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Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're

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taking this journey together to read the Bible

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in a year. Today's reading is from the book of

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Daniel, chapter 4. Nebuchadnezzar the king, to

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all peoples, nations, and languages that dwell

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in all the earth, peace be multiplied to you.

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I thought it good to declare the signs and wonders

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that the Most High God has worked for me. How

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great are his signs and how mighty his wonders!

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His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and his

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dominion is from generation to generation. I,

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Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in my house and flourishing

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in my palace. I saw a dream which made me afraid,

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and the thoughts on my bed and the visions of

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my head troubled me. Therefore I issued a decree

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to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before

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me, that they might make known to me the interpretation

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of the dream. Then the magicians, the astrologers,

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the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers came in, and

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I told them the dream, but they did not make

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known to me its interpretation. But at last Daniel

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came before me. His name is Belshazzar, according

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to the name of my God. In him is the Spirit of

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the Holy God. And I told the dream before him,

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saying, Belshazzar, chief of the magicians, because

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I know that the Spirit of the Holy God is in

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you. and no secret troubles you, explain to me

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the visions of my dream that I have seen and

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its interpretation. These were the visions of

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my head while on my bed. I was looking, and behold,

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a tree in the midst of the earth, and its height

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was great. The tree grew and became strong. Its

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height reached to the heavens, and it could be

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seen to the ends of all the earth. Its leaves

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were lovely, its fruit abundant, and in it was

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food for all. The beasts of the field found shade

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under it, the birds of the heavens dwelt in its

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branches, and all the flesh was fed from it.

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I saw in the visions of my head while on my bed,

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and there was a watcher, a holy one, coming down

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from heaven. He cried aloud and said thus, Chop

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down the tree and cut off its branches, strip

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off its leaves and scatter its fruit. Let the

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beasts get out from under it and the birds from

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its branches. Nevertheless, Leave the stump and

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roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron

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and bronze, in the tender grass of the field.

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Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let

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him graze with the beasts on the grass of the

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earth. Let his heart be changed from that of

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a man, let him be given the heart of a beast,

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and let seven times pass over him. This decision

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is by the decree of the watchers, and a sentence

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by the word of the holy ones, in order that the

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living may know. that the Most High rules in

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the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever he will,

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and sets over it the lowest of men. This dream

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I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now you, Belshazzar,

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declare its interpretation, since all the wise

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men of my kingdom are not able to make known

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to me the interpretation. But you are able, for

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the Spirit of the Holy God is in you. Then Daniel,

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whose name was Belshazzar, was astonished for

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a time. and his thoughts troubled him. So the

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king spoke and said, Belshazzar, do not let the

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dream or its interpretation trouble you. Belshazzar

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answered and said, My lord, may the dream concern

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those who hate you, and its interpretation concern

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your enemies. The tree that you saw, which grew

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and became strong, whose height reached to the

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heavens, and which could be seen by all the earth,

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whose leaves were lovely, and its fruit abundant,

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in which was food for all, under which the beasts

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of the field dwelt and in whose branches the

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birds of the heaven had their home it is you

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o king who have grown and become strong for your

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greatness has grown and reaches to the heavens

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and your dominion to the end of the earth and

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inasmuch as the king saw a watcher a holy one

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coming down from heaven and saying chop down

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the tree and destroy it but leave its stump and

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roots in the earth, bound with a band of iron

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and bronze in the tender grass of the field.

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Let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let

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him graze with the beasts of the field till seven

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times pass over him. This is the interpretation,

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O king, and this is the decree of the Most High,

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which has come upon my lord the king. They shall

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drive you from men, your dwelling shall be with

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the beasts of the field, and they shall make

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you eat grass like oxen. They shall wet you with

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the dew of heaven and seven times shall pass

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over you till you know that the Most High rules

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in the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever

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he chooses. And inasmuch as they gave the command

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to leave the stump and roots of the tree, your

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kingdom shall be assured to you after you come

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to know that heaven rules. Therefore, O king,

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let my advice be acceptable to you. Break off

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your sins by being righteous and your iniquities

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by showing mercy to the poor. Perhaps there may

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be a lengthening of your prosperity. All this

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came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. At the end of

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the 12th month, he was walking about the royal

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palace of Babylon. The king spoke, saying, Is

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not this great Babylon that I have built for

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a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the

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honor of my majesty? While the word was still

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in the king's mouth, a voice fell from heaven.

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King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken. The

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kingdom has departed from you, and they shall

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drive you from men. and your dwelling shall be

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with the beasts of the field. They shall make

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you eat grass like oxen, and seven times shall

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pass over you, until you know that the Most High

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rules in the kingdom of men, and gives it to

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whom ever he chooses. That very hour the word

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was fulfilled concerning Nebuchadnezzar. He was

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driven from men and ate grass like oxen. His

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body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his

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hair had grown like eagles' feathers, and his

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nails like birds' claws. And at the end of the

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time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven,

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and my understanding returned to me, and I blessed

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the Most High and praised and honored Him who

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lives forever. For His dominion is an everlasting

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dominion, and His kingdom is from generation

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to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth

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are reputed as nothing. He does according to

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His will in the army of heaven and among the

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inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain

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His hand or say to Him, What have you done? At

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the same time, my reason returned to me, and

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for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor

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returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted

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to me. I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent

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majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar,

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praise and extol and honor the King of heaven,

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all of whose works are truth, and his ways justice,

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and those who walk in pride he is able to put

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down. I hope you enjoyed today's reading as much

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as I did and I look forward to seeing you again

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tomorrow to continue on our journey. God bless

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you and have a great day.