordance with the Law of Moses, they put them to death. Therefore innocent blood was saved on that day.
63 Hilkiah and his wife praised God for their daughter, with Jehoiakim her husband and all her kindred, because nothing shameful was found in her. 64 Thus Daniel had a great reputation among the people from that day onward.
Daniel and His Companions Obey God
1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. 2 The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with some of the vessels of the house of God. Then he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god. He carried them into the treasure house of his god. 3 Then the king spoke to Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring him some of the captives of Israel, and some of the royal family and some of the nobles— 4 young men in whom there was no blemish, but handsome, skilled in all wisdom, well grounded in letters, intelligent, and prudent, and who had the ability to serve in the king’s house, and whom they might teach the letters and language of the Chaldeans. 5 The king also appointed a daily provision for them from the king’s table and from the wine he drank, and gave orders to educate them for three years. At the end of that time they were to stand before the king.
6 Now among them there were Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, sons of the tribe of Judah. 7 So the chief of the eunuchs gave them names: to Daniel the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego. 8 But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, nor with the wine he drank; therefore, he entreated the chief of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 9 Now the Lord gave Daniel mercy and compassion in the sight of the chief of the eunuchs. 10 So the chief of the eunuchs said to Daniel, “I fear my Lord the king, who ordered your food and drink, lest he see your countenances gloomy in comparison to the young men your equals. Then you would endanger my head before the king.” 11 So Daniel said to Melzar, whom the chief of the eunuchs appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: 12 “Test your servants for ten days, and let them give us vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 After this let our countenance be observed by you and the countenance of the young men who eat at the king’s table. Then deal with your servants as you see fit.” 14 So he agreed with their proposal and tested them ten days. 15 At the end of the ten days, their countenance was observed, and they were more fit and stronger in body than the young men who ate at the king’s table. 16 Thus Melzar took away their food and wine, and gave them vegetables instead. 17 As for these four young men, God gave them understanding and insight in all letters and wisdom, and He gave Daniel understanding in all visions and dreams.
18 Now when their education was completed, the king ordered all the young men to be brought in. Thus the chief of the eunuchs brought them before Nebuchadnezzar. 19 So the king spoke with them, and among all of them, none were found like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. So they stood before the king. 20 In every saying of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the enchanters and wise men in all his kingdom. 21 Thus Daniel continued until the first year of the reign of King Cyrus.
Psalm 144:1–9
1 A praise by David.
I shall exalt You, my God and my King,
And I shall bless Your name forever and unto ages of ages.
2 Every day I shall bless You
And praise Your name forever and unto ages of ages.
3 Great is the Lord and exceedingly praiseworthy,
And His greatness has no limit.
4 Generation and generation shall praise Your works,
And they shall declare Your power.
5 They shall speak of the magnificence of the glory of Your holiness,
And they shall describe Your wonders.
6 They shall also speak of the power of Your awesome deeds
And describe Your great majesty.
7 They shall overflow with the memory of Your rich goodness,
And shall greatly rejoice in Your righteousness.
8 The Lord is gracious and merciful,
Longsuffering and abundant in mercy.
9 The Lord is good to all,
And His mercies are upon all His works.
Proverbs 30:26–30
26 Now there are four very small things upon earth,
But these are wiser than the wise:
27 The ants, which are not strong,
Yet they prepare provisions in the summer;
28 The rabbits, which are not a strong tribe,
Yet they make their own homes in the rocks;
29 The locust, which is without a king,
Yet he marches out as one commanded in an orderly manner.
30 And the spotted lizard, which supports himself with his hands and is easily caught,
Yet he dwells in the fortresses of kings.
Revelation 15:1-16:7
1 Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.
2 And I saw something like a sea of glass mingled with fire, and those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having harps of God.
3 They sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying:
“Great and marvelous are Your works,
Lord God Almighty!
Just and true are Your ways,
O King of the saints!
4 Who shall not fear You, O Lord, and glorify Your name?
For You alone are holy.
For all nations shall come and worship before You,
For Your judgments have been manifested.”
5 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened.
6 And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands.
7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God who lives forever and ever.
8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.
1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.”
First Bowl: Loathsome Sores
2 So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.
Second Bowl: The Sea Turns to Blood
3 Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man; and every living creature in the sea died.
Third Bowl: The Waters Turn to Blood
4 Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
5 And I heard the angel of the waters saying:
“You are righteous, O Lord,
The One who is and who was and who is to be,
Because You have judged these things.
6 For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets,
And You have given them blood to drink.
For it is their just due.”
7 And I heard another from the altar saying, “Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.”