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32  But for all this, they sinned yet more ♦︎
   and put no faith in his wonderful works.
33  So he brought their days to an end like a breath ♦︎
   and their years in sudden terror.
34  Whenever he slew them, they would seek him; ♦︎
   they would repent and earnestly search for God.
35  They remembered that God was their rock ♦︎
   and the Most High God their redeemer.
36  Yet they did but flatter him with their mouth ♦︎
   and dissembled with their tongue.
37  Their heart was not steadfast towards him, ♦︎
   neither were they faithful to his covenant.
38  But he was so merciful that he forgave their misdeeds
      and did not destroy them; ♦︎
   many a time he turned back his wrath
      and did not suffer his whole displeasure to be roused.
39  For he remembered that they were but flesh, ♦︎
   a wind that passes by and does not return.
40  How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness ♦︎
   and grieved him in the desert!
41  Again and again they tempted God ♦︎
   and provoked the Holy One of Israel.
42  They did not remember his power ♦︎
   in the day when he redeemed them from the enemy;
43  How he had wrought his signs in Egypt ♦︎
   and his wonders in the field of Zoan.
44  He turned their rivers into blood, ♦︎
   so that they could not drink of their streams.
45  He sent swarms of flies among them, which devoured them, ♦︎
   and frogs which brought them ruin.
46  He gave their produce to the caterpillar, ♦︎
   the fruit of their toil to the locust.
47  He destroyed their vines with hailstones ♦︎
   and their sycamore trees with the frost.
48  He delivered their cattle to hailstones ♦︎
   and their flocks to thunderbolts.
49  He set loose on them his blazing anger: ♦︎
   fury, displeasure and trouble,
      a troop of destroying angels.
50  He made a way for his anger
      and spared not their souls from death, ♦︎
   but gave their life over to the pestilence.
51  He smote the firstborn of Egypt, ♦︎
   the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham.
52  But he led out his people like sheep ♦︎
   and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.
53  He led them to safety and they were not afraid, ♦︎
   but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.
54  He brought them to his holy place, ♦︎
   the mountain which his right hand took in possession.
55  He drove out the nations before them
      and shared out to them their inheritance; ♦︎
   he settled the tribes of Israel in their tents.

⁹ Praise is unseemly on the lips of a sinner,
   for it has not been sent from the Lord.
¹⁰ For in wisdom must praise be uttered,
   and the Lord will make it prosper.

Freedom of Choice

¹¹ Do not say, ‘It was the Lord’s doing that I fell away’;
   for he does not do^* what he hates.
¹² Do not say, ‘It was he who led me astray’;
   for he has no need of the sinful.
¹³ The Lord hates all abominations;
   such things are not loved by those who fear him.
¹⁴ It was he who created humankind in the beginning,
   and he left them in the power of their own free choice.
¹⁵ If you choose, you can keep the commandments,
   and to act faithfully is a matter of your own choice.
¹⁶ He has placed before you fire and water;
   stretch out your hand for whichever you choose.
¹⁷ Before each person are life and death,
   and whichever one chooses will be given.
¹⁸ For great is the wisdom of the Lord;
   he is mighty in power and sees everything;
¹⁹ his eyes are on those who fear him,
   and he knows every human action.
²⁰ He has not commanded anyone to be wicked,
   and he has not given anyone permission to sin.

Daniel’s Visions Interpreted

15 As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me,^* and the visions of my head terrified me. ¹⁶I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: ¹⁷‘As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever—for ever and ever.’

19 Then I desired to know the truth concerning the fourth beast, which was different from all the rest, exceedingly terrifying, with its teeth of iron and claws of bronze, and which devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped what was left with its feet; ²⁰and concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and concerning the other horn that came up, and to make room for which three of them fell out—the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke arrogantly, and that seemed greater than the others. ²¹As I looked, this horn made war with the holy ones and was prevailing over them, ²²until the Ancient One^* came; then judgement was given for the holy ones of the Most High, and the time arrived when the holy ones gained possession of the kingdom.

23 This is what he said: ‘As for the fourth beast,
there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth
   that shall be different from all the other kingdoms;
it shall devour the whole earth,
   and trample it down, and break it to pieces.
²⁴ As for the ten horns,
out of this kingdom ten kings shall arise,
   and another shall arise after them.
This one shall be different from the former ones,
   and shall put down three kings.
²⁵ He shall speak words against the Most High,
   shall wear out the holy ones of the Most High,
   and shall attempt to change the sacred seasons and the law;
and they shall be given into his power
   for a time, two times,^* and half a time.
²⁶ Then the court shall sit in judgement,
   and his dominion shall be taken away,
   to be consumed and totally destroyed.
²⁷ The kingship and dominion
   and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven
   shall be given to the people of the holy ones of the Most High;
their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom,
   and all dominions shall serve and obey them.’

28 Here the account ends. As for me, Daniel, my thoughts greatly terrified me, and my face turned pale; but I kept the matter in my mind.

The Angel with the Little Scroll

10And I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. ²He held a little scroll open in his hand. Setting his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³he gave a great shout, like a lion roaring. And when he shouted, the seven thunders sounded. ⁴And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.’ ⁵Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and the land
raised his right hand to heaven
⁶   and swore by him who lives for ever and ever,
who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it: ‘There will be no more delay, ⁷but in the days when the seventh angel is to blow his trumpet, the mystery of God will be fulfilled, as he announced to his servants^* the prophets.’

8 Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, ‘Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ ⁹So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll; and he said to me, ‘Take it, and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth.’ ¹⁰So I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it; it was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter.

11 Then they said to me, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.’