  DANIEL AT BABYLON. FIRST READING.
YOU remember that the Jews had been so wicked, that God had let them be conquered by their enemies, and taken quite away from home to the great city of Babylon. The king of Babylon worshipped idols; and he set up a great golden idol, much higher than this room, and commanded that as soon as his music played, everyone should fall down and worship the image; or if anyone would not, that person should be thrown into a burning fiery furnace. A furnace is like a very large oven, or like a brick-kiln—a sort of house quite full of fire—for burning and baking bricks, or melting iron, or anything else that requires to be made very hot. Many people were afraid of such a horrible punishment as being thrown into the furnace; and when they heard the music, they made haste to bow down before the great golden image. But the Jews knew that they must not worship idols; so what could they do? I only know what three of them did. They were three young men, named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who were brought up before the king, because they would not bow down before his great image. The king asked them how it was; and told them fiercely that if they would not worship his golden image, they must be thrown into the fire. I am with Thee saith the Lord to deliver Thee. Jer. 1-19 But they stood up boldly, and said, "Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O King! But if not, be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." The king was very angry at this brave answer. He had the furnace made seven times hotter than usual; and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego were thrown into it, tied hand and foot; and the flame was so hot, that it burnt the men that threw them in. Presently, the king gave a loud cry. For in the midst of the fire were the men, not tied, but free, and walking in the burning heat, as if they were in cool spring air! And there was another with them, whose form was the Son of God. Then he called them, and the three came out. There was no smell of fire about them, and not a hair of their heads was singed; they had not felt the heat at all; but that Holy One had taken care Then the king of Babylon knew how wrong he had been; and he sent forth a command, that no one should ever speak a word against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who had saved them in the burning fiery furnace. QUESTIONS.
SECOND READING.
GREAT Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had a strange dream. He thought he saw a great tree with spreading branches and fine leaves, making a sweet shelter, where all the creatures came and stood, and the birds nestled in the boughs; but while he was admiring it there came a holy one down from heaven, and said the tree was to be cut down, and only the stump left in the tender grass of the field, and that it should be bound with iron, and wet with the dew of heaven till seven years had passed over it. When Nebuchadnezzar woke he was troubled, and was sure the dream had a meaning, and he sent for the prophet Daniel to tell him what it was. Daniel was so sorry, that at first he could hardly bear to speak; but at last he told the king that it was himself, Nebuchadnezzar, that the tree meant. He was great and mighty, and countries and people were shadowed over by his power; but soon he would have a fall—he would lose his senses, and his man's heart would be like a beast's heart, and he would be driven out of his palace, and he would eat grass like an ox, and his body would be wet with the dew of heaven, and his hair would be long like eagles' feathers, and his nails like eagles' claws, till seven years had passed by; and then he would recover his senses, and know and understand again, and he would come back to his kingdom again. Then he would know and own that the Lord of Heaven is the true God. THOUGHT THAT NOTHING COULD HURT HIM. Nebuchadnezzar was shocked at first, but soon he forgot all about the dream, and felt himself so wise and strong and brave, that nothing could hurt him. He was walking one day in his palace, a most beautiful one, and looking out on the grand city with the river running through it, with all the bridges and the hundred brazen gates; and his heart was lifted up with pride, and he said, "Is not this great Babylon that I have builded?" That very moment there came a voice from heaven that said the time was come! And a strange madness came on the king, his brave clever spirit became as senseless as a beast's; and he only wanted to graze in the field like the cattle. So they drove him out of the palace, and put a band of iron round him, and let him eat grass like an ox, and his hair grew long and shaggy, and his nails like eagles' claws, just as Daniel had said. So seven years passed away; and at the end of them he came to his senses again, God gave back his man's heart and his reason, and he went back to his palace, and sat on his throne again. And one of the first things he did was to have a letter written to his people, telling them all this story, and bidding QUESTIONS.
THIRD READING.
AFTER Nebuchadnezzar, some troublesome times began at Babylon; but at last his grandson Belshazzar was reigning. He was a foolish, self-pleasing young man; and his enemies, the great nation of Medes and Persians, came to make war on him, but still he did not care for anything but his amusement. He thought Babylon so strong that they could never break in; and he gave a great feast to all his lords, with fine meats and wines, and he had all the gold and silver bowls, and the golden candlestick that had been brought out of the Temple of God at Jerusalem, on the tables, while he and his friends were drinking and singing and shouting. All on a sudden a stillness came over them, and their eyes opened wide with fright. For just over the candlestick there was seen a man's hand. There was no body, only the hand; and the finger went along writing on the wall, tracing out letters. There were four words, but no one could read them or tell what they meant. The king was terribly frightened. His knees knocked together, and he shook all over, and he called for some one to tell him what this writing could be. Nobody could guess; but at last the queen, his mother, came and put him in mind how Daniel had been able to explain his father's dreams. So Daniel was sent for, and he at once read the writing. He told them Belshazzar was found wanting. His kingdom was going to be taken from him, and given to the Medes and Persians. DANIEL INTERPRETING THE WRITING ON THE WALL.—Dan. 5:25-28. And even then, all the time the Babylonians were feasting and not watching the enemy, Cyrus, the clever king of the Persians, was making his men dig ditches, into which he turned all the water of the great river that ran through the city; and that very night all his army came in, walking up the dry bed of the stream. No one saw them till they were in the city; and that very night Belshazzar was slain. QUESTIONS.
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