48 1 These are the names of the tribes. Beginning at the northern border, Dan will have one part of the land. It will extend from the road to Hethlon to Hamath Pass and Hazar Enon, on the northern border of Damascus near Hamath, from the eastern border to the western border.

2 Asher will have one part of the land and border Dan on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

3 Naphtali will have one part of the land and border Asher on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

4 Manasseh will have one part of the land and border Naphtali on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

5 Ephraim will have one part of the land and border Manasseh on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

6 Reuben will have one part of the land and border Ephraim on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

7 Judah will have one part of the land and border Reuben on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

8 The land that you set aside as a special gift for the LORD will border Judah on the south. It will be 43,750 feet wide, and it will be as long as one of the sections of the tribes. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border, and the holy place will be in the middle of it.

9 This special land that you set aside for Yahweh will be 43,750 feet long and 17,500 feet wide. 10 This holy area will belong to the priests. On the north side it will be 43,750 feet long. On the west side it will be 17,500 feet wide. On the east side it will be 17,500 feet wide. On the south side it will be 43,750 feet long. Yahweh's holy place will be in the middle of it. 11 This land that has been set apart will belong to the priests who are descendants of Zadok. They took care of my holy place. They didn't wander away with the Israelites as the Levites did. 12 So they will have a special portion from the land. It will be the holiest part of land, next to the land belonging to the Levites.

13 Alongside the land belonging to the priests will be the land belonging to the Levites. It will be 43,750 feet long and 17,500 feet wide. 14 They must not sell any of it or trade any of it. They must not let others have the best part of the land, because the land is Yahweh's and it is holy.

15 A strip of land, 8,750 feet wide by 43,750 feet long, will be left for cities, homes, and pastures. The city will be in the middle of it. 16 These will be the measurements for the city: On the north side it will be 7,875 feet long. On the south side it will be 7,875 feet long. On the east side it will be 7,875 feet wide. And on the west side it will be 7,875 feet wide. 17 The city's pastureland will be 4,375 feet on the north, 4,375 feet on the south, 4,375 feet on the east, and 4,375 feet on the west. 18 The rest of the land borders the holy area and runs lengthwise. This land will be 17,500 feet on its east side and 17,500 feet on its west side. It will be used to provide food for the city workers. 19 City workers from all the tribes in Israel will farm it. 20 The whole area will be 43,750 feet square. You must give this land as a special gift to the LORD along with the city property.

21 Whatever is left on the east side and west side of the holy area and the city property will belong to the prince. This land will extend eastward from the holy area to the eastern border, and it will extend westward to the western border. Both of these areas are as long as one of the sections of the tribes. These areas belong to the prince, and the holy area with the holy place of the temple will be between them. 22 So the Levites' property and the city's property will be between the prince's part of the land. What is between Judah's and Benjamin's boundaries will belong to the prince.

23 This is what the rest of the tribes will receive: Benjamin will have one part of the land. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

24 Simeon will have one part of the land and border Benjamin on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

25 Issachar will have one part of the land and border Simeon on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

26 Zebulun will have one part of the land and border Issachar on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

27 Gad will have one part of the land and border Zebulun on the south. It will extend from the eastern border to the western border.

28 The southern border of Gad will run south from Tamar to the oasis at Meribah in Kadesh, and it will run along the Brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. 29 This is the land you will divide as your inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their areas, declares the Adonay Yahweh .

The New City of God 30 These will be the exits for the city: The north side will be 7,875 feet long. 31 The gates of the city will be named after the tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be Reuben Gate, Judah Gate, and Levi Gate.

32 The east side will be 7,875 feet long. The three gates on the east side will be Joseph Gate, Benjamin Gate, and Dan Gate.

33 The south side will be 7,875 feet long. The three gates on the south side will be Simeon Gate, Issachar Gate, and Zebulun Gate.

34 The west side will be 7,875 feet long. The three gates on the west side will be Gad Gate, Asher Gate, and Naphtali Gate.

35 The city will measure about 31,500 feet all the way around. From then on the city's name will be: Yahweh Shammah.

a 4:13 "Unclean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is not presentable to God.

a 8:17 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

a 9:3 Or "cherubim."

b 10:1 Or "cherubim."

a 11:22 Or "cherubim."

a 16:57 Some Hebrew manuscripts; other Hebrew manuscripts, Syriac "Edom."

b 16:59 Or "covenant."

a 18:14 Many Hebrew manuscripts, Greek, Latin; other Hebrew manuscripts "Although he sees them, he doesn't do such things."

a 20:37 Or "covenant."

a 20:44 Ezekiel 20:45-49 in English Bibles is Ezekiel 21:1-5 in the Hebrew Bible.

b 21:1 Ezekiel 21:1-32 in English Bibles is Ezekiel 21:6-37 in the Hebrew Bible.

c 21:10 Hebrew meaning of this sentence uncertain.

a 22:10 "Unclean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is not presentable to God.

a 22:24 "Clean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is presentable to God.

a 23:24 Hebrew meaning uncertain.

a 27:11 Or "Celicia."

a 28:14 Or "one of the cherubim."

a 29:14 Or "southern Egypt."

a 34:27 A yoke is a wooden bar placed over the necks of work animals so that they can pull plows or carts.

a 36:17 "Unclean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is not presentable to God.

a 36:25 "Clean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is presentable to God.

a 37:9 Or "Spirit."

b 37:26 Or "covenant."

a 39:12 "Clean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is presentable to God.

b 39:16 There is a play on words here between Hebrew hamon (troops) and Hamonah.

a 41:18 Or "cherubim."

a 42:10 Greek; Masoretic Text "east side."

a 43:3 Some Hebrew manuscripts, Greek, Latin; other Hebrew manuscripts "When I came."

a 44:7 Or "foreigners whose hearts and bodies are uncircumcised."

a 44:23 "Clean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is presentable to God. "Unclean" refers to anything that Moses' Teachings say is not presentable to God.

a 45:11 A homer was about 60 gallons as a liquid measure or 6 bushels as a dry measure.

b 45:12 A shekel was about four-tenths of an ounce.

Introduction to DANIEL.

The book of Daniel has two parts. Chapters 1-6 tell stories about Daniel and his friends, who are Jewish exiles in Babylon. In chapters 7-12, Daniel describes his kaleidoscopic visions. The stories and the visions have the same theme: the God of Israel is in complete control of history.

The stories are easy to understand. Daniel and his friends face various dilemmas as they live among Gentiles who do not recognize Israel's God. Will they eat the king's food, or will they adhere to Jewish dietary laws? Will they bow down to the king's idol, or will they risk being burned alive for refusing? Will Daniel stop praying where he can be seen, or will he suffer the punishment of being thrown into a den of hungry lions? Will he dare to tell the drunken and blasphemous King Belshazzar the real meaning of the handwriting on the wall? In every case, Daniel and his friends choose loyalty to the God of their ancestors rather than surrender to the pagan king, and in every case, they are rewarded or rescued.

Daniel's visions are considerably more complex than the stories themselves. They are often described as apocalyptic, a word that simply means "unveiling" but is usually associated with terrifying last-day events (visions in the book of Revelation are also apocalyptic). Apocalyptic literature is symbolic. It pulls back the veil of reality, showing angels and demons at war behind earthly happenings. Daniel's visions-full of grotesque animals representing Babylon, Persia, and Greece, southern kings and northern kings-are explained by powerful angels who reel off mystifying numbers.

Many interpreters have looked for meaning in the details, attaching beasts and numbers to various nations and dates. The book, however, was not meant to be a code-breaker, and it was certainly never intended to frighten its readers. Instead, it was meant to encourage people who were trying to be faithful to God in an alien culture. Because God is in charge of history, there is great reason to hope. All kings are subject to God, and eventually all earthly kingdoms will be replaced by God's eternal kingdom. Meanwhile, God rescues his people from exile and even from death (the Bible's first description of resurrection is in 12:1-3). God does this, as Daniel acknowledges in his fervent prayer in chapter 9, not because his people are righteous, but because God is compassionate. No matter where we are or what we face, we can trust the God of Daniel.

Key Names of God in Daniel A portion of the book of Daniel-2:4b to 7:28-was originally written in Aramaic. In those chapters, the names of God are rendered in Aramaic.

Adonay Lord, Master Elohim God Yahweh LORD Elah Illa-ah (Aramaic) God Most High El Elyon (Hebrew) God Most High Elyonin, Illa-ah (Aramaic) Highest Elyon (Hebrew) Highest Bar-Enash (Aramaic) Son of Man Mashiach Christ, Messiah DANIEL.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.

11 12.

Daniel and His Friends Remain Faithful to God 1 1 In the third year of the reign of King Jehoiakim of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon came to Jerusalem and attacked it. 2 Adonay handed King Jehoiakim of Judah and some utensils from Elohim's temple over to Nebuchadnezzar. Nebuchadnezzar took the utensils to the temple of his god in Babylonia and put them in the temple treasury.

3 The king told Ashpenaz, the chief-of-staff, to bring some of the Israelites, the royal family, and the nobility. 4 They were to be young men who were healthy, good-looking, knowledgeable in all subjects, well-informed, intelligent, and able to serve in the king's palace. They were to be taught the language and literature of the Babylonians.

5 The king arranged for them to get a daily allowance of the king's rich food and wine. They were to be trained for three years. After that, they were to serve the king. 6 Among these young men were some Judeans: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. 7 The chief-of-staff gave them Babylonian names: To Daniel he gave the name Belteshazzar. To Hananiah he gave the name Shadrach. To Mishael he gave the name Meshach. And to Azariah he gave the name Abednego.

8 Daniel made up his mind not to harm himself by eating the king's rich food and drinking the king's wine. So he asked the chief-of-staff for permission not to harm himself in this way.

9 Elohim made the chief-of-staff kind and compassionate toward Daniel. 10 The chief-of-staff told Daniel, "I'm afraid of my master, the king. The king determined what you should eat and drink. If he sees that you look worse than the other young men your age, he would have my head cut off."

11 The chief-of-staff put a supervisor in charge of Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Daniel said to the supervisor, 12 "Please test us for ten days. Give us only vegetables to eat and water to drink. 13 Then compare us to the young men who are eating the king's rich food. Decide how to treat us on the basis of how we look."

14 The supervisor listened to them about this matter and tested them for ten days. 15 After ten days they looked healthier and stronger than the young men who had been eating the king's rich food. 16 So the supervisor took away the king's rich food and wine and gave them vegetables.

17 Elohim gave these four men knowledge, wisdom, and the ability to understand all kinds of literature. Daniel could also understand all kinds of visions and dreams.

18 At the end of the three-year training period, the chief-of-staff brought all the young men to Nebuchadnezzar. 19 The king talked to them and found no one like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah among all of them. So these four men served the king. 20 Whenever the king asked them about things that required wisdom and insight, he found that they knew ten times more than all the magicians and psychics in his whole kingdom.

21 Daniel served the royal palace until the first year of King Cyrus of Persia.

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream about a Statue Made of Four Metals 2 1 During the second year of Nebuchadnezzar's reign, he had some dreams. He was troubled, but he stayed asleep. 2 The king sent for the magicians, psychics, sorcerers, and astrologers so that they could tell him what he had dreamed. So they came to the king.

3 The king said to them, "I had a dream, and I'm troubled by it. I want to know what the dream was."

4 The astrologers spoke to the king in Aramaic, "Your Majesty, may you live forever! Tell us the dream, and we'll interpret it for you."

5 The king answered the astrologers, "I meant what I said! If you don't tell me the dream and its meaning, you will be torn limb from limb, and your houses will be turned into piles of rubble. 6 But if you tell me the dream and its meaning, I will give you gifts, awards, and high honors. Now tell me the dream and its meaning."

7 Once more they said, "Your Majesty, tell us the dream, and we'll tell you its meaning."

8 The king replied, "I'm sure you're trying to buy some time because you know that I meant what I said. 9 If you don't tell me the dream, you'll all receive the same punishment. You have agreed among yourselves to make up a phony explanation to give me, hoping that things will change. So tell me the dream. Then I'll know that you can explain its meaning to me."

10 The astrologers answered the king, "No one on earth can tell the king what he asks. No other king, no matter how great and powerful, has ever asked such a thing of any magician, psychic, or astrologer. 11 What you ask is difficult, Your Majesty. No one can tell what you dreamed except the gods, and they don't live with humans."

12 This made the king so angry and furious that he gave an order to destroy all the wise advisers in Babylon. 13 So a decree was issued that the wise advisers were to be killed, and some men were sent to find Daniel and his friends and kill them.

14 While Arioch, the captain of the royal guard, was leaving to kill the wise advisers in Babylon, Daniel spoke to him using shrewd judgment. 15 He asked Arioch, the royal official, "Why is the king's decree so harsh?" So Arioch explained everything to Daniel.

16 Daniel went and asked the king to give him some time so that he could explain the dream's meaning. 17 Then Daniel went home and told his friends Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah about this matter. 18 He told them to ask the Elah of heaven to be merciful and to explain this secret to them so that they would not be destroyed with the rest of the wise advisers in Babylon.

19 The secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision during the night. So Daniel praised the Elah of heaven. 20 He said, "Praise Eloah's name from everlasting to everlasting because he is wise and powerful.

21 He changes times and periods of history.

He removes kings and establishes them.

He gives wisdom to those who are wise and knowledge to those who have insight.

22 He reveals deeply hidden things. He knows what is in the dark, and light lives with him.

23 Elah of my ancestors, I thank and praise you.

You gave me wisdom and power.