¹ It seemed good to Darius, and he appointed over the kingdom a hundred and twenty governors to be over his whole kingdom.

² And three princes over them, of whom Daniel was one: that the governors might give an account to them, and the king might have no trouble.

³ And Daniel excelled all the princes, and governors: because a greater spirit of God was in him.

⁴ And the king thought to set him over all the kingdom: whereupon the princes, and the governors sought to find occasion against Daniel with regard to the king: and they could find no cause, nor suspicion, because he was faithful, and no fault, nor suspicion was found in him

⁵ Then these men said: We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel, unless perhaps concerning the law of his God.

⁶ Then the princes, and the governors craftily suggested to the king, and spoke thus unto him: King Darius, live for ever:

⁷ All the princes of the kingdom, the magistrates, and governors, the senators, and judges have consulted together, that an imperial decree, and an edict be published: That whosoever shall ask any petition of any god, or man, for thirty days, but of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.

⁸ Now, therefore, O king, confirm the sentence, and sign the decree: that what is decreed by the Medes and Persians may not be altered, nor any man be allowed to transgress it.

⁹ So king Darius set forth the decree, and established it.

¹⁰ Now when Daniel knew this, that is to say, that the law was made, he went into his house: and opening the windows in his upper chamber towards Jerusalem, he knelt down three times a day, and adored, and gave thanks before his God, as he had been accustomed to do before.

¹¹ Wherefore those men carefully watching him, found Daniel praying and making supplication to his God.

¹² And they came and spoke to the king concerning the edict: O king, hast thou not decreed, that every man that should make a request to any of the gods, or men, for thirty days, but to thyself, O king, should be cast into the den of the lions? And the king answered them, saying: The word is true according to the decree of the Medes and Persians, which it is not lawful to violate.

¹³ Then they answered, and said before the king: Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Juda, hath not regarded thy law, nor the decree that thou hast made: but three times a day he maketh his prayer.

¹⁴ Now when the king had heard these words, he was very much grieved, and in behalf of Daniel he set his heart to deliver him and even till sunset he laboured to save him.

¹⁵ But those mer. perceiving the king's design, said to him: Know thou, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is, that no decree which the king hath made, may be altered.

¹⁶ Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel, and cast him into the den of the lions. And the king said to Daniel: Thy God, whom thou always servest, he will deliver thee.

¹⁷ And a stone was brought, and laid upon the mouth of the den: which the king sealed with his own ring, and with the ring of his nobles, that nothing should be done against Daniel.

¹⁸ And the king went away to his house and laid himself down without taking supper, and meat was not set before him, and even sleep departed from him.

¹⁹ Then the king rising very early in the morning, went in haste to the lions' den:

²⁰ And coming near to the den, cried with a lamentable voice to Daniel, and said to him: Daniel, servant of the living God, hath thy God, whom thou servest always, been able, thinkest thou, to deliver thee from the lions?

²¹ And Daniel answering the king, said: O king, live for ever:

²² My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut up the mouths of the lions, and they have not hurt me: forasmuch as before him justice hath been found in me: yea and before thee, O king, I have done no offence.

²³ Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and he commanded that Daniel should be taken out of the den: and Daniel was taken out of the den, and no hurt was found in him, because he believed in his God.

²⁴ And by the king's commandment, those men were brought that bad accused Daniel: and they were cast into the lions' den, they and their children, and their wives: and they did not reach the bottom of the den, before the lions caught them, and broke all their bones in pieces.

²⁵ Then king Darius wrote to all people, tribes, and languages, dwelling in the whole earth: PEACE be multiplied unto you.

²⁶ It is decreed by me, that in all my empire and my kingdom all men dread and fear the God of Daniel. For he is the living and eternal God for ever: and his kingdom shall not be destroyed, and his power shall be for ever.

²⁷ He is the deliverer, and saviour, doing signs and wonders in heaven, and in earth: who hath delivered Daniel out of the lions' den.

²⁸ Now Daniel continued unto the reign of Darius, and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

¹ He looked up, and saw the rich people who were putting their gifts into the treasury.

² He saw a certain poor widow casting in two small brass coins.

³ He said, "Truly I tell you, this poor widow put in more than all of them,

⁴ for all these put in gifts for God from their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, put in all that she had to live on."

⁵ As some were talking about the temple and how it was decorated with beautiful stones and gifts, he said,

⁶ "As for these things which you see, the days will come, in which there will not be left here one stone on another that will not be thrown down."

⁷ They asked him, "Teacher, so when will these things be? What is the sign that these things are about to happen?"

⁸ He said, "Watch out that you don't get led astray, for many will come in my name, saying, 'I am he,' and, 'The time is at hand.' Therefore don't follow them.

⁹ When you hear of wars and disturbances, don't be terrified, for these things must happen first, but the end won't come immediately."

¹⁰ Then he said to them, "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, famines, and plagues in various places. There will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

¹² But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and will persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and prisons, bringing you before kings and governors for my name's sake.

¹³ It will turn out as a testimony for you.

¹⁴ Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand how to answer,

¹⁵ for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to withstand or to contradict.

¹⁶ You will be handed over even by parents, brothers, relatives, and friends. They will cause some of you to be put to death.

¹⁷ You will be hated by all men for my name's sake.

¹⁸ And not a hair of your head will perish.

¹⁹ "By your endurance you will win your lives.

²⁰ "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand.

²¹ Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein.

²² For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

²³ Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people.

²⁴ They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

²⁵ There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves;

²⁶ men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

²⁷ Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

²⁸ But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near."

²⁹ He told them a parable. "See the fig tree, and all the trees.

³⁰ When they are already budding, you see it and know by your own selves that the summer is already near.

³¹ Even so you also, when you see these things happening, know that the Kingdom of God is near.

³² Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away until all things are accomplished.

³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.

³⁴ "So be careful, or your hearts will be loaded down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that day will come on you suddenly.

³⁵ For it will come like a snare on all those who dwell on the surface of all the earth.

³⁶ Therefore be watchful all the time, praying that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will happen, and to stand before the Son of Man."

³⁷ Every day Jesus was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.

³⁸ All the people came early in the morning to him in the temple to hear him.